PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Roberts Hopes to Revive Offense

It was hardly the dazzling debut Bip Roberts envisioned, but after being out since July 3, it felt good to be part of the show again.

“Did we ever miss him,” Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said.

Roberts, who sustained a bruised shoulder while crashing into the center-field wall at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, could only watch as the Padres lost five of the seven games in his absence.

Perhaps nothing more exemplified the Padres’ woes with Roberts out of the lineup than their running game.

There was none.

The Padres, in fact, have stolen only five bases in their past 16 games, while being caught seven times. The Padres have 49 stolen bases this season. Only Philadelphia has fewer, with 39.

The Padres had 138 stolen bases a year ago, but they are on a pace to finish with 92 this season. It would be their third-lowest total since 1975 and the first time sub-100 season since 1986.

“Obviously, that’s been a concern of ours,” Riddoch said. “We need to get that going again. And hopefully, Bip will be the guy to do it for us.”

It didn’t happen Saturday. Roberts went 0 for 4, striking out three times, and the Padres’ only stolen base occurred when Tony Fernandez took off when Mets catcher Rick Cerone was throwing the ball back to pitcher David Cone.

“This might take some time,” Riddoch said.

Mike Pagliarulo, the third baseman the Padres believed could no longer help them, was the runaway winner for the ex-Padre player of the week. Pagliarulo, playing for the first-place Minnesota Twins, hit .588 for the week with four doubles, one homer and two RBIs. He entered Saturday’s game batting .275 this season.

Pagliarulo’s replacement, Scott Coolbaugh, is batting .219 with two homers and 13 RBIs.

Adam Peterson, who allowed four hits and four runs in 3 1/3 innings Friday before leaving with a strained back, will remain in the Padre starting rotation, Riddoch said. ... At triple-A Las Vegas, outfielder Kevin Ward is batting .359 with five homers and 35 RBIs, and third baseman Dave Staton is batting .265 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs, but he has made 19 errors. The Padres also are keeping their eye on left-handed hitting outfielder Oscar Azocar. He’s batting .308 with six homers and 40 RBIs. ... Paul McIlvaine, the older brother of Padre General Manager Joe McIlvaine sang the national anthem before the game. Paul is a professional opera singer. . . . Pitching coach Mike Roarke missed the game to be in Connecticut attending the wedding of his daughter.