Padres Feel Benefits of Reds’ Party

CINCINNATI —  The Cincinnati Reds, staggering into the clubhouse Sunday morning after their late-night celebration, dressed oh, so quietly, and then stumbled around on the field.

The Reds, clinching their first National League West Division title since 1979 Saturday night, looked like a team that had been partying heartily, losing, 3-0, to the Padres in front of a subdued crowd of 32,407 at Riverfront Stadium.

“We played like we had a hangover,” Reds Manager Lou Piniella said.

Indeed, the Reds managed only four hits off Padre starter Derek Lilliquist (5-11) in six innings and just another off Greg Harris, who pitched the final three innings for his ninth save.

But most important to the Reds was not the three-game sweep by the Padres but the lower back injury sustained by infielder Billy Doran. Doran, who has a history of lower back spasms, was admitted Saturday night to Christ Hospital and is questionable for the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“Doran is a problem,” Piniella said. “The information I have is not very good. I was looking forward to having his bat in the lineup in the playoffs, but now, it doesn’t look good.

“I really don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Padre Notes

Luis Rosa, the Chicago Cubs’ Latin America coordinator, could be rejoining the Padres. At least, that’s what he has been telling people. It’s unknown whether Rosa indeed will return to the organization, particularly with the recent firing of Jack McKeon, but Padre officials say it’s doubtful. Rosa was fired five years ago by the Padres. He signed Roberto and Sandy Alomar and Benito Santiago. . . . The Padres likely will start Eric Show in the season finale Wednesday against the Dodgers. Show has 99 career victories with the team, and Manager Greg Riddoch says he’d like to allow him the opportunity to achieve the milestone. The alternative is Bruce Hurst, whose turn comes up Wednesday, but he told Riddoch that he’d be willing to step aside for Show. . . . Hurst, a diehard BYU fan, took a lot of ribbing for BYU’s defeat Saturday night to Oregon. He walked into the clubhouse, and on the chalkboard, read the final score. He turned to his locker, and there were three different signs, one revealing the score, one reading, “BYU Who?” “Nice guys, huh?” said Hurst, laughing and wearing a BYU baseball shirt.