The Padre Post

SAN DIEGO — In the last regular season game, the San Diego Padres crushed the Chicago Cubs 9-2 as both clubs finished the 2011 season with identical records, 71-91.

San Diego ended Ryan Dempster’s season on a sour note, hitting him eight times for nine runs in 5 2/3 innings.  The Cubs ace started the season with a loss and ended it with one too.

Wade LeBlanc of the Padres was wheeling and dealing the Cubs hitters all night.  He went seven strong innings, allowing just two runs on five-hits.

The Padres did something that is very hard to do at PETCO Park, hit big home runs.  They did this twice.  Already leading 1-0 in the third after Cameron Maybin doubled to score LeBlanc, Nick Hundley cracked a three-run home run for a 4-0 lead.

In the sixth, with a 5-2 lead in tact, Wade Venable ended things a positive note for the Padres, sending a grand slam to left center to increase the Padres lead at 9-2.

However, do not let all this positive stuff make you guess this team.  They still finished last and have a lot of problems to fix in the off-season.

San Diego does not have that bat in the lineup that strikes fear into a pitcher and that should be one of their main goals this season.  The other thing that is a concern is the rotation.  They had one double digit wins starter in Aaron Harang.  If the Padres want to compete again, they need some 15+ game winners and some guys to pitch over 200-innings for the season.

DENVER — No no-no for Cory Luebke and Co.  The 26-year-old was flirting with a no-hitter till the Rockies, Mark Ellis, ended such an accomplishment.

The young pitcher had retired seventeen batters before allowing the Ellis two-run shot to center; Eric Young scored as Luebke walked him earlier in the inning.  The Padres starter was pulled after seven as he struck out nine in the effort.

While the Rockies could not hit a beach ball, Kevin Millwood was throwing them to the Padres batters who compiled seven runs on nine-hits, sending Millwood to the showers after only 3 1/3 innings.

In the top of the second, Kyle Blanks led the Padres off with a nice single to right field with Orlando Hudson following with a single to center and advancing Blanks to third on the play.  Jeremy Hermida then got the Padres on the board with a second straight single to center for an RBI.

The very next inning, both Jason Bartlett and Blanks each hit RBI-groundballs as the Padres doubled their current run total, leading 3-0.  However, they would once again double the previous innings run total as the Padres put up a four spot in the fourth.  Both Aaron Cunninham and Maybin hit two run home runs to left and right field respectfully.

Leading 7-0 through five, the Padres added an insurance run, if it can even be called that, as Maybin’s one out triple led to San Diego’s eighth run of the night on Bartlett’s ensuing sacrifice fly to right.

Ernesto Frieri relieved the rest of the game for Luebke, pitching a perfect final two-innings as he struck out three batters for the victory.

SAN FRANCISCO — Where in the name of blah blah has this Giants offense been all season?

For the second day in a row, San Francisco scored eight runs against a divisional opponent while limiting the opposition to a combined total of four runs with the middle of their rotation pitching.

I’d like to say San Francisco could pull it out, and defend their title as they overrun the Diamondbacks in the West.  But, alas, I do not see this happening unless something horrific happens to that Arizona ballclub.  They really are playing as a team with no big named players as opposed to the rest of the division leaders.

But after finishing their series with the Padres, San Francisco heads on a ten-game road trip, ending with a weekend series against the D-backs.  By then I’m afraid to say, Arizona will more than likely than not, be NL West champs.

However, the bright side being, San Francisco is finally hitting and this is hopefully something they can take into the 2012 season.

Home runs were a problem for Aaron Harang in the early going.  Carlos Beltran unloaded for a two run blast in the first.  And Cody Ross followed with a leadoff solo shot in the third to grab a 3-0 lead.  The Giants tacked on another run as Jeff Keppinger scored on Aubrey Huff’s RBI-single to give San Francisco a 4-0 lead through three.

In the middle frames of the game though, San Diego climbed to within a run of tying the game.  Jason Bartlett and Jesus Guzman hit back-to-back singles to start the fourth with Bartlett advancing to third on the miss-throw by the Giants starter, Eric Surkamp.

With two quick outs in the sixth, San Diego followed with four straight singles to cut the deficit from three to one.

