A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE?

The Arizona D'Backs had two major advantages going into last night's game with the Padres. First, they had All-Star Dan Haren on the mound. Second, they were still riding a high from Thursday's stunning come-from-behind victory in which they overcame a 5-0 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning by scoring six runs without recording an out. None of that seemed to matter last night, however, because Haren (8-5) was outpitched by Cha Seung Baek (2-4) and a hungry Padre club outhit and outplayed the first place D'Backs (43-44) and walked away with a 5-1 victory in the opener of the three-game series.

Having an ERA of around 8.00 over his last two starts, Baek carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning while racking up a career-high seven strikeouts. Although I'm not sure why he was pulled after six innings of two-hit ball, it may have had something to do with his pitch count (94). I long for the day when Padre starters can consistently give us seven or eight innings of work and, therefore, take some pressure off of an over-taxed bullpen. Nevertheless, it was an impressive effort by Baek.

In my opinion, the game was significant inasmuch as it may have given Padre fans a glimpse into the future. Making his major league debut behind the plate, rookie Nick Hundley, 24, looked terrific. Is he our catcher of the future? If he puts up a decent batting average and displays a little power while he's with the big club, it'd be ridiculous for the Padres not to give him that opportunity. However, if he's hitting .170 when Josh Bard comes off the DL in a few weeks, he may be returned to Portland to get regular work. The club doesn't want him sitting on the bench in a backup capacity. It should also be noted that Hundley singled and walked in his first game as a big leaguer.

Another Padre rookie, Chase Headley, made one of the best throws I've seen all year when he threw a long and perfect strike to nail a runner trying to score from second base on a single to left. Had the ball bounced once, the runner probably would've been safe. As it was, Hundley, who effectively blocked the plate, caught the ball just as the runner slid into home. Even though I still believe that Headley will end up at third for the Padres, he has shown us that he's capable of playing left field. With his single last night, Headley extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Is Heath Bell the Padres' closer of the future? It appears that he has all the necessary tools. Last night he logged another inning and two-thirds of scoreless ball and lowered his ERA to 2.09 in his normal set-up capacity.

Edgar Gonzalez's brand of heads-up baseball continues to impress me. This guy knows how to play the game. Here again, it all comes down to his hitting. Iguchi may have better range at second base, but Edgar makes all the plays he needs to make. And, thus far, he's committed no errors. One could argue that he would better serve the Padres as a utility player. Sure, if they had a power hitter like Chase Utley or Dan Uggla at second, Edgar would be a utility player.  But the Padres don't have Utley or Uggla and their projected second baseman of the future, Matt Antonelli, is still hitting below .200 at Triple-A Portland. Until they find someone better, I like Edgar at second base and hitting second in the line-up. Once he's off the DL and proven healthy, Iguchi should be traded.

Another guy who could figure prominently in the Padres future is Jody Gerut. Not only does he provide solid defense in center, he's also hitting .280 as the Padres' lead-off hitter. He may not be their starting center fielder next year, but he should be on the club. The same applies to Scott Hairston, who I see as a fourth outfielder.