2010 NL West Race: San Francisco Giants Ready To Wrap It Up

In the National League West, it’s all over but the shouting.  The San Francisco Giants will win the Division unless they lose their next four games at home.   For the Padres, who will have to win all of those games, including a one game playoff, it’s all over but the praying, and scratching of the head.

With a lower payroll than the Los Angeles Clippers, the San Diego Padres weren’t expected to do much in 2010.  On April 5, the Padres lost their season opener to the Diamondbacks 6-3, looked bad doing it, and confirmed they would not be doing much in 2010.  April 30th, the Padres sat in first place in the West, and with a 15-8 record were tied with the Saint Louis Cardinals for the best record in the National League.  May 1, San Diegan’s scrambled to learn the names on the 2010 Padre roster.

Right about the time everyone this side of Las Vegas got nice and excited about the NL West, prompting even Peter Gammons to write an article about it, the Padres went into a tailspin.

On July 5, the Giants were seven games back.  Today they are three games up, with three to play.  Three home games to play, against the struggling Padres.  The Giants have been playing amazing baseball, 8-2 in their last ten, and haven’t given up more than three runs in almost three weeks.

Going into San Francisco, the Padres aren’t exactly arriving with an abundance of offense.  They’ve scored only seven runs this week, getting shut out twice in the process.  What the Padres do have is the best road record in the National League, 43-35, and the slimmest of mathematical chances to extend their season.

Hope does spring eternal, for the Padres, it better spring some wins.