Sheffield Stays Hot; So Do the Padres : Baseball: He homers and drives in three runs in 7-5 victory over Houston. Padres are 10 games over .500, but McIlvaine still taking wait-and-see stance on Riddoch.

It’s becoming a real nuisance. The Padres come to the ballpark each day, and they’re aggravated before the day even starts.

Then again, maybe that’s the Padres’ secret.

The Padres won their fourth consecutive game, 7-5 over the Houston Astros, but once again the worst news Saturday night was on the left corner of the San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium scoreboard.

That’s where the Padres and the rest of the 50,385 beach-towel waving fans saw that the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds had won again.

Although the Padres (61-51) are 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1989 season, and 14-9 since the All-Star break, they remain seven games behind the division-leading Braves.

“That’s what really gets you,” Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn. “We’re playing pretty damn good, and can’t get any ground. It’s getting pretty frustrating.

“But what can you do but hope things change. If we keep winning, things have got to change.”

It is shaping up as the Padres’ finest season since 1984. And Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, is convinced this team has the talent to win the National League West.

Forget Atlanta’s much-heralded starting rotation. Forget the Cincinnati Reds’ bullpen. Forget that the Padres have only 21 remaining home games after today.

“We can win this thing,” McIlvaine said, “I really believe that.”

The rest is up to the Padres, and, of course, Manager Greg Riddoch.

McIlvaine vehemently denied Saturday that there is friction or a schism between himself and Riddoch. It may not be a perfect relationship, he concedes, but there certainly is not a vendetta to fire Riddoch.

Whether Riddoch is retained past this season, well, that’s another story.

“Basically, I have to find out if he can manage in a pennant-type race,” McIlvaine said. “The only way to find out is to let him manage and see what he can do.

When will McIlvaine decide Riddoch’s fate?

McIlvaine: ‘It’s an ongoing evaluation. I haven’t made up my mind on that time period.”

Is he pleased with Riddoch’s performance thus far this season?

McIlvaine: “It’d be easy for me to say he’s been doing great, but that’s the old kiss of death.

“I’m never pleased to be in third place. I want to be in first place, but I realize how good Atlanta is playing. I just wish Atlanta would lose a few and make it closer.”

Riddoch, who is one of only six managers whose contracts expire at the end of the season, has had talks with McIlvaine in hopes of getting an extension. In fact, one Padre owner, wishing to remain anonymous, said the ownership group recommended to McIlvaine that Riddoch be signed to a two-year contract.

However, Riddoch’s fate hinges on the finish.

“That’s the same thing as last year, isn’t it? Riddoch said. “Why should it change now?”

Riddoch’s future might be uncertain, but one thing is for sure: If not for third baseman Gary Sheffield, there would be no talk of a pennant race.

Sheffield once again triggered the offense Saturday, going two for three with a two-run homer three RBIs. Sheffield is batting .333 with 23 homers and 76 RBIs.

He is the only player in the major leagues among the leaders in all triple-crown categories. He ranks second to Philadelphia’s John Kruk (.342) in batting, second to teammate Fred McGriff (25) in homers and second to Philadelphia’s Darren Daulton (78) in RBIs.

No National Leaguer since Joe Medwick of St. Louis in 1937 has won the triple crown.

“He’s as close a player as there is in the league to win the triple crown,” said Merv Rettenmund, Padre hitting coach. “He’s as quick with the inside pitch as anyone in the game. He has that short swing, and then lightning.

“The changeup’s probably the best pitch to throw him, but, oh, you better not make a mistake with it. He just does everything so well. He uses the whole field for a good batting average. He has good pop. And he hits exceptionally well with men on base.”

So can he do it?

“I hope he doesn’t,” Rettenmund said.

Why?

“Well, that would mean he’d catch McGriff in home runs and RBIs,” Rettenmund said, “and we need Fred to be in the race. If I had to pick, I’d like to have Sheffield win the RBI title, Gwynn with the batting title and McGriff win the home run title.”

Sheffield’s supporting cast also helped Saturday. Catcher Benito Santiago--who has been placed on waivers by the Padres as they seek a trade, perhaps with the Montreal Expos--broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning with a home run into the left-field seats. It was his first homer since May 25, and his fifth of the season. Center fielder Darrin Jackson ended any suspense when he hit a two-out, three-run homer off Astro reliever Rob Murphy.

The Padres continued their habit of scoring an abundance of runs when Frank Seminara starts a game, but Seminara’s problem has been sticking around long enough to reap the benefits.

For the third consecutive game, Seminara was unable to pitch past five innings. He lasted only four innings, yielding three hits and a career-high six walks. No matter, Rich Rodriguez (6-2) was there to pick up the victory, and Larry Andersen picked up the save.

If Seminara continues to struggle, the Padres likely will replace him in the rotation with Greg Harris. Harris pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings at Class A High Desert on Friday, and is scheduled to start again Wednesday, perhaps at triple-A Las Vegas.

“I feel I’m ready right now,” Harris said, “but they’re not asking me.”

Said McIlvaine: “When you have a guy like Harris in the waiting, it’s found money.”

Perhaps it can even help find a pennant race.