The Padres are 88-71 on the season which has them 1 game behind the D-Backs in the N.L. West and they are also 1 game ahead of the Mets, Phillies and Rockies in the Wild Card Race.  The whole season for the Padres will come down to their last three games of the season against the Brewers this weekend.  Scott Hairston is a big reason for the success of the Padres down the stretch.  He has played in 27 games for the Padres since they acquired him from the D-Backs and he is 22 for 67 (.328 avg, 1.133 OPS) with 14 runs scored, 7 homers and 18 RBIs.  Hairston is playing so well for the Padres that they might consider giving him a shot to start in left field next season.

Desperate times call for desperate measures!  That thinking sums up the trade with the Astros as Lane isn’t elgible for the post season but he can help them make the playoffs if he plays up to his ability which he hasn’t so far this season.  Lane has played in 68 games this season for the Astros and he was 30 for 169 (.178 avg, .606 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 8 homers and 27 RBIs.  The Padres will either give up a player to be named later or cash considerations to the Astros.

Rob Mackowiak and Milton Bradley are both out for the season due to injuries they have suffered recently while the Padres hope Mike Cameron will be ready for the playoffs but he will miss the rest of this week with a thumb injury.  Cameron has played in 150 games this season for the Padres and he was 138 of 571 (.242 avg, .759 OPS) with 88 runs scored, 21 homers, 78 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.  The Padres won’t just miss his bat as he is one of the best defensive centerfielders in all of baseball.  Milton Bradley tore his ACL and he will miss the rest of the season.  What a bizarre way to hurt yourself as Bud Black was trying to restrain Bradley who was arguing with the first base umpire, and Black flipped Bradley to the ground and that’s when he suffered the injury.  This is a huge blow to the Padres playoff chances as he was really swinging an outstanding bat since being acquired from the A’s.  Bradley played in 42 games for San Diego and he was 45 for 144 (.313 avg, 1.004 OPS) with 31 runs scored, 11 homers and 34 RBIs.  Reserve outfielder Rob Mackowiakwas shut down for the season with a sports hernia.  He played in 28 games for the Padres after being acquired from the White Sox.  He was 11 for 56 (.196 avg, .512 OPS) with 6 runs scored and 2 RBIs with the Padres.

42-year old righty Greg Maddux has saved his best for last this season and the Padres have really needed it.  Maddux has started 14 games since the All-Star Break and he is 6-4 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  In 79.2 innings since the All-Star Break, Maddux has allowed 86 hits, walked only 5 batters and whiffed 41.  For the season, Maddux has started in 32 games and he is 13-10 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.  He has worked 189.1 innings this season and he has allowed 207 hits, walked 23 batters and whiffed 100.  The Padres are now 83-67 which has them in 2nd place in the National League West, 1 game behind the D-Backs.  They are also 1.5 games ahead of the Phillies in the N.L. Wild Card Standings.

Let’s see — What can you expect when you mix the following cocktail:  No. 4 rotation pitcher; Termel “sludge” in left; Michael “I can’t call a game or hit in one” Barrett…….facing the No. 1 pitcher on the opposing team…………can you say “6-1, Dodgers”?  Is anyone else wondering why we didn’t spend $5M on a guy named Mike Piazza (30 homers sounds pretty good about now, eh?)…. Padres load the bases twice - once with 0 outs, and then we got to watch Sledge flail at the ball, followed by our buddy Barrett…..talk about painful.  Mix in Mike Cameron’s worst game of 2007, and voila, an auto-loss.  NOTE TO BUD: If you are going to play the Triple A players, do it when there is a pitcher on the mound that doesn’t need a lot of run support — better yet, while doing same, only play one Triple A player at a time.  Barrett has caught - what? - 20 games and won….uh, none?  Hitting .248, he isn’t going to lift the club when he’s playing - he’s going to bring it down.  The anemic Sledge is barely above the Mendoza line (.204) and is an automatic out against a good pitcher.  So why - Bud - why put these three in the mix for a game you have to win?