By Steven Booth
The Red Sox should be sending Thank You cards to the NL West for pretty much putting them back in the AL East race. They got to avoid the hot Padres, they swept the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks, took 2 out of 3 from the Giants, and suffered their only bump in the west against the so-so Rockies, who took 2 out of 3.
The Rays took an ugly and messy retreat out of the same division, where they lost 2 out of 3 to the Padres and the Diamondbacks. When Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton went at in the dugout, you just knew losing to the lowly DBacks can do that to you.
The NL West pretty much showed what a mediocre division it was against the AL teams. It is now obvious that the GMs and owners of the division just want to be good enough to win the division and will gamble on either the hot hand or pure luck when the playoffs come around.
Depressing, depressing, depressing. Now come some real games.
The interleague games are like an expensive Disney ride. They hurt in the win/loss column, but unless you’re the Red Sox or Rays, don’t have a huge effect in the general scheme of things. Divisional battles, on the other hand are like trench warfare in 1917. Its grind, grind, grind, with usually the most resilient standing out on top. The teams that do well over the next couple of weeks will take their momentum into the all-star break, while the losers will seethe in their little holes.
The Padres look to have the hot hand here. Despite losing to the Rockies on Monday, they look like the team to beat. They swept the Marlins, which finally gave Hanley Ramirez the pretext he was looking for to fire Fredi Gonzales. (If he didn’t like Fredi, wait ‘til he meets Bobby Valentine!) They also took two out of three against the spiraling Rays and the DOA Orioles. Not exactly the Yankees and Red Sox, but the Padres can and will take them however they come. Everybody had a good chuckle when Adrian Gonzales said the Padres could contend this year, but nobody, especially the rest of the NL West is laughing anymore.
The Rockies have been playing pretty well, taking 2 out of 3 from the Bosox and sweeping the Blue Jays, but also losing 2 out of 3 to the California/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They have yet to get really hot this year, but haven’t really floundered, either. Problem is, so-so may not be good enough if the Padres stay hot and/or the Dodgers or Giants wake up. It was nice getting that win against the Padres last night.
While it is vastly premature to say the Dodgers and Giants are fighting for their lives, the Padres are playing well and showing consistency these two teams lack. Neither wants to go into the break worse off than they are now.
The Dodgers got swept by the Red Sox, and beat 2 out of 3 by the Yanks. They got Chad Billingsley back yesterday, and his quality start against the Giants yesterday must’ve felt good for everyone in that clubhouse. Hopefully they’ll get good starts from John Ely and (he’s baaaaack!) Vicente Padilla. You know that poor Joe Torre is shaking his head having to give the ball to guys like Padilla, Charlie Haegar, and Ramon Monasterios. If Padilla can find last season’s stretch-run mojo, and Billingsley stays healthy, the Dodgers will have a chance. Otherwise, watch out.
Like the Rockies and to a lesser extent the Dodgers, the “hanging around” strategy doesn’t work so well if the Padres stay hot and/or your team continues to lose. The Giants have lost consecutive series to the Red Sox (ok), the Blue Jays (hmmmm… ok), and the Astros (OUCH!). Their pitching continues to be solid and their hitting ok; although one does have to feel a bit of unease at the thought of Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe being their most consistent hitters.
Like I said, this series isn’t do or die, but these teams need to get serious.
At least the Diamondbacks, at least the ones not traded or let go, will be among the first in line for prime October vacation spots. A.J Hinch’s goal is to keep the team from going on vacation even sooner than that. Edwin Jackson’s no-hitter, wild as it was, will certainly make the pitching-thin Dodgers gnash their teeth at letting him get away. It must’ve also been entertaining to watch the Rays implode before their eyes. At least the Rays are mad about losing. Are the DBacks?
They play the Cardinals this week, and will wait until Friday to play spoiler against the Dodgers.
