There's a time when a fight suddenly turns serious, going from taunting and shoving to outright fisticuffs. That point is where the Padres find themselves as they begin a three-game series at Colorado that will bring the first half of the 2010 major league baseball season to a close.
The Padres head to Denver after salvaging a win in DC with another Mat Latos gem. However, it has become apparent that Latos is the one stopper they have in a pitching rotation that is otherwise showing signs of fraying following poor starts by Jon Garland and Clayton Richard. Who knows if Kevin Correia's gem against Houston is the start of a trend or just his monthly quality start? Making things more worrisome is that management, for good reason, plans to limit Latos' work in the second half. Should they continue with such plans in the middle of a pennant race? Yes, they're all but obligated to for long-term reasons. But the plan is still a bit scary.
The Rockies are ready for a tumble. They have won eight of their last 10 games and took two of three from the Padres at Petco. You probably read about their amazing comebacks against the Cardinals. Those are the types of games they won during second-half runs the past few seasons. If they're getting into the same mode, watch out.
The series will begin with the Padres ahead by three games. Look at it as the last 30 seconds of a college basketball first half. Your team is leading the entire 19-plus minutes, then the opponents hit a three at the buzzer to tie it up at the break. What a letdown -- and what a pick-me-up for the other team. If the Rox sweep the Friars in Coors Field, it will be a tough All-Star break for the good guys.
The Rockies have gotten their shoves in, made their slurs against the wife and added a spit or two. They also have help lingering in the shadows in the form of the Dodgers. Time for the Padres to start fighting.
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I'm re-thinking my position on the Jake Peavy trade.
My original thought was you don't trade a true #1 starter for prospects, because the #1 starter is really all you have to build around, and there are fewer of them than there are major league teams. My opinion solidified in the ensuing months as only Richard, of the four pitchers received, showed himself to be a major league contributor. This point hasn't changed, and I see Richard only as a middle-of-the-rotation guy even now (his record is 6-4, but the Friars are just 8-9 in the games he's started).
What has changed is my opinion of Peavy. He was damaged goods when sent to Chicago, another gimpy hurler unloaded on an unsuspecting sucker by former GM Kevin Towers. At least the Padres got for him someone capable of taking the mound every five days. Peavy was DL'd this week with a detached muscle in his shoulder. I'd never wish ill will on this solid person, but better it happen to the White Sox than the Padres. He actually pitched fairly well this season despite a high ERA. He had a pair of three-game winning streaks and was throwing deep into ballgames. But I'm getting a feeling that his injury problems are chronic. Sad for him and the fans who have good memories of his triumphs in San Diego, too bad for the White Sox.
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The "Stephen Strasburg to the All-Star Game" push was a joke. The game is already tarnished with commercialism. Honestly, despite his struggles of the past week, Luke Gregerson deserves the trip to Anaheim next week over Heath Bell, but the Padres closer is a recognizable name-brand. Bell sells, so he's going and the kid no one north of Highway 76 knows about will rest his tiring arm. The Strasburg thing was all sensationalism.
In fact, I can think of three tender-young pitchers with local connections who deserved to make the team more than Strasburg. Start with Latos of the Padres, who won his 10th game Thursday and has been nearly unhittable the past two months. Then try Mike Leake (Fallbrook High), who is 6-1, 3.38 to help the Reds to the top of the NL Central and go to Trevor Cahill (Vista High), who is 8-3, 3.17 and will be in Anaheim. Since coming off the DL at the end of April, Oakland has won 10 of Cahill's 14 starts. Alas, he is slated to start Sunday and almost certainly will not actually play in the Mid-summer Classic.
What I and so many other people love about Strasburg is the solid head on his shoulders. He seemed to be bewildered about all the All-Star hype himself.
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