Riddoch Moves Are Under Fire in Loss to Reds : Padres: Myers questions his use of the bullpen in 5-4 defeat. Padres sink to 7 1/2 games behind Atlanta.

Reliever Randy Myers tried to be as diplomatic as possible Saturday night after the Padres’ 5-4 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds. But after fighting the urge, he no longer could restrain himself.

“Everyone knows you do the job when you’re told to do it,” he said, “but sometimes you just wonder what’s going on here. I didn’t understand this one, not at all.

“What can you do? The skip makes a decision. You live by him.

“And we lost by him.”

In a game in which the Padres blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning and lost on Joe Oliver’s sacrifice fly off Myers in the ninth, Padre Manager Greg Riddoch found himself being second-guessed by his players once again.

They wondered why Myers was brought into a tie game for the first time in five weeks instead of being used in a save situation.

They wondered why reliever Jose Melendez was brought into a critical situation when he had not appeared in a game the last 11 days.

They wondered why starter Craig Lefferts, who labored most of the game, was even allowed to start the eighth inning.

And they also wondered what Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, was thinking as he watched the last two innings at Riverfront Stadium.

“I know it’s easy to blame the manager after losses like these,” one veteran said, “but come on, that was just brutal tonight.”

McIlvaine continues to say that Riddoch’s job security depends on how he handles the team during the pennant race. But if there are many more games like Saturday’s, the Padres won’t have to concern themselves with a pennant race.

The Padres (64-53) fell to 7 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves, their biggest deficit since July 10. It also prevented them from moving into a virtual tie with the second-place Reds, who remained 5 1/2 games out.

“I look at our team, and then I look at the Padres,” Reds Manager Lou Piniella said, “and it makes me wonder how the hell we’ve been ahead of them all year. My God, look at their lineup.”

Perhaps this also is why McIlvaine rejected ownership’s recommendation to provide Riddoch with a two-year contract extension during this trip. The request was made, sources said, after a board meeting during the last home stand.

“This was a tough loss, a really tough loss,” said Padre outfielder Kevin Ward, who hit a two-run homer in the third inning. “When you’ve got a two-run lead in the eighth, we have to close those games out if we want to be in the hunt. We’ve got to win games like this, especially against teams ahead of us.

“That was a big two-game swing for us.”

The Padres led 4-2 entering the eighth, but for the 16th time this season, the Padres lost a game when they have been tied or ahead entering the ninth inning.

Although it appeared Lefferts might be removed from the game as early as the sixth inning, he was allowed to start the eighth.

“I’d like to think that with a two-run lead,” Myers said, “our bullpen can hold them for two innings if we start the inning.”

In any case, Oliver opened the inning with a single into the hole. Bill Doran flied out to left for the first out, but Bip Roberts followed with a single to left, advancing Oliver to second.

That brought up Reggie Sanders, who already had hit two homers off Lefferts. Riddoch brought in Jose Melendez, who had not pitched since Aug. 4.

“I don’t understand why you would bring a guy in that situation who hasn’t pitched in 11 days,” Myers said. “I feel bad for Jose. How can you be sharp after 11 days?”

Melendez, who had warmed up three times in the game beginning in the sixth inning, struck out Sanders on four pitches. But by the time he recorded another out, the game was tied.

Barry Larkin drove in Oliver with a sharp single to center, advancing Roberts to third. Two pitches later, pinch-hitter Jeff Branson tied the game with a single to right field. The inning ended when Glenn Braggs grounded to third, but the damage was done.

“That was unbelievable,” said Melendez, who has an 8.38 ERA in his last six outings. “I did the best I could, but I haven’t pitched in a long time.”

When the Padres failed to score in the ninth, going down 1-2-3 against Rob Dibble, Riddoch called upon Myers. It was the first time he had been used in a tie game since July 5.

“I was surprised that he brought me in a tie game on the road,” Myers said. “That means I have to pitch two innings. If you wanted me to pitch two innings, why didn’t you bring me in for the eighth and ninth?

“I don’t know, I’ve always been in situations when you always bring your guy in with a lead on the road, unless you want him to get you out of a jam. But in the eighth, they didn’t even have me warming up.”

In fact, Riddoch only two nights ago in Atlanta kept Myers in the bullpen when the game was tied in the ninth, electing instead to use Larry Andersen. At the time, Riddoch said it was his philosophy to utilize Myers only when the Padres had a lead.

So why the change in philosophy?

“You can’t have an iron-clad answer for every situation,” Riddoch said. “This was a different team on a different night in a different game. That changes everything.”

In the ninth, Myers quickly got ahead of Darnell Coles with two strikes, but surrendered a double to left-center on a 1-and-2 pitch. Paul O’Neill grounded to second base for the first out, but was able to advance Coles to third.

That set up a summit on the mound between Riddoch, Myers and catcher Benito Santiago. Riddoch wanted to know whether Myers wanted to pitch to Oliver or intentionally walk Oliver and Doran to load the bases for a potential double-play with Roberts.

“What’s the sense of pitching to the fastest guy in a double-play situation?” Myers said.

Did Riddoch consider just intentionally walking Oliver for a potential double-play with Doran?

“That’s OK in softball maybe,” Riddoch said, “but this is the major leagues.”

Myers went after Oliver, and Oliver lined the first pitch into right field. The ball soared too deep for right fielder Tony Gwynn to have a chance to throw out pinch-runner Dave Martinez.

It gave the Reds (65-50) only their fourth victory in their last 11 games and was only the Padres’ second defeat in the last nine games.

“We’re just fighting for survival right now,” said Piniella, who is expected to place third baseman Chris Sabo on the disabled list today. “If we don’t start winning some ballgames, we’re not even going to stay in this race.”