Padres 12 Pirates 7

If you're watching first place slip away from you and you haven't won a series in nearly a month, is there anyone else you'd rather see on the mound for the opposing them than Mark Redman? OK, maybe Kip Wells. You just don't have much of a chance to win when Redman gives up 7 runs (6 earned) in 2 and 1/3. You have less of a chance when (after Ian Snell and Ryan Vogelsong give you 4 and 2/3 scoreless to let you creep back to within striking distance) Salomon Torres gives up 5 more in the last two (of course he did pitch two innings last night, so what he was doing in today's game is just about anybody's guess). So I suppose the chances of Mark Redman making it through waivers is up after today's outing, it's just that there's absolutely no contender in their right mind that would actually want him.

So, despite the fun win with the young guys last night, how bad was this series? Well, in the 14 games prior to the series, the Padres had scored 27 runs. They put up 31 in three days on us. They'd hit 0 homers in 9 games and 320 at bats before last night's game. Since then they've hit 5. The team with the best chance of keeping us out of the cellar, the Reds, outscored San Diego 24-5 in a three game series immediately before this one. At least he played Eldred again today (but not Doumit). And it's officially time to send Mark Redman to the pen and put Snell in the rotation.