PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / SCOTT MILLER : Slow-Starting Santiago Extends Hitting Streak to Seven Games

Boo! Boooo! Boooooo !

Now that we’re in the land of Benito Santiago, here’s a note on the Padre catcher: His slumbering bat has awakened.

He homered in the second inning of Thursday’s 8-3 loss to the New York Mets and added a sixth-inning single, extending his hitting streak to seven games.

During that time, Santiago has batted .407 (11 for 27) with five RBIs. And despite his rough start (he still is batting only .244), he is not running scared. Padre Manager Greg Riddoch gave him a choice of taking Thursday or Sunday off, and Santiago decided to play Thursday--despite the fact that he entered the game only 2-for-27 against Met starter Sid Fernandez.

Cynics would say that with Santiago zeroing in on free agency after this season, and given that he wouldn’t mind playing in New York, it’s no surprise that he would showcase himself against the Mets.

Still, Santiago played and produced. And he has been a big hitter for a week.

“I think it started last week in Pittsburgh,” Padre batting coach Merv Rettenmund said. “He’s been a lot more selective at the plate. He’s cut his swing down and been consistent with his approach to swinging. He’s been trying to keep the ball in the middle of the ballpark.

“I think he was just trying to do too darn much.”

Rettenmund was particularly impressed with the fact that Santiago took a bases-loaded walk in Pittsburgh last week.

“Philadelphia doesn’t throw a lot of strikes to him and, after we left Philadelphia (May 10), I think he realized that if he doesn’t get pitches he can hit, he’s not going to get his average up or get any RBIs.”

Still, Santiago was angry when Thursday’s game ended because he had been charged with an error on a throw from left fielder Kevin Ward in the sixth. He was so angry that he telephoned official scorer Phil Collier in the press box at the end of the inning to complain. After the game, Collier decided the error should have been charged to Ward.

Kurt Stillwell, who has missed the past week with tendinitis in his right wrist, unexpectedly reappeared as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. In his first appearance since May 12, Stillwell flied to right. Afterward, he pronounced himself ready to rejoin the Padre lineup.

“I’m ready whenever they want me to play,” said Stillwell, who took his first batting practice in a week before the game. “I’m ready now. I took a lot of swings today. It’s fine. It’s playable.”

Congratulations are in order for infielder Tim Teufel, who finally made it through all nine innings Thursday.

He was supposed to start at second base on Tuesday, but was scratched before game time when some anti-inflammatory medicine made him dizzy.

So the Padres tried again Wednesday, but Teufel was ejected in the first inning for arguing a called strike call.

Thursday, he made it.

“I wanted to see if I could go nine today,” he said, grinning.

Teufel’s teammates also were curious if he could go nine.

“Randy Myers said he thought I was a relief pitcher,” Teufel said. “He said that I only go in for an inning, just like a relief pitcher would.”

Teufel said that he has been ejected before for fighting but that Wednesday’s ouster was his first for arguing.

The Padres drew a crowd of 27,541 Thursday, in large part because they gave away sunglasses. If you take away the home opener, two cap days and the sunglasses day, the second-place Padres are averaging only 19,444 per game.

Despite the All Star game being here in July, attendance is down this year. After 21 dates, the Padres have drawn 491,063. Last year after 21 dates, they had drawn 548,147.

As for the Tony Gwynn finger watch, Gwynn swung a bat Thursday and said there is still some pain but that the finger is getting better. “It’s a lot better today than yesterday,” he said. Gwynn and the Padres continue to hope he will return this weekend. . . . Aside from pitcher Greg Harris, first baseman Fred McGriff had the roughest day Thursday. He struck out in three consecutive at-bats against Fernandez. . . . Pitchers Dave Eiland (disabled list) and Gene Harris (disqualified list) are scheduled to throw simulated games today.