PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Riddoch Impressed With Effort

Padres Manager Greg Riddoch isn’t sure what motivation the Padres get from playing the Atlanta Braves and the Dodgers, contenders for the National League West title, down the stretch, but he’s pleased his team has continued to play hard and win games.

“It’s pretty tough when you’re not in it. (Umpire) Frank Pulli told me last week, ‘You got the only team that’s out of it that hasn’t quit.’ It’s pretty hard (to stay motivated) every day when you get down to the last three weeks and you’re out of it,” Riddoch said.

“They’ve sold me. They care about each other and they care about winning when they’ve had every excuse not to. That says something.”

Riddoch said he hasn’t had contract talks with Padres management-- “I’ve been told the end of the season, that’s the next time I’ll think about it,”--but he got a few unofficial votes of confidence Monday.

Pitcher Craig Lefferts, asked on camera by a television interviewer if Riddoch should stay, said the manager has done a good job, and if the team has failings “all of us have failed. We’re all gonna have to look in the mirror and say we didn’t do the job. That’s why we’re in third place.”

And pitcher Bruce Hurst said: “There’s been a lot of negative media around him, some warranted, some not. There are no absolutes in this game. A manager’s only as good as his talent. I’ve played for some great managers on some bad teams that still finished fifth.”

Tony Gwynn remained out of the lineup Monday for the fourth consecutive day and his left knee remains sore. Gwynn’s batting average has dropped to .317, seven points behind Cincinnati’s Hal Morris entering Monday night.

Pitcher Ed Whitson, recovering from shoulder surgery, threw off a mound Monday and said it was “the best I’ve felt since the (July 15) operation.” He’ll throw again this weekend, and may see some spot relief appearances. “He won’t start,” Riddoch said. “We’d like to spot him an inning here or there, let him air it out just to see if his arm is sound.”

It worked for Atlanta, so last-place Houston has begun force-feeding its top pitching prospects into the rotation. Jeff Juden, a 20-yard-old who was the Astros’ first-round draft choice in 1990, made his major league debut Sunday, a jittery start in which he lasted 1 2/3 innings in a loss to Cincinnati. Monday’s starter was Brian Williams, a rookie in his first full season of pro ball who was also making his first big league start. . . . Astros rookie first baseman Jeff Bagwell already has set team rookie records for runs batted in and doubles. They join a rotation that already includes Ryan Bowen, the Astros’ top choice in the 1986 draft. . . . The Astros lineup Monday also included outfielder Kenny Lofton, a former college basketball standout at Arizona. Lofton’s 17 triples at triple-A Tucson were the most in professional baseball this year.