Liverpool 2 Wigan 0: Liverpool warmed up nicely for the Champions League as they took a firm grip on third place in the Premiership.
Dirk Kuyt scored a goal in each half taking his total for the season to 13 in what was a cruise in the sunshine.
Wigan, desperate for something to aid their relegation fight, managed just one serious shot on target and never got close to bothering the Anfield men.
That will have disappointed their manager Paul Jewell, a former Liverpool player, who saw his side surrender without a fight and drop closer to the bottom three.
Benitez left Steven Gerrard on the bench - the first time he has not started a Premier League game in a year - and also rested Javier Mascherano and Daniel Agger, with fit-again Craig Bellamy also a substitute.
But Gerrard's absence until the closing minutes was no hindrance to Liverpool's progress and Wigan's demise.
The slow tempo was just perfect for Wigan, they were able to muster their troops with ease, and Liverpool were sloppy in possession and constantly gave the ball away.
But after Baines intervened to stop Kuyt bursting through, the striker regrouped to get on the score sheet.
A 30th-minute cross from Jermaine Pennant on the left, saw Kuyt climb above Matt Jackson to head home, keeper John Filan being caught out having started to come for the catch before stopping.
Wigan sent on striker Camara at the break and took off Ryan Taylor, reverting to 4-4-2. It gave Liverpool that extra midfield space, and when Mark Gonzalez, Kuyt and Crouch combined in a flowing move, the Chile winger stabbed wide inside the six-yard box.
Kuyt then picked up possession 20 yards out and forced Filan into a plunging save, the ball spinning out in the area with no Liverpool player close enough to do anything about it.
Still Liverpool wasted possession, and when Baines got down the left to fire in a cross, it took a strong intervention from Sami Hyypia to stop the ball reaching Heskey six yards out.
But on 68 minutes Bellamy's pace and drive forced the situation for Liverpool to score again. He scampered into the corner to take a Riise pass, turned and found Kuyt, who spun to place his second past Filan from 12 yards.