The Giants managed to put a big number in the seventh, a #4.  Andres Torres led things off with a single and Cody Ross drove him home after a wild pitch positioned him at second.  Following the Keppinger walk, Pablo Sandoval, the Giants most accurate power hitter, went deep for a three run blast to put the Padres out of contention as they have been for most of the season in this NL West.

PHOENIX — Arizona continues to put the pedal to the medal as the 2011 winds down.  The Diamondbacks, winners of 14 of their last 16, continued their rout of divisional foes as they beat the San Diego Padres 4-1 Friday night in front of 21,402.

Wednesday afternoon, San Diego defeated the San Francisco Giants 3-1 to help Arizona maintain a 7-game lead in the West.  However, that same night, Arizona came back to defeat the Rockies, and that win was enough to eliminate San Diego from playoff contention.

While Arizona continues to dominate and increase their lead further, Ian Kennedy constantly performs better and better in each start.  He leads the National League in wins with 19, and is 2^nd overall in the majors, tied with CC Sabathia.

Kennedy pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing one run on seven-hits, striking out 11, and not walking or surrendering a home run in the start.

Things though for Cory Luebke were not as fortunate.  He pitched just 5 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs which both left the park.

In every start this season Luebke has had for the Padres when going up against Arizona, three, Justin Upton has a home run in each of Luebke’s starts.  Last night, Upton’s blast gave him 29 on the season, a career-best.

While Upton went deep in the sixth, it was Paul Goldschmidt who started things off with a solo shot to left in the fourth.  Arizona opened up a 2-0 lead after the Upton home run.

In the bottom of the seventh, Arizona doubled their lead, putting up a pair of runs in the inning.

Kennedy got hit by a pitch and Willie Bloomquist advanced him to second on his one-out single.  Aaron Hill then grounded into an apparent double-play ball, but a throwing error by Orlando Hudson allowed Kennedy to score and Hill to take second on the play.

Hoping to avoid another Upton smack, the Padres intentionally walked Justin to pitch to Miguel Montero instead.  But he ended up singling home a run anyway for a 4-0 lead.

San Diego did score a run in the eighth on Will Venable’s RBI-single to left, but like all season, the Padres could not score any more runs and lost this one too, 4-1.

After surrendering a Cameron Maybin single in the ninth, J. J. Putz got two of the next three batters to strike out swinging as Arizona increased their NL West lead to 7 ½-games.

SAN DIEGO — Just a couple of nights ago the Arizona Diamondbacks had their nine game winning streak snapped.  Yesterday, San Diego ended their nine game losing streak by scoring seven runs, four coming in the eighth, to avoid a third straight sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies.

The offense was not present the entire game, but the runs came at critical moments in the game, which is something San Diego has struggled to do all season.

San Diego scored in the first-inning and did so by being patient.  After the first two batters were retired, Orlando Hudson took a four pitch walk and Jesus Guzman waited for his pitch, finally singling and advancing Hudson into scoring position.  Jeremy Hermida followed with a single of his own to drive in Hudson for an RBI-single.

The third-inning looked very similar to the first as the number one and number two batters were retired on three pitches.  Hudson battled again and instead of getting walked, got hit by a pitch.  Guzman then doubled to put both runners in scoring position with Hermida at the plate again in a key situation.  Again Hermida delivered, singling home both runners for three-RBIs on the afternoon.

The Rockies managed two-runs in the fourth, but that was all as Mat Latos pitched seven-innings, allowing five-hits and striking out eight.

Dexter Fowler scored the Rockies first run after tripling to lead-off the inning.  After Troy Tulowitzki walked, Jason Giambi singled to advance Tulowtizki to second who scored the second run of the inning on Seth Smith’s RBI-single to close within a run of last-place San Diego.

Colorado remained within a run till the eighth when the Padres scored four in the inning.

Guzman led-off with a single, but quickly appeared it would be a fast inning as Jeremy Hermida and Kyle Blanks both struck out.

However, Matt Lindstrom and Nick Hundley both reached on a walk and hit batter respectively for a bases loaded situation for Alberto Gonzalez.  Colorado kept the inning alive for San Diego as Mark Ellis’s fielding error allowed a run to score and everyone to advance safely.

Will Venable then cracked a bases clearing triple to right-center field that increased the Padres lead, 7-2.

San Diego closed the game out in the ninth to avoid losing ten in a row.