Padres Defeat Cubs, 2-1 : Baseball: Benes pitches seven strong innings to beat Morgan and end the Padres’ three-game losing streak.

CHICAGO — Honesty might be the best policy, but an outstanding pitching performance also is necessary.

Andy Benes allowed four hits in seven innings and Dan Walters and Darrell Sherman each drove in runs Friday, leading the San Diego Padres to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The Padres snapped a three-game losing streak.

Manager Jim Riggleman yanked Benes after seven innings.

“He said he could keep pitching but I could see he was scuffling,” said Riggleman, “he’s been honest with us.”

Benes agreed with the decision because “I was leading off the eighth and it was the perfect spot to being a pinch hitter. I went nine innings in my last start and our relievers have been doing a good job so I had to be honest.”

Benes (5-2) had a two-hit shutout going until the sixth inning when Dwight Smith led off with a double and scored as Jose Vizcaino’s grounder went through the legs of second baseman Jeff Gardner for an error.

Benes gave up a first-inning single to Vizcaino and a walk to Mark Grace and then retired 13 in a row before Rick Wilkins singled with two outs in the fifth.

Benes left for a pinch batter in the eighth. He walked one and struck out five. Rich Rodriguez got the first two batters in the eighth, then gave way to Gene Harris. Harris pitched 1 1-3 innings for his sixth save.

Mike Morgan (2-5) was nicked for two runs in the second inning. Gardner singled, went to third on a single by Kurt Stillwell and scored on a single by Walters. Benes sacrificed and Stillwell scored on Sherman’s sacrifice fly that turned into a double play when Walters tried to advance to third

Morgan allowed only six hits, no walks and struck out one. He retired 15 in a row before leaving for a pinch batter in the seventh.

Morgan was angry with himself, feeling he might have fielded Stillwell’s grounder that went under his glove and into center field to key the second inning.

“I consider myself a pretty good fielder and if I had knocked it down, it would have been a matter of inches,” Morgan said. “But Andy Benes is a good pitcher and you have to tip your hat to him.”

San Diego’s Derek Bell was ejected in the sixth inning for disputing a called third strike by Greg Bonin. Before leaving, Bell tossed his bat and helmet towards Bonin but missed with both.

Bell said it was the first time he had done anything like that.

“It was in the heat of a close game and I just snapped,” Bell said. “I’m not like that, I’m not that kind of a guy. I’m going to apologize to the umpire.”

Notes: Gary Sheffield had been hitless in his last three games (0-for-11) but halted that streak with a double in the first inning. ... All five of Benes’ victories have come after San Diego losses. He also halted San Diego’s four-game losing streak last April with a 5-1 victry over St. Louis. ... Steve Buechele’s 13-game hitting streak came to an end although he made Sherman go up againt the wall in left field for his fly ball in the second inning. ... Vizcaino extended his hitting streak to a career-high nine game with a single in the first inning.