Lefferts Can’t Keep Padres From Victory

For Craig Lefferts, this season has been similar to that of a frog’s time in biology class.

As he has made the transition from reliever to starter, he has spent much of his time under a microscope. Each start is another study. And just when he has a good outing and begins to dispel the doubters, he gives up a bunch of runs and the questions start again.

That is what happened Friday night, although the Padres scored five runs in the eighth inning and salvaged the opener of a three-game series with St. Louis, 7-5, in front of a Cap Night crowd of 50,540 in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Lefferts was gone by the end of the sixth, and long gone by the time the Padres went through four St. Louis relievers in the eighth, putting together five runs on five hits.

The Cardinal bullpen, which had a 1.98 earned-run average in its past six games when it arrived in San Diego, was hit hard and hit quickly.

Fred McGriff homered on Todd Worrell’s first pitch in the eighth. Worrell (1-1), who is still looking for his first save since 1989 after missing the entire 1990 season and only pitched three games for triple-A Louisville in 1991, faced five batters and didn’t retire any of them.

Then, pinch-hitter Oscar Azocar swung at reliever Cris Carpenter’s first pitch and singled to center, bringing home Darrin Jackson and Jerald Clark and putting the Padres ahead, 6-5. It was all the Padres (13-11) would need, as Randy Myers worked a scoreless ninth for his sixth save and moved the Padres back into a first-place tie in the NL West with San Francisco and Cincinnati.

But it will not be a night that Lefferts will recall fondly.

You’ve heard that the Mets’ Bret Saberhagen has a good season every other year? Lefferts has this frustrating pattern of having a good game every other start.

Against St. Louis--after an impressive outing Sunday against Cincinnati--Lefferts quickly blew a 2-0 lead and raised more questions than answers. He lasted only 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs and seven hits.

His earned-run average increased to a chubby 5.87.

The odd man out? Or, the man’s odd outings?

He was clobbered in the home opener against Los Angeles on April 9, lasting only a third of an inning.

But he went seven strong innings his next start in San Francisco and earned his first victory.

The next time out? He was banished to the clubhouse after only four innings as the Padres lost to Atlanta.

But he held Cincinnati to one run in six innings on Sunday and earned another victory.

Maybe the Padres should skip his every other start.

What both Lefferts and the Padres need is consistency.

“He’s real confident after the way he pitched (against Cincinnati),” Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said before the game. “If he puts a couple of back-to-backers together, it would give him even more confidence.”

It is apparent, though, that Riddoch is getting tired of fielding questions about Lefferts. Asked if he has told Lefferts that he is in danger of being removed from the starting rotation unless he puts together a couple of good outings, Riddoch bristled.

“I’ve never said, ‘If you don’t win this one, you’re out,’ ” Riddoch said. “Never once. You never say that to a player. How can you say that, if you lose tonight, you’re done?

“That’s ridiculous.”

When asked if Friday’s start was particularly important for Lefferts, Riddoch replied: “Every start for him is big because of the transition.”

The Padre bullpen has been particularly taxed. Only Greg Harris has thrown a complete game this season, and the Padre bullpen has already pitched 19 innings this week. Rich Rodriguez (2-1) got the victory Friday.

Andy Benes lasted only six innings Thursday, and Bruce Hurst was chased after only 3 2/3 innings Monday.

“In the last week, we’ve had some not-so-great performances from guys who should be winning games,” Mike Roarke, Padre pitching coach, said. “If Benes, Harris and Hurst would run off three wins in a row and then the other two guys (Lefferts and Dave Eiland) had a shaky start, the emphasis wouldn’t be, ‘We’re in trouble.’

“Now, if (Lefferts or Eiland) has a bad start, it’s going to be looked at as, ‘Here’s a problem. Your next start is important.’ ”

When Lefferts will start again is anybody’s guess. Not that the Padres will immediately yank him out of the rotation, but, with the way the schedule breaks next week on the Padres’ two-week trip, they will probably skip either Lefferts’ or Eiland’s turn in the rotation.

The Padres have an off day on Monday and Thursday next week.

“You can’t keep five guys in (the rotation) in order,” Roarke said. “Seven days of rest is too much. For the sake of everybody, one guy is going to have to miss a start.”

As for St. Louis, even though the Cardinals arrived in San Diego with seven players on the disabled list, Riddoch was still wary.

“They’ve got a good combination of youth and experience,” Riddoch said. “Good team speed and an outstanding bullpen.

“They’ve got what it takes to be successful in their division, and I think they will be.”

Not if they have many nights like Friday. Lefferts retired the first six Cardinals he faced, fought his way out of the a third in which the Cardinals put three runners on base, and then sailed through the fourth 1-2-3.

Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Benito Santiago smacked a Rheal Cormier pitch over the left-field fence, giving the Padres a 2-0 lead. The homer, his second of the season, extended Santiago’s hitting streak to 10 consecutive games.

But the Padre lead disappeared faster than tickets on a giveaway night. Lefferts’ first pitch in the fifth was neatly placed over the left-field fence by Brian Jordan, a St. Louis outfielder and NFL cornerback.

Up stepped Rex Hudler, who singled. Tom Pagnozzi followed with a double to left-center, sending Hudler home.

Two batters later, Bernard Gilkey’s single sent Pagnozzi home. And two batters after that, Felix Jose’s single to third sent Gilkey home.

Cardinals, 4-2.

Lefferts made it through that inning but was chased three batters into the sixth, after allowing a single to Pedro Guerrero and walking Jordan.