Padres Find Way to Lose On Odd Day : Baseball: Just a day in the life for the Padres, who lose, 4-3. A uniform number is changed, a player is upset and a pitcher comes up big at the plate.

It was a day on which Padre catcher Benito Santiago abruptly changed his uniform number, going from No. 9 to a zany 09.

It was a day on which Padre outfielder Shawn Abner revealed that he wants out, saying he’d rather be playing in the minor leagues than rot on the bench.

It was a day on which Padre starter Dennis Ramussen perhaps was the biggest offensive threat, getting his first two hits of the season.

But normalcy again prevailed Friday when the Padres found yet another way to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, delighting a crowd of 40,927, the largest of the season at Busch Stadium.

The Padres said it was a game they could have won. It was a game they should have won. It turned out to be a game in which they wanted to rip out their hair and scream.

The Padres, seemingly in command, watched in bitter frustration as the Cardinals kept pecking away until they scored the winning run in the ninth inning on Ray Lankford’s two-out single.

Said Padre reliever Larry Andersen, who gave up the two-out hit: “It’s like a slow death with those guys.”

Said Dennis Rasmussen, who saw his 3-1 lead dissipate in the seventh inning: “That’s Cardinal baseball.

Said Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn, whose three hits went to waste: “It’s like they want you to think they’re in control, and just when you do, they get you.”

It wasn’t enough that the Padres couldn’t put the Cardinals away early, despite having at least one baserunner in each of the first seven innings, including nine hits and three extra-base hits.

It wasn’t enough that the Cardinals came back in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game when a player threw his bat at the ball for a single, and another hit one off the end of his bat for a double.

But then, the Cardinals had to come along in the bottom of the ninth and rub the Padres’ noses in it.

After getting the first two outs, pinch-hitter Milt Thompson hit a high chopper toward second base, beating out Tim Teufel’s throw. Andersen never bothered to keep Thompson close to the bag, and Thompson stole second without a throw from Santiago.

“I didn’t even give Benny a chance,” Andersen said.

Andersen immediately got ahead of the count on Lankford, who had failed to hit the ball out of the infield in his first four at-bats. Then, on a 2-2 pitch, Andersen thought he struck him out and started to walk off the field . Sorry, home plate umpire Charlie Reliford called Ball 3.

Santiago went to the mound, talked with Andersen, and they decided that Andersen would come in with another slider. The pitch came over the plate, Lankford swung, and Andersen cursed.

The ball was slapped to center. Thompson took off, and rounded third. Center fielder Thomas Howard picked up the ball, fired home, but too late, Lankford scored standing up.

And the Padres, 34-34, had fallen to the Cardinals again. It was their 12th defeat in the past 16 games to the Cardinals (36-29), who are seven games above .500 for the first time since 1989.

The frustration in the Padre clubhouse was evident. No one wanted to say much. And those that did spoke in hushed tones.

First baseman Fred McGriff, who was tearing up the league just a month ago, now is in a horrendous skid. He is hitless in his past 19 at-bats, and is hitting .160 since his last multiple-hit game May 22. And with two out and runners in scoring position, McGriff is hitting .091.

Bip Roberts was able to get two hits for the first time since May 23, but with runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth, he struck out.

Rasmussen, yielding just one hit through the first five innings, watched in disbelief as he gave up five hits to the last six batters he faced, leaving without a decision.

Andersen, who says his arm is going through a dead period, owns a 6.75 ERA over his past four outings.

Yet, no one is more frustrated in the Padre clubhouse these days than Abner. This was the Padres’ starting center fielder at the outset of the season, but who lost his job May 13. And this is the guy who hasn’t started since May 29, and has only seven at-bats in June.

He had a 25-minute conversation with Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, a week ago to discuss his situation, and still is awaiting a verdict.

“This is getting real tough to handle,” said Abner. “What are they waiting for? Get rid of me. I’m not helping anyone out here. I’m just rotting on the bench.

“I’m sure they can trade me for something. Trade me for a Class A pitcher. Trade me for a 50th-round draft pick. Trade me for a bag of balls.

“I just want to play somewhere, because right now, I’m embarrassed to get my paycheck. I really am. It’s like they’re giving me a gift every two weeks.

“I’m not complaining. I’m not going to say anything bad about anybody. But it’s obvious they don’t need me around any more.”

Yes, it was that kind of day, and perhaps nothing more typified the Padres’ frustration than the seventh inning when the Cardinals came back in excruciating fashion, overcoming a 3-1 deficit. It was only the second time this season the Padres blew a lead after the sixth inning.

Tom Pagnozzi, the No. 7 hitter in the lineup, led off the inning with a sharp single to left field. Jose Oquendo, batting .213, was fooled and threw his bat at a fastball, which wound up through Rasmussen’s legs into center field.

Geronimo Pena, pinch-hitting for Cardinal pitcher Bryn Smith,. then hit a looping double off the end of his bat, over McGriff’s head, into right field, scoring Pagnozzi and sending Oquendo to third.

Padre Manager Greg Riddoch then relieved Rasmussen, bringing out lefty Rich Rodriguez. Lankford grounded out to first, preventing anyone from scoring.

That brought up Ozzie Smith, who hit a bouncer toward the second-base bag. It deflected off the glove of Padre shortstop Tony Fernandez, into the glove of second baseman Tim Teufel, who threw out Smith. Yet, it still was enough for Oquendo to score the tying run.

It proved to be the beginning of the fateful end.

“Can you believe this day?” Gwynn said.