It’s becoming difficult to write anything interesting about the Padres because, well, they’re just not an interesting team this season. After two frustrating losses to the Giants on Friday and Saturday, all you can do is look for positives and hope the club will make the necessary adjustments that will provide their loyal fans with a better brand of baseball next season.

In Friday’s game, the positives were the starting pitching effort by Josh Banks, who lowered his ERA to 3.65, and the late inning homer by Adrian Gonzalez that tied the game. I have no clue how Banks fits in to the Padres’ vision of the future, but I do believe that there’s hope for him. If only he could show some consistency.

Mike Adams continues to impress out of the bullpen. Pitching a scoreless eighth inning on Friday, Adams lowered his ERA to 1.88. In 38 1/3 innings he’s given up only 29 hits, struck out 45, and walked only 11. The Padres may have found another set-up guy for next year.

The lone positive in Saturday’s 2-0 loss was Jake Peavy (8-7), who later expressed his frustration at losing another tough-luck decision. With an ERA of 2.59, Jake should be sitting on at least 12 wins right now.

A huge positive last night had nothing to do with the game. It was the Madres’ silent auction. With over 41K fans in attendance (mostly for the T-shirt giveaway), their efforts were rewarded by the generous fans who shelled out some major coin for the merchandise displayed at four separate locations around the ballpark. Kudos to the women and men of the Madres for their successful endeavor!

On the minor league front, there were a couple of performances last night worth mentioning. LHP Matt LeBlanc (10-7) pitched 8 innings of shutout ball for Portland. While striking out 11 and walking none, he allowed only 2 hits. After getting off to a shaking start on the AAA level, LeBlanc appears to have found his groove and may have earned a September call-up.

Portland outfielder Pete Ciofrone banged out another 2 hits, including his 12^th home run. His average is at .328. To put that in perspective, however, Paul McAnulty has batted .384 with 6 homers since being optioned to Portland.

A young player who’s attracting a lot of attention lately is Lake Elsinore’s Kellen Kulbacki. A corner outfielder, Kulbacki had 4 hits last night and raised his batting average to .344. He’s got 19 home runs and a .611 slugging percentage. Although he’s reported to be a lower-than-average defensive player, the 22-year-old will be put on the fast track if he continues to put up those kind of numbers.

Any chance of Khalil Greene bouncing back and improving upon
his anemic batting average through the remaining two months of the season went out the window when he took out his frustration on a clubhouse storage locker during Wednesday’s embarrassing loss to Arizona. Greenie is going on the DL today and will more than likely miss the rest of the season. According to Buddy Black, Luis Rodriquez will replace him at shortstop. Too bad the Padres didn’t retain the services of Geoff Blum. We could have used a guy like him this season. Then again, we could have also used guys like Mike Cameron and Milton Bradley, but that’s another story.

Someday we’ll all look back at the 2008 season as being the “Murphy’s Law” season. Almost anything that could’ve gone wrong has gone wrong. All you have to do is compare the opening day roster to today’s and review the club’s injuries to see that this has been one of the worst seasons the Padres have ever experienced. Or, you can ask the season ticket holders who are desperately trying to sell their tickets for remaining games. And many are selling them for far less than face value. The Padres would be wise to extend their $1 hot dog and drink specials through the rest of the season.

For true baseball fans, however, a night at the ballpark is still enjoyable–even if your team is one of the worst in the majors. Making upcoming appearances at Petco Park are teams that, at least for now, are in the hunt. For example, on the home stand beginning August 12, the Padres will host Milwaukee (wild card contender) and Philadelphia (leads the NL East). Both teams have excellent players that are worthy of watching. It might be kinda fun to sit in the stands and say, “Let’s see, I wish we had that guy…and that guy…and, of course, that guy.”

One team the fans will look forward to seeing in September is the Dodgers…especially now that they have future Hall-of-Famer Manny Ramirez patrolling left field. (Our friend Harry will have a field day with him). I predict, however, that Dodger fans will outnumber the Friar faithful by a 2-1 margin. I know of fans who flatly refuse to sell their tickets to Dodger fans. What does it matter at this point? Let them have their fun.

