Even Benes Can’t Soothe Padre Pains : Baseball: Right-hander has rare bad outing, and Cincinnati romps to an 11-5 victory.

The Padres staggered into the clubhouse Saturday afternoon as if they were recovering from a drunken binge in Tijuana. They were tired. They were cranky. They were in no mood for a ballgame.

The Padres proved appearances don’t lie.

Fatigued and demoralized from their Friday night escapade, they stumbled about Saturday night, losing 11-5 to the Cincinnati Reds in front of a subdued crowd of 24,795 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

It hardly was a pretty sight for the Padres, losers of seven of their past nine games, and trying to recover from Friday’s 7-6, 16-inning defeat. The Reds took advantage of the situation by getting a season-high 17 hits. The Padres yielded their most runs in a game since Aug. 13, 1991.

“It was one of those games (Friday) where you usually say, ‘Go get them tomorrow,’ ” Padre catcher Dann Bilardello said. “In our case, it was, ‘Let’s go get them today.’ ”

The Padres simply weren’t ready for this one. Even Padre starter Andy Benes, the hottest pitcher on the planet, looked rather human.

Benes, who entered the game with a league-leading 0.39 ERA, having won 13 of his last 14 decisions, lasted only 4 2/3 innings. He gave up 11 hits and seven earned runs, watching his ERA soar to 2.57.

Benes had given up only 14 hits and one run this entire season.

It was his shortest outing since he lasted 3 1/3 innings June 25, 1991, against these same Reds, spanning 14 starts. The last time he gave up this many runs was that magical Aug. 13 date, when he yielded seven runs against the Houston Astros in a 12-9 defeat.

“I guess you could say it was a slow, methodical slashing,” said Benes, who didn’t go to bed until 1:45 a.m. after Friday’s game. “You look at the box score, and say he got hammered. I gave up 11 hits, but only four of those were hit hard.

“It was disappointing after (Friday’s) game because I didn’t give them a full effort.”

It hardly was what Padre Manager Greg Riddoch envisioned. Having used everyone in the bullpen in the bullpen Friday in their 7-6, 16-inning defeat to the Reds, the Padres needed an extended effort from Benes.

“We’re not using anybody in the bullpen tonight,” Riddoch before the game. “We’re just planning on using Andy. I hope he goes nine.”

Riddoch, a bit weary himself since he didn’t leave the stadium until 3:30 Saturday morning, then stopped, and said, “He’s got to go nine.”

It was apparent it would not be so. Paul O’Neill had a run-scoring double in the first inning, Bip Roberts added a two-run single in the second, and Dave Martinez contributed an RBI single in the third. Benes then fell apart in the fifth.

O’Neill greeted him with a single to lead off the fifth. Bill Doran bounced out to Benes for the first out, but Martinez then doubled, scoring O’Neill. Jeff Reed was intentionally walked. Fred Benavides singled to right, loading the bases, and winning pitcher Greg Swindell made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Roberts broke the game open and drove Benes to the showers, lining a double past first baseman Fred McGriff into right field for a 7-0 lead.

“He’s not an infallible guy,” Riddoch said. “Everybody thinks he’s invincible because he’s had some good starts.

“It’s very unusual, but I guess he’s allowed to have one of those now and then.”

Pat Clements, whom warmed up five times Friday night but was the only reliever who didn’t get into the game, spared Benes of any further damage in that fifth inning by retiring Billy Hatcher on a fly ball to center.

The Padres threatened to make a game of it in the bottom of the fifth by scoring five runs off Swindell, sparked by Gary Sheffield’s two-run single and Fred McGriff’s two-run homer. Yet the Padres never could contain the Reds. They not only allowed catcher Joe Oliver to hit his first career triple in the ninth inning, but gave up reliever Rob Dibble’s first hit of his career, a run-scoring single.

The Padres, trailing 9-5 at the time, managed to load the bases in the eighth inning off reliever Dwayne Henry, but Dibble entered to retire Darrin Jackson on a fly ball to left. He also pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season, and preserved Swindell’s first National League victory.

The Padres’ only good news was that they were able to rest Jose Melendez and Randy Myers. They may be needed again today considering that Craig Lefferts (1-2, 7.15 ERA) is the scheduled starter. Lefferts has pitched past the fourth inning in only one of his three starts.

This could be Lefferts’ last start in the rotation if he struggles again, the Padres acknowledged. They are hesitant to bring Melendez into the rotation, and probably would limit their options to either Mark Knudson, Mike York or Adam Peterson of triple-A Las Vegas.

“There’s a lot to be decided,” Riddoch said.

The Padres also are unsure of No. 5 starter Dave Eiland, who has been plagued by back spasms, and limited to 10 2/3 innings in his three starts. He pitched on the side before the game, experienced mild discomfort, and will be pushed back a day, starting Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Bruce Hurst will be pushed up a day and start Monday.