The Padres look like champs... against the Dodgers

If Giant fans are looking for any silver lining about this rancid night of baseball for them... they lost another low scoring game and the Padres took over first place because the Dodgers just... don't... care... they can find comfort knowing that tomorrow night, the Padres reign of dominance ends.

You see for the past month or so, the Padres are incapable of putting together a winning streak, unless they are playing Los Angeles.

Don't believe me?
On August 25th, the Padres beat the D'Backs to take a 6 1/2 game lead over the Giants. They had the best record in the National League and were in line to have home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Since then? They are 9-17... struggling to even qualify for the post season.
They went on their epic 10 game losing streak...
And along the way they lost series to:

The Phillies, The Diamondbacks, The Rockies, the Giants and the Cardinals.

They have won 2 series... one against Colorado and now two against the Dodgers.
They swept the Dodgers at the beginning of September and are on the verge of sweeping them again.

So keep this in mind: In games since August 25th against teams NOT called the Dodgers, the Padres record is a mind boggling 4-17.

Just imagine if the Dodgers actually gave a damn and tried. (I watched the game tonight and last night... LA is on autopilot. In the same stretch they are 8-17... essentially the Padres equivalent.)

The Padres have 1 more game against LA (an easy win for San Diego.)
Then they face a Reds team that has home field advantage in their sites, a Cubs team that is suddenly hot and then the showdown with the Giants to end the season.

I have a feeling they will end up nostalgic for the Dodgers games.

Offensive offense

Well, I already made the "Looks Like I Picked The Wrong Week To Quit..." joke from Airplane.

But I can honestly say right now the Giants need Willie Mays... NOW... at age 79...

He could easily hit 6th on this Giants team.

They've gone into Wrigley Field and scored a run.
One.

If Buster Posey's flyball doesn't clear the wall last night they would have been shut out two straight nights.

Want a scary stat?
In the Giants last 13 games they have scored 38 runs.
That's just under 3 runs a game. Not good for a pennant contender.

Want some scarier numbers?

Those 38 runs INCLUDES the 7 run outburst on September 9th, the 6 run game on September 12th, the 10 run game on September 16th and the 9 run game on Sunday the 19th.

So 32 of the 38 runs were scored in those 4 games.

Ready for some scary division?

In 9 critical "can't really afford to drop a game" stretch run games, the Giants scored a total of 6 runs.

Not per game.
All together.

This September they have lost 6 games where they have held the opposition to 3 runs or fewer.

Chew on that as they fall out of the playoff picture for at least a day and head to Colorado after tomorrow's game.

Bumgarner is on the mound. Hopefully the Giants can have one of their fluke offensive outbursts.

Looks like the Giants picked the wrong week to quit hitting

How tight is this National League West race?
Well the Giants went into Friday night's game in first place by themselves on route to home field advantage in the Division Series.

If all goes wrong tomorrow, they will end Sunday in third place out of the playoff picture all together.

Once again the Brewers pitchers shut them down as their entire run production for the weekend so far can be listed in this heart stopping exciting play from Saturday:


Bot 5th: San Francisco
- M. Fontenot grounded into fielder's choice, P. Sandoval scored, C. Ross to third, N. Schierholtz out at second


Wow!
Highlight reel stuff.
In fact if you take out the 10 run outburst against the dead from the neck up Dodgers on Thursday... the Giants have scored a TOTAL of 3 runs in 4 of their last 5 games.

This is not panic time but they have to find their bats tomorrow night and head off to Chicago.

1 game separates 3 teams with 13 games to play for the Giants.
(Keep in mind the Braves have opened up a 2 game lead and we're at the point in the season where 2 games actually looks like a lot.)

Barry Zito is on the bump for the Giants... and these days I think Giants fans would have more confidence in Ted Striker.

Thanks for caring, Dodgers

3 runs.

That's all the Dodgers could get against a Padres team that was reeling in a historic losing streak.

3 runs... TOTAL... over 3 games.

Then again it was 3 runs total over 2 games as well. Tonight they hung a big ole donut on the scoreboard.

A Padres team that was flopping like a salmon on the deck suddenly will welcome the Giants emboldened by a three game sweep.

The Giants took 2 of 3 in Arizona and LOST GROUND in the NL West race.

If you told me the Dodgers were practicing their putting in the dugout, I'd believe it.

They aren't even phoning it in now... they are sending a mass e mail in.

Well, starting tomorrow, there won't be any scoreboard watching for the Padres and Giants. Just a good old fashioned mano y mano.

The Dodgers will go off to Houston. Let's see if they can score 4 runs in that series.