Padres End Skid, but Attitudes Still in the Dumps : Baseball: Cards lose, 5-4. Players vent frustration with team’s performance.

It’s the time of year that has become quite familiar in Padre folklore. The Padres are out of the race, frustration is high, and fingers are being pointed in every direction.

The Padres, who ended their four-game losing streak Wednesday with a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, no longer are bothering to contain their hostility.

The players are tired of the accusations by management that this team is not as talented as the division-leading Atlanta Braves. The players say the pitching is more than adequate.

And if anyone is to blame for their failure, the players say, it should be Padre Manager Greg Riddoch.

Although many of the players have refused to vent their feelings about Riddoch because of possible repercussions, the dissension is growing louder by the day.

“You look at this team, and we have as much talent as anyone in this league,” Padre first baseman Fred McGriff said. “There’s no reason this should be happening.

“Greg’s a nice guy, but he’s young. I think we could be better prepared, because if you’re prepared in the close games, you’re ready for all situations.”

But the Padres are 70-62 and on pace to finish with the second-best record in club history, right?

“Hey, we’ve got so many good ballplayers,” McGriff said. “You’re going to win some games.”

Certainly, no one is denying the Padres are loaded with talent. The Padres have five All-Stars on the team. They have a player who’s bidding for the triple crown. They have the league’s home-run leader. And they have a closer who’s second in the league in saves.

When Riddoch was asked what more would it take to overtake the Braves, he said, “have five 20-game winners.”

Said Padre starter Bruce Hurst, 14-7, one of Riddoch’s biggest critics: “Any manager can win with five 20-game winners. If you have five 20-game winners, you don’t need anybody to sit there (in the manager’s chair).

“Maybe they can save money there.”

Yes, while the Padres’ hopes of winning the division this year are about as good as management lowering ticket prices next season, the only remaining suspense in their season is the fate of Riddoch.

Will Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, adhere to the owners’ wishes and provide him with a two-year extension?

Or will he abide by the players’ wishes, and fire Riddoch when the season ends?

McIlvaine, who said a month ago that he wanted to judge how Riddoch manages in a pennant race, said he’ll continue to evaluate Riddoch now that they’re out of the race.

“Let’s see what happens the final month,” McIlvaine said. “I’m a fair person. I’m trying to give Greg every chance to succeed.”

Just what is McIlvaine’s criteria?

“Number 1, are you getting the maximum out of your ballclub?” McIlvaine said. “Are they performing to their level? Are they playing to their potential?

“Number 2, technically how well you manage.

“And No. 1 is more important than 2.”

Although September is being used by most of the non-contenders primarily as tryout camps, and several teams have all but quit, McIlvaine said the final 30 games still are vital.

“I expect a strong finish,” McIlvaine said. “I can’t sit here and say we’ll win it, but I expect us to play well because we’re healthy.

“The main thing is for the players to stay focused on what they can control, and not what they can’t control.”

Yet, the Padres have lost 10 of their last 16 games, are 8 1/2 games behind the Braves, and wondering how they wound up in this predicament.

Considering that ownership has shelled out $29 million for the player payroll, certainly it’s a legitimate question to wonder why the club has been hovering around .500 for the past 4 1/2 weeks.

“It’s very simple when you look at statistics,” McIlvaine said. “We’re 10th in the league in pitching. I’m not getting down on our pitchers at all, but the fact of the matter is we’re 10th in the league. That’s a fact.

“Hitting’s great, and can keep you in the game, but you win and lose with pitching. We haven’t had the one guy to take the lead for us.”

The Padre pitching staff, however, objects. While they indeed rank 10th with a 3.61 ERA, the statistic can be misleading. Just look at bullpen stopper Randy Myers, who has 30 saves despite his 4.52 ERA.

“My opinion is that it’s not the problem this year,” said Hurst, who won Wednesday, yielding eight hits and two earned runs in seven innings. “I think the pitching overall has been pretty good. I’ve got no problem with our pitching. We’ve got some good pitchers here. I don’t think they should sell us short.

“They make more out of (the ERA), but Jack Murphy Stadium isn’t Busch Stadium. It’s a hitters’ ballpark.

“Our game plan is definitely structured around our offense, anyway.”

The Padres showed the Cardinals just why they’re the most feared lineup in the league. McGriff hit his league-leading 32nd homer of the year, and Tim Teufel hit his first in two months. The Padres wound up scattering 12 hits with runners in every inning but the second.

“I couldn’t leave here without a hit,” said McGriff, who now has homered in every National League stadium. “Take away the Cardinals, and I’d be hitting .350 this year.”

While McGriff was exaggerating, the truth is that teammate Gary Sheffield would be hitting .352 instead of .332 if not for the Cardinals. The Cardinals kept him hitless in four at-bats, and Sheffield finished the season with a .103 batting average against them.

“I guess their spring training is too close to my house,” said Sheffield, who trails McGriff by three homers in his triple crown pursuit. “They know me too good. I’ll be glad to get out here so I can go back to being myself.”

Certainly, Busch Stadium hasn’t been kind to Sheffield. While he failed to drive in a run during the three-game series, Sheffield was in pain Wednesday when a ball thrown by catcher Benito Santiago on a stolen-base attempt deflected off his glove and hit him in the throat.

“That one really stung,” Sheffield said. “Crazy stuff happens here. I’m just glad to be getting out.

“It’s been a long three days.”

Triple Crown Watch

Batting Average

Gary Sheffield, Padres: .332

Andy Van Slyke, Pittsburgh: .330

John Kruk, Philadelphia: .323 Home Runs

Fred McGriff, Padres: 32

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 29

Barry Bonds, Pittsbugh: 25 Runs Batted In

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 92

Darren Daulton, Philadelphia: 91

Terry Pendleton, Atlanta.: 87