PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / SCOTT MILLER : Harris in the Right Location Even Though His Pitches Aren’t

Greg Harris threw for 10 minutes in the bullpen before the Padre-Dodger game on Friday and those involved said afterward that everything went well.

“He threw good,” Padre pitching coach Mike Roarke said. “Nice and free and loose. He threw good breaking balls, change-ups and fastballs. That’s encouraging.

“His location wasn’t as good, but it will take a little while for that.”

Harris was also disappointed with his location but, considering he has been out since fracturing the middle finger on his right hand in San Francisco on June 21, he was happy just to be this close to a return.

“I’m a little inconsistent, but I figure that will come,” Harris said. “As long as everything holds up and the finger feels good. . . . I just need to sharpen my skills a little bit.”

Harris will throw a simulated game on Monday in San Diego and then likely be sent on an injury rehabilitation assignment.

“He’s at the point now where he’s done with his (finger) rehabilitation,” Padre trainer Bob Day said. “He’s more involved in getting his mechanics right.”

Said Padre Manager Greg Riddoch: “We’re tickled to death. He’s chomping at the bit, you know that.”

And now, as an expert witness on the Atlanta Braves, we call on Cincinnati outfielder Glenn Braggs.

Braggs played on the 1987 Milwaukee team that won its first 13 games of the season--and then lost 12 in a row.

The Braves, after winning 13 in a row earlier this month, had lost four of five going into Friday’s games.

“I know exactly what Atlanta is going through,” Braggs said on Wednesday before the Reds left San Diego. “You don’t think you can’t lose. But once you lose that first game, it can be devastating. I predicted this would happen.”

News in Atlanta on Friday, though, wasn’t necessarily good for the rest of the NL West: outfielder Deion Sanders said he will remain with the Braves indefinitely.

As such, he will not report to the Atlanta Falcons’ training camp. And by doing that, he will bypass $1 million the Falcons offered him just to come to camp.

“That makes (the Braves) a lot stronger,” Riddoch said. “A lot stronger.

“But it’s not quite like losing Tom Glavine or John Smoltz or one of those guys. To lose a starting pitcher would be devastating.”

Dodger Stadium is laid out well, the grass is always perfectly manicured, and most people say it’s a great place for baseball.

It seems it is not, however, a great place for baseball shoes. Tony Gwynn says he usually goes through one pair of cleats per series here.

“The dirt is brutal and the grass is wet,” Gwynn said. “That’s a bad combination.”

The Dodgers, for the second consecutive night, started an infield in which all members came up through the Dodger farm system: Eric Karros (first base), Eric Young (second base), Jose Offerman (shortstop) and Dave Hansen (third base).

Before Thursday, that hadn’t happened since Sept. 21, 1988, when Tracy Woodson (first base), Steve Sax (second base), Dave Anderson (shortstop) and Jeff Hamilton (third base) started.

Minor league line of the night: Lance Painter, on Thursday night for the Padres’ double-A Wichita team, struck out 11 and didn’t issue a walk in a victory over Arkansas. Painter (9-4) allowed two hits and one run in Wichita’s 5-1 victory.

Going into Friday’s games, every NL team had at least a .500 winning percentage at home. The only teams in baseball below .500 at home were Texas, Seattle, Detroit and Cleveland. . . . Eric Davis started in left field for the Dodgers. He sat out Thursday after receiving a cortisone injection for a sprained collateral ligament in his left ring finger.