Bonus baseball ... but not the playoffs yet

So Brett Tomko couldn't get the job done and now the Pads are subjected to trying to win a tie breaker match against the Rockies at Coors Field. I lived in Colorado for almost 7 years and they never had a team this good, even with the "Blake Street Bombers" so this will be a big scene.

Apparently Bud Black's plan to "save" Jake Peavy for Monday will come off as paying off but I am still confused about the decision. Shouldn't the plan have been to win Sunday? I realize Tomko has been decent for us and had never lost at Miller Park until Sunday, but wouldn't you rather put your chips on Peavy with three days rest than any form of Tomko?

And now it sounds like Peavy may have to wait until Game 3 of the NLDS to pitch, assuming we beat Colorado. Is anyone else as nervous about this situation as I am? I am usually a fan that always gives my team way more credit than it deserves, but - to quote Star Wars - "I've got a bad feeling about this." Especially since Peavy and Greg Maddux have been the only stable starters we have had since the All-Star break.

I guess if there is at least one thing to take solice in, it's that at least we get to see the Pads play at least one more game than the non-playoff teams.

Trevor hands D-backs NL West

Most Pads fans will attest to the fact that when it's Trevor Time, it's not necessarily and 3-and-out event. More than any other closer in history, Trevor Hoffman has come in to close out games and assure SD a notch in the win column. But we all know that there is usually some excitement in the process.

Well Hoffman made things interesting Saturday and instead of the Padres clinching a playoff spot, the blown save in the ninth lead to a Milwaukee win and Arizona winning the division. Luckily for SD they still only have to win the final game of the season to lock up the playoffs, but it still would be nice to have that part of the season wrapped up. What irony is it that Tony Gwynn Jr. hit the game-tying triple?

While Arizona has played well above expectations and has earned its playoff spot, the thing that frustrates me is that because the entire NL is mediocre this year, the D-hacks have the best record and have secured home field advantage until the World Series. Nothing like helping out your enemy.

Things still stay dicey if the Pads can't win tomorrow, with a potential four-team playoff a possibility to sort out the wild card. Despite the fact he is ineligible for the playoff roster, Brett Tomko will play the biggest role for multiple teams. Let's hope his role is that of heartbreaker - to the other teams still hoping to get in.

True playoff excitement

While listening to ESPN Radio on my drive home last night, an interesting scenario was brought up. Apparently, if the Pads, D-hacks, Mets, Phils and Rockies all finish the season with the same record, it would extend the season until Oct. 4 because it would take that long to play enough games to sort out the mess. Now that's what I call playoff fever!

Another big win for SD on Thursday (of course every win is huge at this point) but the best part was that Jack Cassel went a whole 4 2/3 in his start. Amazingly he only gave up two runs before he was pulled but it seems like when Cassel starts, it's more of a bullpen start. Hopefully there is only one more of those in our immediate future.

With the final three games also in Milwaukee, this will be the series that defines the season. The Pads have maintained their lead in the wild card up to this point but that is no guarantee as we are facing a Brewers squad that is also fighting desperately to keep its playoff aspirations alive. Should make for a tough end to the season but as the saying goes: "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Hopefully we're strong enough to survive this.

The race is not over yet

Just when you think "settling" for a wild card spot was the best the Pads could do, a two-game win streak over San Fran (thanks in part to a big home run by Brian Giles) has us back to within one of the NL West lead.

Now I know that the lead is still really two games because AZ holds the tie breaker, but apparently these guys still want to win after all, even if we will have no OFs to play once we get to the playoffs. Does anyone else think its weird we picked up Jason Lane to play for us for a week this season?

This is what makes baseball exciting this time of year and it will be great to see how all of this plays out. So remain on the edge of your seat and keep sending your good vibes towards the Friars. They're going to need it.

The pack has finally caught up

Wow, it's time to get off this runaway train before it hits a burning building.

What seemed like an almost sure thing in July and even August has become a possibility as the Pads are no longer solely on top in the NL wild card race. What happened to this team that was at one point a trendy pick by writers to be in the World Series? Is there one moment this season that set the stage for the collapse that has taken place since?

Despite the late struggles of the rotation, the Pads are still the best in the NL in terms of pitching. They are the only team with a collective ERA under 4.00 (3.63) and have compiled 20 shut outs this season. Offensively SD is towards the bottom of the league but runs have been coming a lot easier lately - and so are the losses.

The talent on this team now, I feel, is a lot better than what we started the season off with but it doesn't seem to have made a huge impact. Did Chris Young's injury really affect the race that much? I don't want to say our season has come down to one player's oblique but things haven't been the same, with Young or the team, since that injury occurred.

Kevin Towers released David Wells because he was too taxing on the pen but look at what's happened since then. Not only have the Pads been able to find a successful No. 5 starter but Justin Germano has been ineffective too. It makes me feel like if Boomer was still here at least we wouldn't be worried about two starters making it to the second. We could be comfortable until the fourth.

But the struggles are related to more than just the pitching staff. I would say Milton Bradley's constant health battles have also kept the team inconsistent. I still think this was a great pickup (yes, even after he blew up and Bud Black had to put on a WWE clinic to restrain him, injuring him in the process) but if he could have stayed on the field the Pads may still have a small cushion in the wild card. But again, one injury does not a team's struggles make.

SD seemed to make it through two month's of Adrian Gonzalez struggling but what about the fact that Josh Bard, Marcus Giles, Michael Barrett and a third outfielder have not been every day players like we need. I'm not bagging on Bard, he has played far better than I think we've expected, but Barrett was brought in so we wouldn't have to use Bard every day and Giles can't keep Geoff Blum off the field.

Looking at this club, it seems that injuries and season-long slumps - along with stellar play by a young Arizona club that wasn't supposed to contend this year - have finally caught up to the Padres and unless some real playoff magic happens, they could be at home in October for the first time since 2004.

I'm not one to loose faith in my team but right now it's hard to fight the urge to say 2007 was fun while it lasted, let's hope 2008 is finally the year. So instead let's start praying for a playoff miracle.