SAN DIEGO - Padres infielder Todd Walker was there on that day in Milwaukee two years ago when Russell Branyan showed why his surname might as well be Bunyan.

Walker was with the Chicago Cubs, and Branyan, now a Padres teammate, was playing in his first game for the Brewers, having just arrived in a trade with Cleveland. Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux, in the same game in which he would close within one victory of 300, grooved a fastball, and Branyan sent it into orbit.

When the ball finally landed high above the wall in right-center field, it was estimated to have traveled 480 feet, still the longest in Miller Park history.

"He's got as much power as anyone I've ever seen," Walker said.

There have been other moon shots. In Milwaukee's home opener last season, Branyan slugged a pair of two-run homers, the first of which smashed off the center-field scoreboard, a la Roy Hobbs in "The Natural." Duly impressed, Brewers teammates nicknamed Branyan "Russell with the Muscle."

Only four days after being acquired by the Padres from Tampa Bay on Aug. 24, he crushed two homers at Arizona's Chase Field that soared a combined 878 feet. The one-word reaction of Padres hitting coach Merv Rettenmund: "Wow!"

Said Padres manager Bruce Bochy: "He is some kind of strong."

Besides perhaps a hard fastball thrown by a left arm, no trait in baseball is more valued than raw power. So why is Branyan playing for his fifth organization in five years?

The problem is that the 30-year-old third baseman's big bat and big muscles have produced exponentially more gusts of wind than majestic blasts.

Entering this season, his total of 291 career homers in the major and minor leagues was offset by a ridiculous total of 1,571 strikeouts, or one every 2.56 at-bats.

"It's my fault," Branyan said. "I don't have to try to swing hard to hit homers. Just put a nice, easy swing on it. That's where I have to polish my approach."

Class is in session, and Rettenmund is the teacher. Since Branyan came over from the Devil Rays with a .201 average and 62 strikeouts in 169 at-bats, Rettenmund has worked with him to simplify his swing and concentrate on making better contact.

Though the sample size is limited, the results are obvious. A minor-league third baseman who became a utility player in the bigs, Branyan has taken over the hot corner from Walker, who struggled defensively. He's batting .375 with three homers and six RBIs in 32 at-bats, and he has "only" 10 strikeouts.

"You're not talking about a kid who needs to get his swing together," Rettenmund said. "It's pretty darn good."

Said Padres reliever Scott Williamson, who played with Branyan in Cincinnati from 2002-03: "He's gotten a lot better over the years. He doesn't strike out as much as he used to. He's a lot more disciplined now."

Bochy is so pleased by Branyan's play that he has given him 10 of the past 13 starts at third base, a position that was shaping up to be a platoon with Walker and Mark Bellhorn after the July 19 release of Vinny Castilla. Padres general manager Kevin Towers is so pleased that he is leaning strongly toward picking up Branyan's $1 million contract option for 2007.

"I'd say, with everything that I've seen so far, it would be very difficult to walk away from him," Towers said. "It's hard to find that type of power. If not third, then he could play a corner outfield position. You like to have that bat in your lineup."

Branyan said he has heard the whispers that the Padres will try to trade for Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre in the offseason, which would reduce him to a bench player. Another possibility the Padres are mulling is a time share at the position between Branyan and a player like Diamondbacks infielder Craig Counsell, a free agent-to-be whom Towers has long valued.

"I'd love to come back here," Branyan said. "I think my better days are ahead of me, especially given the chance to play."

- Contact staff writer Brian Hiro at b_hiro@hotmail.com.

PADRES ON DECK: at Cincinnati

WHERE: Great American Ball Park

+ PROBABLE PITCHERS:

Today -- RHP Chris Young (10-5, 3.71 ERA) vs. LHP Eric Milton (8-7, 4.95), 4:10 p.m.

Wednesday -- RHP Jake Peavy (8-14, 4.31) vs. RHP Kyle Lohse (2-2, 2.96), 4:10 p.m.

Thursday -- RHP Clay Hensley (8-11, 3.87) vs. RHP Aaron Harang (13-10, 3.83), 9:35 a.m.

> TV: 4 SD, today and Wednesday

> RADIO: XPRS (1090 AM, 105.7 FM); XEMO (860 AM, Spanish)

+ UPDATE: Beginning a stretch of 20 games in 20 days to close the regular season, the Padres (74-68) will face the Reds (71-72) for the second time this month. The Padres won two of three games against Cincinnati at Petco Park to start September. … The Reds' chances of making the playoffs for the first time since 1995 are dwindling by the day. They not only trail the Padres by 3 1/2 games in the National League wild-card standings but must vault three other clubs: Florida, Philadelphia and San Francisco. … Cincinnati CF Ken Griffey Jr. hasn't played since Sept. 4, when he dislocated a toe while trying to rob the Giants' Barry Bonds of a home run. Griffey received a cortisone injection in the toe on Saturday. … Reds C David Ross is playing despite a case of plantar fasciitis in his left heel that he developed during the previous Padres series. … Reds LF Adam Dunn has joined Ted Kluszewski as the only players in franchise history to hit 40 or more home runs in three consecutive seasons. Dunn, though, is batting only .185 since Aug. 1, and he has two homers and four RBIs in his past 17

games. … The Reds have hit and allowed the most homers in the majors leagues for the second year in a row. One reason? They play in baseball's most homer-friendly park, as 226 long balls have been hit at Great American this season. … Peavy had one of his best career starts against Cincinnati on Sept. 2, pitching a two-hit complete game with 14 strikeouts. … Harang, a San Diego State product, has already established career highs for wins (13) and strikeouts (189). Harang is one behind Peavy for the NL strikeout lead.