Bloop Hit Ruins Day for Benes : Baseball: Morris’ single off Andersen gives Cincinnati 1-0 victory over the Padres. Benes strikes out career high of 13.

Bip Roberts lifted off his helmet Tuesday night, letting it fall off his head, and then slammed his bat to the ground. The Padres’ magic, for at least a night, had failed in a game of frustration at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Despite a career-high 13 strikeouts by starter Andy Benes, the Padres lost, 1-0, to the Cincinnati Reds, after teasing 19,752 fans with the promise of another comeback.

They had baserunners on first and third with one out in the ninth, but a groundout by Darrin Jackson and a strikeout by Roberts ended any notions of further heroics.

It left Benes (0-1) victimized with the heartbreaking defeat. He allowed only four hits in 8 1/3 innings and retired 21 of 24 batters from the second inning until the ninth, but it wasn’t good enough.

Instead, Cincinnati’s Norm Charlton shut out the Padres for the first 8 1/3 innings, and when he ran into trouble, left-handed reliever Randy Myers slammed the door

It was the Padres’ first defeat in five games, and the first time they’ve been shut out since Aug. 28, 1990. But dejected? Hardly. Who can complain when you’re 6-2 and lead the National League West by two games?

“Believe me, the Padres are for real,” Reds reliever Rob Dibble said. “That’s a hell of a team over there. They remind me so much of ourselves.

“Don’t underestimate what they’re doing now, saying it’s just April. We proved last year that games in April mean just as much as they do in September.

“I tell you, we better start winning, or we’ll be out of it. And if other teams aren’t careful, the Padres will do just what we did last year, and run away with it early.”

The Reds jumped out to a 33-12 record last season and had a 10-game lead on the Padres by June 3. They played under .500 the rest of the season, 58-59, but the Reds’ lead was so great that no one was able to threaten.

Now, here are the Padres, who already have been in first place for more days this month than they have in the past five seasons combined.

“They’re a lot more confident than last year, that’s for sure,” Dibble said. “You can just see it in their eyes. Everybody knows what was happening that clubhouse last year, with them fighting every day with each other, but you look at them now, and they’re having fun.

“They’ve got an unbelievable offensive team. I mean, that lineup is tough, real tough. Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez makes a big difference. The pitching for them is the big question, and you wonder how long that bullpen is going to last.

“But if they don’t have any injuries, I think they’re going to be right there until the end. They’ve got a hell of a chance, that’s for damn sure.”

Certainly, there have been little questions about their pitching of late. The Padres have allowed only two earned runs in their past 28 innings, and the way Benes was pitching, the Reds were fortunate to get their three hits.

Benes allowed only two baserunners to reach second until the ninth inning. And after Eric Davis’ double down the left-field line in the second inning, Benes retired 21 of the next 24 batters, striking out 11 batters.

But after striking out Billy Hatcher to lead off the ninth, Benes was obviously fatigued. He fell behind to Barry Larkin, allowing a single to right. He fell behind to Paul O’Neill, and walked him. And then he walked Davis.

Benes had thrown 154 pitches when he finally was pulled. He received a standing ovation from those who perhaps were aware that he was just two strikeouts short of equaling the franchise record of 15 set by Fred Norman on Sept. 15, 1972, against the Reds.

Larry Andersen came on to relieve, and promptly induced an infield pop-up by Chris Sabo for the second out. But Hal Morris followed with a bloop single to left, allowing Larkin to score. Left fielder Jerald Clark threw out O’Neill to prevent any further damage, and set up the dramatic bottom of the ninth.

The Padres, who had no hits in 20 consecutive plate appearances since the third inning, went to face Charlton one more time.

Clark, the No. 6 hitter, walked on four pitches, the first sign that Charlton was in trouble. Reds Manager Lou Piniella came out to consult with Charlton, ready to summon bullpen help, but Charlton convinced him that he was fine and was allowed to stay.

Jim Presley, who was hitless in three at-bats, laid down a bunt in front of the mound, good enough to allow Clark to second. Next up, Shawn Abner. Padre Manager Greg Riddoch allowed Abner to hit for himself.

On a 1-and-2 pitch, Abner hit a line drive to left. Hatcher almost made the catch, but it was hit much too sharply. Still, Clark was kept at third.

Darrin Jackson came in to pinch-hit for Andersen, and Piniella called upon Myers. Jackson hit a bouncer to third baseman Sabo, and Clark broke for home. It wasn’t close. The ball beat Clark by several steps, allowing catcher Jeff Reed to apply the tag.

That brought up Roberts, representing the Padres’ last hope, but he struck out on three pitches.

The Reds, the worst hitting team in the National League, won for the first time in five games. They didn’t lose five games in a row until Aug. 17-20 last year, and didn’t even lose their fifth game until May 2.

“Ah, this is going to be fun,” Dibble said. “I look around this division, and I love it. It’s the best in baseball, and everyone hates everybody. That’s the way it should be.

“It’s going to be a four-team race to the end, and the Padres, believe me, are going to be part of it.”