By trading for Ramirez, the Dodgers sent a clear message that they’re going for it this year. They certainly have the pitching. All they needed was a power bat in the middle of their lineup. Had the Padres made a similar move last season, they would have been in the playoffs. And, with a pitching staff that had the lowest ERA in the majors, who knows how far they could have gone.

Arizona, who made a run at Mark Teixeira before he got traded to the Angels, did not make any significant moves other than recently adding big John Rauch to their bullpen. Sorry, D’Backs…I give the edge to L.A.

One final note: Although I don’t fully understand why the White Sox traded for Ken Griffey Jr., I’m glad that Junior will have an opportunity to get a ring. It certainly wasn’t going to happen in Cincinnati.

The Padres took it on the chin again last night as the Arizona D’Backs totally outclassed the Friars in the rubber game of a three-game series. I won’t go into details of the game–you can find that in the UT or on the Padres’ website. I will, however, make a few observations regarding the Padres’ sloppy defense and pitching.

But first, I want to talk about my night at the ballpark with my nephew Brandon, who turned 15 on July 10. Brandon doesn’t get the opportunity to attend many games at Petco Park, so I make it a point to take him to a game every year around his birthday. So, last night was “boys’ night out” for Brandon and Uncle Dean. (It should be noted that Brandon was the inspiration for the character Michael Robbins in my book, Pinch Hitter, and just happens to be a very handsome young man.)

Anyway, while vividly remembering what it was like to be 15 (albeit a long time ago), I couldn’t wait to introduce Brandon, who will be a sophomore this year, to the bevy of beautiful young women at the TK. As soon as we entered the establishment, I could tell that Brandon had gotten over the adolescent shyness he displayed a year ago when we introduced him to some lovely young ladies at Seau’s The Restaurant. Upon being seated, we were greeted by a beautiful young lady who happens to be one of our favorite servers. (I won’t mention her name, but this girl sparkles with personality.) After inquiring about the whereabouts of my wife, she said that she was leaving soon but would introduce us to our server–a young lady with whom I was not previously acquainted.

During the course of our meal, we were visited often by our lovely server, who made it a point to converse with Brandon about his high school. After we finished our burgers (they’re great, by the way) and paid the check, I asked Brandon if he was ready to leave. Obviously enjoying the view and the attention, he said no. However, before I had a chance to explain that our server would be losing money if we stayed at that table, he said something that one wouldn’t expect from a 15-year-old boy who was sitting in a large room full of gorgeous young women. He said, “Uncle Dean, maybe we should go. There are a lot of people waiting for tables.” I was impressed. As much as he wanted to stay, he was being considerate of the waiting patrons and our server.

He commented later that the Tilted Kilt is his favorite new restaurant…and he can’t wait to go back.

Oh yeah…the game. The Padres looked awful last night. As much as I like Chase Headley, I hate the fact that he’s playing out of position. The club needs to make a decision as to whom their third baseman of the future is going to be. If it’s Headley, then Kouzmanoff should be dealt. If it’s Kouz, then Headley should be traded.

I also believe that Cha Seung Baek and Josh Banks are better suited for the bullpen. Just take a look at their numbers as starters. Outside of Peavy, Young, and Maddux, we do not have decent starters. Why not give some of the AAA or AA pitchers an opportunity to show us what they can do? We may be pleasantly surprised…kinda like Brandon was at the TK last night.

Even though the Padres were shutout by Arizona last night, fans had to be excited about the return of Chris Young after a nine-week layoff. While surrendering only two hits and racking up eight strikeouts through five innings of work, the 6-foot-10 right-hander showed no ill-effects from being hit on the face by Albert Pujols in May. It’s safe to say that CY’s return was a total success.

Unfortunately, his teammates managed only two hits off of LPH Doug Davis, who had a no-hitter until Brian Giles lined a single into center field in the seventh. Sure, with all of his pitches working for him, Davis was brilliant last night. However, he was aided by the Padre hitters, who, at times, appeared to be flailing at pitches out of the strike zone.

To make room for Young, the Padres designated Chip Ambres for assignment. Given Ambres’ performance, that move came as no surprise. However, as of this morning they’re carrying twelve pitchers. With the trading deadline rapidly approaching, there is still much speculation that a Padre pitcher will be traded. That would free-up a roster spot for another position player, which very well could be Portland outfielder Peter Ciofrone, who’s hitting .330 with eleven HRs and has a 26-game hitting streak.

