Of 8, 2's and 6 1/2

Game 2 of the Padres' four game series with division rival Los Angeles resulted in a 2-1 victory for the good guys last night at Petco Park. But yesterday marked more than just a win for the Friars, it was a day which might have signalled a turning point in the NL West race represented symbolically by some key numbers.

Let's start with eight. Last night's loss was the eighth straight for a reeling Dodger club that is desperately seeking a leader to help right the ship. While I do expect LA to rebound at some point, no one on that club is getting it done right now.

Then there is the matter of the terrible twos. That I'm posting this on June 22 should give you a sense for how ominous the number two is in Dodgerland at the moment. Bad news preceded last night's game when it was learned that two of LA's players would miss the remainder of the season due to injury. The loss of Eric Gagne is a crippling blow for the Dodgers in a couple of ways. First, it will be very difficult for LA to overcome the loss of a truly dominant closer and arguably its best player. This does not bode well for 2005 divisional or playoff aspirations. Second, this will be Gagne's second Tommy John surgery. For the 29 year old reliever who makes his living throwing the hottest of heat, this is potentially career-threatening. He is not expected back on a mound until the All-Star break of 2006. While TJ surgeries have become far easier to rehab in recent years, having two of them on the same arm doesn't bode well for pitchers. In any case, here's hoping for a speedy recovery for Gagne. But back to the twos. In losing the second game of the series and two straight to the Pads by yielding two runs, LA has lost both games by a combined total of two runs. The twos were indeed terrible for the Dogs in America's Finest City yesterday.

And then there is the 6 1/2 game lead the Padres opened up on LA with last night's win. While it isn't a commanding lead (4 1/2 ahead of Arizona), without some sort of major re-tooling and righting of the ship, it may be lights-out for LA. Right now, San Diego is playing with out All-Star 2B Mark Loretta and All-Star C Ramon Hernandez. Dodger-killer Adam Eaton is missing two turns in the rotation with a finger strain. Once those guys get healthy, I think it's going to be awfully tough for LA to get back into this thing. Milton Bradley will help, but right now it doesn't look good.

Overall in the NL West, SF continues to limp along without Barry Bonds and with a Jason Schmidt who is only topping out around 92 mph on the gun. They are rumored to be sellers in the trade market with an eye toward moving Alfonzo and Durham. Arizona continues to hang around and could make some moves at the deadline which address their bullpen and starting rotation. Right now, Arizona doesn't really frighten me. But things could change if they make some moves.

Provided my guys stay healthy, I think they can win the division. But to do anything beyond that is going to require another bat. Personally, I think Sean Burroughs has had his shot and probably would benefit from a change of scenery. He plays stellar defense and is hitting around .290 but the Padres need more punch than the 10 RBI and 4 extra-base hits he has on the season. Aubrey Huff is rumored to be available, and I'd like that move because of his positional flexibility. He can play 1B, 3B and LF. And as Nevin, Klesko and Burroughs depart the scene over the next couple of seasons it would be nice to plug Huff in one of those slots. But I doubt John Moores will be eager to take on that kind of salary.