Maddux’s String Continues : Baseball: Padre reliever wins again as Reds fall, 3-2, in 11 innings.

Padre pitcher Mike Maddux can’t believe it. Sure, he had all kinds of dreams when the Padres invited him to their minor-league camp in February, but not even his imagination was this wild.

“It’s unbelievable, isn’t it,” Maddux said. “I mean, it’s like a Cinderella story, only it’s better.

The Padres, winning in every conceivable fashion the first week of the season, defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2 in 11 innings Monday night, scoring the winning run on successive wild pitches by Red reliever Ted Power.

But it wasn’t Power’s wildness that had the crowd of 18,815 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium talking. It wasn’t Tony Gwynn’s two RBIs. Or Padre starter Bruce Hurst’s six-hitter through nine innings.

No, sir, it’s this guy named Mike Maddux.

Sure, everyone knows about his brother, Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs. And, yeah, they remember he had a brother. But wasn’t his brother the one who underwent two surgeries on his right elbow, given up for the dead by the Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers, and last seen hanging out in Las Vegas?

“You know, I was wondering what I was going to be doing,” Maddux said. “My lawyer in Las Vegas said he had a lot of connections. I know you can make a lot of money at the casinos, but I was thinking more like being an assistant golf pro.”

Well, before he entertains any ideas of picking up the golf clubs, the Padres hope he hangs around for awhile, because frankly, they have no idea where they’d be without him.

OK, it’s crazy enough envisioning that the Padres would have six victories in their first seven games, equaling their best record after seven games in franchise history.

But who would have thought that Maddux would be responsible for half of their victories, winning two games and saving another?

Maddux, who pitched two hitless innings of relief, preventing the Reds from hitting the ball out of the infield, not only was the winning pitcher Monday, but also proved to be instrumental in providing the winning run.

After the Padres blew a one-run lead with two outs in the ninth on third baseman Garry Templeton’s error, the Padres came back in the 11th when Red reliever Rob Dibble was lifted.

Shawn Abner opened the 11th with a single to center off Power. Padre Manager Greg Riddoch, just needing someone to bunt Abner to second, asked Maddux if he could do the job. No problem, he said.

The first bunt attempt bounced off the plate and off his chin. The second was a called strike.

Maddux, persistent, put his bat on the ball and bunted it in front of the plate. Catcher Jeff Reed had no prayer of making a play for Abner at second.

Little did Reed realize this would be the least of his problems. After getting Bip Roberts down 1-2 in the count, Power threw a wild pitch past Reed, allowing Abner to go to third. Red Manager Lou Piniella, Reed and Power huddled on the mound, deciding if they should walk Roberts. They agreed to pitch to him.

The next pitch bounced in the dirt in front of the plate, skipped past Reed to the backstop, and Abner crossed the plate before Reed retrieved the ball.

“I knew it was trouble as soon as I let it go,” Power said. “I was hoping for miracle and Jeff would stop it. . . . You know, I can’t even remember my last wild pitch, let alone two in a row.”

And just like that, the Reds are 3 1/2 games behind the Padres, losing their fourth consecutive game. This is a team that had only three losing streaks of at least four games all last season, with the first one not occurring until June 8-June 12.

“Tough way to lose a game, huh fellas?” Piniella said, with ice scattered over the office floor. “That’s it. That’s my statement.”

The only real problem Hurst had during the game was when Chris Sabo homered in the fourth inning, much to the amazement of the Padres and his teammates.

It’s not so surprising, of course, that he hit a homer. He hit 25 last season. But after 1,428 at-bats in the big leagues, it was Sabo’s first homer to the opposite field.

Still, the Padres had a 2-1 lead entering the ninth when Sabo opened the inning by grounding out to second. Padre catcher Benito Santiago then went to the mound to discuss with Hurst just how they wanted to pitch Eric Davis. Whatever was said, it’s highly unlikely they wanted to walk Davis on four pitches. But that’s what they did.

Glenn Braggs then stepped up to the plate, and on a hit-and-run, grounded to shortstop Tony Fernandez, allowing Davis to reach second. Now, with two outs, Todd Benzinger came to the plate, needing a hit to score Davis.

Instead, he hit a routine one-hopper to third baseman Templeton, who took his time, and threw to first. Oops. The ball skipped off the dirt in front of Fred McGriff, who juggled it, and then watched it bounce off his left leg while Benzinger crossed the bag.

McGriff, however, seeing Davis break for the plate, threw home to Santiago. The throw was in plenty of time. Santiago made the tag. Home-plate umpire Jim Quick was about to put his fist in the air, calling Davis out, but at the last second Davis kicked the ball away with his left leg, and the ball rolled harmlessly away.

Hurst got out of the jam by retiring pinch-hitter Luis Quinones on the first pitch with a pop-up to Santiago, but the damage already was done.

Dibble, the nastiest of the Nasty Boys, ended any hopes of quick Padre grandeur by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth. The job now belonged to Maddux.

No sweat.

Reed, Billy Hatcher and Billy Doran took their cuts at Maddux in the 10th inning. None of them were able to hit the ball out of the infield.

In the 11th, Maddux was facing the heart of the Reds’ order. Certainly, this time it would be different, right? Mariano Duncan bounced to Maddux. Sabo hit a bouncer to Templeton. And Davis was caught looking at a third strike.

It was all Maddux needed to pitch, and after five appearances, and five innings, he has yet to allow a run.

“You know something,” he said. “This might be a lot of fun.”

PADRES AT A GLANCE FIRST INNING

Padres--Roberts was hit by Rijo’s pitch. Roberts stole second. Roberts took third on Rijo’s throwing error. Fernandez struck out. Gwynn hit sacrifice fly, Roberts scoring. McGriff walked. Santiago fouled to first. One run (unearned), no hits, one left, one error. Padres 1, Reds 0. FOURTH INNING

Reds--Sabo homered to right, his second. Davis grounded to third. Braggs grounded to short. Benzinger singled to right. O’Neill struck out. One run, two hits, one left. Padres 1, Reds 1. FIFTH INNING

Padres--Abner singled to left. Hurst grounded to pitcher, Abner forced at second. Roberts singled to center, Hurst stopping at second. Fernandez singled to right, Hurst stopping at third, Roberts stopping at second. Gwynn singled to left, Hurst scoring, Roberts stopping at third, Fernandez stopping at second. McGriff struck out. Santiago lined to right. One run, four hits, three left. Padres 2, Reds 1. NINTH INNING

Reds--With one out, Davis walked. Braggs grounded to shortstop, Davis stopping at second. Benzinger grounded to third, reached second on third baseman Templeton’s throwing error, Davis scoring. Quinones fouled to catcher. One run (unearned), no hits, one left, one error. Padres 2, Reds 2. 11TH INNING

Padres--Abner singled to right. Maddux sacrificed. Abner moved to third on Power’s wild pitch. Abner scored on Power’s wild pitch. Padres 3, Reds 2.