Tonight it’s Cha Seung Baek (3-5, 5.06 ERA) vs. Dan Haren (10-5, 2.56 ERA).

MARK TEIXEIRA AN ANGEL

Kudos the Angels for pulling off the deal for Mark Teixeira. As if they weren’t already good enough to win it all, Teixeira gives them another solid bat in their lineup and is an excellent first-baseman. And, I don’t believe they acquired him as a two-month rent-a-player, either. Don’t be surprised if they sign him to a long-term deal in the off-season.

MANNY RAMIREZ TO THE DODGERS?

Although unlikely to happen, there’s been talk about the Dodgers acquiring Ramirez from Boston. Word is that the Sox want a package of players– including outfielder Matt Kemp, who’s hitting .294 with 12 HRs. Bad move, Dodgers. If you want Manny, wait until Boston makes him a free agent at the end of this season.

Speaking of the Dodgers, I hear that they are not interested in Greg Maddux. That’s good news to me…I want him to stay in San Diego.

Although the Padres finished their road trip with a record of 4-7, they ended it in grand fashion by taking three straight from Pittsburgh. The last time the club won three straight ballgames was June 4 – 8 when they actually took five straight decisions from the Cubs (2) and the Mets (3). Further, it marks the first time this season the Padres have won three straight on the road.

Jake Peavy (8-6, 2.67) led the way on Sunday with seven strong innings of four-hit ball. The only Pirate run scored on a walk, stolen base, and a ground ball single up the middle, which was the first hit given up by the right-hander. In throwing 127 pitches, Peavy collected ten strikeouts. Heath Bell looked sharp in the eighth and Trevor Hoffman shut the door in ninth while earning his 21^st save of the year and the 545^th of his illustrious career.

After collecting twelve hits, including four home runs, on Saturday
in their 9-6 win, the Padres managed to get only seven hits on Sunday. However, two of those hits–a homer by Scott Hairston (his 17^th) in the eighth and another by Josh Bard in the ninth–turned out to be the difference in the game. In his second start after a lengthy stay on the DL (thank you, Mr. Pujols), Bard was 2-4.

My guess is that Chip Ambres–who, in his defense, hasn’t seen much playing time lately–will soon be heading back to Portland. If that indeed does happen, it won’t be because he was 0-4 with four strikeouts or because he dropped a routine fly ball for an error in the ninth. Rumor has it that Tadahito Iguchi will soon return from the DL; the likely candidate to go is Ambres. The question is, when Iguchi does return, who will play second base? My theory is that the Padres, who are well aware of Edgar Gonzalez’s popularity, are starting to build a case that Edgar’s defense isn’t proficient enough for him to be an everyday second baseman–despite his .307 batting average. That’s why we’ve seen Luis Rodriguez inserted into Edgar’s spot in the bottom of the ninth inning of the last two games. If you ask, they’ll tell you that it’s for “defensive purposes”. The Padres prefer to have Iguchi at second and Edgar on the bench as their top utility player. We’ll see how well that plays with the Padre fans if Iguchi returns and continues to hit .259 while Edgar sits on the bench.

With only a few days remaining before the MLB trading deadline passes, a plethora of rumors are circulating about players such as Mark Teixeira, Jarrod Washburn, and even Manny Ramirez. Of course, many of the deals mentioned will not come to fruition. But, if for no other reason, it makes for great baseball conversation. The only Padre names that keep popping up are Brian Giles and Cla Meredith.

The Padres open up a three-game series against division-leading Arizona Monday evening at Petco Park.

The Padres collected eleven base hits and rallied for six runs to edge the Pirates 6-5 last night in Pittsburgh. Brain Giles, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley, and Josh Bard–who started his first game since coming off the DL–had two hits apiece. Adrian Gonzalez hit his 23^rd home run of the year.

Although he ended up with the victory, Cha Seung Baek (3-5) ran into problems in the sixth and had to be bailed out by the bullpen. Trevor Hoffman retired the side on eight pitches in the ninth to collect his 19^th save of the year.

SHOULD GILES BE TRADED?

