PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / SCOTT MILLER : Benes Still Trying to Awaken From Nightmare of a Season

His season has gone nothing like he had planned. No, the only inkling Andy Benes would have had of his present 4-8 record and 4.90 ERA would have been in some nightmare, after which he would have pinched himself to make sure it was a dream.

Right?

Wrong. It’s all too real. And when Benes takes the mound Sunday, he will be trying to shake off the effects of the shellacking he received Tuesday from the Cincinnati Reds. But despite allowing seven earned runs and six hits against the Reds--including a grand slam to catcher Jeff Reed--in just 3 1/3 innings, and despite his 1-5 record this season in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Benes said Friday that he doesn’t plan to change anything.

He just intends to pitch smarter.

“I got beat with my third pitch, and that wasn’t very smart,” Benes said. “If I give up a grand slam with a fastball, I can live with it a little better.”

Instead, Benes went with a change-up, and Reed deposited it over the fence.

“It was a pitch I gave him a chance to hit hard,” Benes said.

Still, Benes will not be tinkering with his mechanics Sunday. He will not adjust his mental outlook. He will attempt to keep an even keel.

“Every day you come here, you should have a smile on your face and try to get a little better,” he said. “The easy thing to do is hang your head and say you haven’t caught any breaks.

“It’s been frustrating. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t. But I’m young (23), and I’m going to get beat sometimes because I’m young.”

Greg Harris, in what will probably be his final start in a rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Las Vegas, yielded four runs and seven hits in six innings against Tucson. He walked two and struck out six.

In 20 2/3 innings at Las Vegas, Harris has a 7.40 ERA. He has yielded 24 hits, striking out 16 and walking eight.

Although the Padres haven’t said when he will be recalled, he will probably join the major league team early next week.

So Bip Roberts gets sick after ordering a seafood plate in a Cincinnati restaurant Wednesday and loses eight pounds in two days. He returns to San Diego. He isn’t in the starting lineup Friday against San Francisco.

He walks out of the Padre dugout during batting practice, heads toward home plate, and is spied by Giant outfielder Kevin Mitchell, who is sitting in the San Francisco dugout.

“You got skinny, man,” Mitchell shouts. “You better go eat some shrimp.”

Roberts looks and laughs.

“Eating that spoiled seafood,” Mitchell continues. “You have to go to smaller pants.

“Damn, man, I can grip your waist. My bat is bigger than your waist.”

Says Roberts: “Man, I don’t know what I was doing eating shrimp in Cincinnati.”

John Burkett, San Francisco’s scheduled starter Friday, was scratched about an hour before game time because of back spasms. Giant Manager Roger Craig said Burkett might pitch tonight if he is able, thus pushing Trevor Wilson, tonight’s scheduled starter, back to Sunday and Mike Remlinger, Sunday’s scheduled starter, back to Tuesday against Houston. If Burkett is not ready today, Wilson will go ahead as scheduled. ... Padre pitcher Pat Clements, on the disabled list after having arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder, threw on the side for the second day in a row and, for the second day in a row, wasn’t happy with the way he felt. “Tender,” he said. “I feel like if I cut it loose, I’ll set the shoulder way back.” ... The starting time for Tuesday’s Padre-Dodger game has been pushed back to 7:35 p.m. to accommodate ESPN. Thursday’s Padre-Dodger game is also on ESPN, but the starting time remains 7:05 p.m. . . . Tony Gwynn and Tony Fernandez are the only Padres to play in every game this season.