Padre Go Blank Against Mets : Baseball: Sid Fernandez throws three-hit shutout. The 3-0 loss drops the Padres seven games behind the Atlanta Braves.

The Padres are not about to concede their postseason hopes in the month of July.

But for the first time this season, the Padres acknowledged after their 3-0 defeat Friday night to the New York Mets that they’re in trouble.

Big trouble.

The moment Padre third baseman Gary Sheffield’s fly ball landed in Met center fielder Pat Howell’s glove, the Shea Stadium scoreboard flashed the news the Atlanta Braves had won again.

The Padres’ second consecutive defeat, coupled with Atlanta’s 12th consecutive victory, left the Padres seven games behind in the National League West race, and nine games back in the loss column. In addition, the Cincinnati Reds are still five games ahead of the Padres.

“It’s getting pretty frustrating right now,” said Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn, who was kept out of game with back spasms. “You can’t help but notice what they’re doing. Every time you fall behind, you look up and see what Atlanta’s doing.

“You know they’re a good ball club, but their pitching is so good you can’t see them losing five in a row. You knew they were going to be consistent, but my God, 12 in a row? The kind of roll they’re on, it’s got to be scary for the rest of the teams in our division.

“When I come to the ballpark I don’t expect them to lose anymore. I just hope we can win and stay even.

“There’s not too much we can do right now but just hope we don’t fall too far back in the division.”

The Padres (51-46), who have played only .500 baseball since June 10, experienced pitching troubles for most of the first half of the season. Now their hitting suddenly has abandoned them.

The Padres not only have been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time this season, but they’ve been shut out in five of their last 15 games. They have gone 21 innings without scoring a run.

Met starter Sid Fernandez became the latest to baffle the Padres, pitching a three-hitter for his first complete-game shutout since April 22, 1990.

“It’s a long time since I’ve thrown like that,” Fernandez said.

Said Frank Cashen, Met chief operating officer: “It’s the best game I’ve ever seen him throw.”

Fernandez (9-8) struck out nine without a walk and never allowed a runner to reach third. He had nine strikeouts in the first six innings--seven by the Padre outfield alone.

“We basically had no chance against him,” said Sheffield, whose 11-game hitting streak ended. “That was as good a pitcher as we’ve faced this year. That changeup he was throwing, man, I had never even seen that before. He was strong from the first inning through the ninth.

“Really, he’s one of the toughest left-handers I’ve ever faced. There’s no way that guy should have the record he has. He’s Cy Young material.”

The Padres’ offensive woes spoiled the homecoming of rookie starter Frank Seminara, a native of Brooklyn who was pitching his first career game in New York.

Seminara left 40 tickets for friends and family, but there must have been nearly 500 people who came to Shea Stadium to cheer their neighborhood hero. They came from everywhere, with most being identified by wearing a replica of Seminara’s number.

Seminara (5-3) pitched one of his finest games of the season. He allowed eight hits and three runs (two earned) in seven innings, but for the first time in five weeks was the losing pitcher. He had not lost since June 13, winning five consecutive decisions.

“It was still a very special day for me,” said Seminara, who was honored after the game by his alma mater, Columbia University. “I thought I might be nervous, but when push came to shove, I was fine.

“I was as locked in as I was all year. The Mets became just another team and Shea Stadium became another ballpark.

“What are you going to do? We got beat on a few pitches, and we couldn’t score. I lost a few battles, and that’s going to happen.”

The Mets, knowing that Seminara was yielding a .370 batting average against left-handed hitters this season, played a lineup with only two right-handed hitters. Still, the Mets only chipped away. Seminara finally left the game for a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

Seminara didn’t allow his first hit until Willie Randolph opened the third with a broken-bat single to center. Padre center fielder Darrin Jackson dived for the ball, but it landed just in front of his outstretched glove.

Dick Schofield, one of three Mets in the lineup batting less than .206, grounded to shortstop Tony Fernandez in what would have been a routine double-play ball. But with Randolph running on the play, Fernandez could only throw to first.

Fernandez grounded out, keeping Randolph at second. Howell made things interesting by dumping a bunt to the left side of the mound.

That brought up Dave Magadan with runners on first and third. Seminara ran the count to 3-and-0 against Magadan before throwing his first strike.

Met Manager Jeff Torborg, taking a bit of a gamble, employed the hit-and-run again. It worked like a charm.

Howell ran from first, and Magadan slapped the ball to the spot Kurt Stillwell vacated to cover the second-base bag. The ball rolled into right field, and the Mets had a 1-0 lead.

It was all Fernandez needed. The Mets (44-48) crept to within four games of the lead in the National League East.

And the Padres slid further from the West lead.

“Atlanta’s really starting to get down right now,” Sheffield said, “because even if you’re winning, you still can’t get close. We’ve got to start sweeping people. You look at these guys (Atlanta) who sweep teams like it’s nothing, walk in and walk out.

“If you can’t sweep teams, there’s no way we can catch up.”

Said Gwynn, who will return to the lineup tonight: “I said before the season, ‘If you’re going to win the division, you’re going to have to go through Atlanta.’ They’ve got the best club.

“I think most important, they just believe they’re better than anyone.”

The Padres wonder if they’ll ever be able to say the same.