There’s an ongoing debate regarding whether or not the Padres should trade Brian Giles, who, by the way, would prefer to stay in San Diego. It’s been reported that there are a handful of teams interested in trading for Giles before the deadline. Albeit no longer a power threat, he’s currently hitting .301 and certainly doesn’t embarrass himself or the Padres in right field. A strong case could be made to keep him around for another year, despite the fact that it will cost the club $11 million to do so. If the Padres plan on making minor tweaks to the club with the intent of being contenders in 2009, they’d be wise to keep him around. However, if their intent is to tear down the team and rebuild with younger players who may not be able to deliver a winning season for a few years, he should be traded now. The money saved could be used toward a starting pitcher or bullpen help. If he is indeed traded, I just hope that Kevin Towers receives a quality player or two in return.

I highly recommend the following blog that specializes in MLB trade talk:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Tonight it’s Josh Banks (2-4) vs. John Van Benschoten (1-2).

By losing to Pittsburgh 9-1 last night, the punchless Padres fell to 1-7 on their current road trip. Fill-in starter Clay Hensley took it on the chin, yielding six earned runs on seven hits through five innings of work. I say “fill-in” because Chris Young will apparently be reinstated in time to pitch against Arizona at home on Tuesday. Word is that Hensley will return to the bullpen.

Although it was a fairly typical loss (no offense & weak pitching), what bothers me is that the Padre offense was held scoreless by a young pitcher who had been pounded in his previous two starts. Even with six scoreless innings, Herrera’s ERA stands at 9.75 over three starts. The Padres did bang out eight hits in the game, but only one for extra bases (Jody Gerut’s double).

Padre reliever Bryan Corey was charged with three earned runs and saw his ERA climb to 6.21. However, I felt that he was victimized by shoddy defense in the bottom of the eighth. Kouzmanoff should’ve made the play on Rivas’ ground ball with two outs. We’ve seen him make that play time and time again over the course of the season. But he didn’t make it and scorekeeper ruled it a base hit instead of an error. Even though Corey subsequently served up a dinger to McLouth, all three runs should’ve been unearned.

Perhaps the Padres should seriously consider extending their “July Dollar Days” through August.

Padre pitcher Clay Hensley gets an opportunity tonight to prove that he’s worthy of being part of the starting rotation. Called into duty following the trade of Randy Wolf to the Astros, Hensley’s longest stint at Portland was six innings. There are many who believe that he’s more valuable to the Padres in the bullpen. Although I’m aware that he prefers starting over relieving, I’m on board with that assessment–especially with the Padres’ bullpen in such disarray. Trevor Hoffman is and will continue to be our closer until he decides to hang up his cleats. Despite his two bad outings in St. Louis, Heath Bell is still one of the best set-up guys in the league. Whether or not he ends up being our closer down the road, however, remains to be seen. I believe that Mike Adams has earned the right to be the seventh-inning guy. Outside of those three…yikes! As he so aptly demonstrated again yesterday, Cla Meredith is not reliable. Neither is Bryan Corey nor Wil Ledezma, who re-joined the club yesterday and is the only left-hander on the current roster. Another pitcher (possibly Kevin Cameron) will more than likely join the club in Pittsburgh today.

Chris Young should be returning shortly and he’ll be followed soon after by Shawn Estes. With everyone healthy, the starting rotation should include Peavy, Young, Estes, and then two of the following: Cha Seung Baek, Clay Hensley, or Josh Banks. One of those three will return to the bullpen.

However, in the meantime, I’d love to see the Padres promote LHP Steve Garrison (7-5, 3.43 ERA) from San Antonio. Garrison, 21, pitched six strong innings last night, giving up three hits and no earned runs.  Kevin Towers is very high on this kid and would like to promote him sometime this year. And, since he shares the same birth date (9/12) with my wife, he must be okay.

Joe Thatcher is probably a very nice guy. Nevertheless, I hope we’ve seen the last of him in a Padre uniform. Demoted to Portland after getting hammered for five runs in one inning yesterday, Thatcher might be better off in another organization. He’s certainly worn out his welcome in San Diego.

Replacing Wolf in the starting rotation–at least for Thursday’s scheduled start–will be Clay Hensley. There’s been no word on who the Padres will promote to fill Wolf’s roster spot.