NL West

Before the 2009 season began and when there was hope that Noah Lowry would pitch this year, I wrote a column comparing which pitcher, Lowry or Jonathan Sanchez, would be the better option for the fifth starter spot.

With Lowry missing the previous year because of arm injury after arm injury, it would be a serious accomplishment for him to not just win the final spot in the Giants' rotation, but to just put up a serious fight for it.

Much has been made of Manny Ramirez's suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, and rightfully so. When one of Major League Baseball's most prominent stars embroils himself in the game's biggest scandal, it figures to get a lot of run in the media.

If you listen closely to the static, somewhere in all the volume are whispers about how the revelation benefits no team more than our beloved San Francisco Giants—about how the 50-game hiatus for Manny has saved the Orange and Black season.

To a degree, the whispers are appropriate.

What are the prerequisites needed to be a major league closer?

Imposing on-the-field demeanor. Check.

Uniquely wild-looking haircut. Check.

Tattoo sleeves. Check.

Personal introduction music. Check.

Blindingly fast heater. Check.

Ability to consistently mow down the opposing team's lineup and preserve the victory.

Fail.

Coming off yet another game that has blown up in his face, Giants closer Brian Wilson has again seemingly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Every season there is a sizable list of prospects who appear primed to make a major impact in the major leagues, but the team has no place to use them.  “Blocked prospect” is a phrase we’ve all heard, and it definitely applies to the Padres first baseman Kyle Blanks.  All he has to overcome in order to be slotted into the middle of the Padres lineup is Adrian Gonzalez, one of the best players in baseball. 

After a 9-3 start, including solid bullpen outings from the likes of Cla Meredith and Duaner Sanchez, it looked like the Padres were going to prove all their skeptics wrong.

But, the Padres are 4-18 since then and their bullpen continues to struggle. Though you could say it's their inexperience, that excuse won't last much longer for Kevin Towers and company.

So, with that in mind, it's time to pass out grades as well as honorable and dishonorable mentions for this San Diego Padres' pitching staff.

Corey Brock was nice enough to stop by The Swinging Friar for the third installment of "The Padres Report." He talked about the clubhouse atmosphere during the Padres' losing streak, if manager Bud Black could be on the hot seat, and when Padre fans could possibly see Kyle Blanks.

The 2007 and 2008 seasons saw Matt Cain dominate at times and somehow leave the ballpark with a loss. His record in the previous two seasons was 15-30 and yet he still ranked in the top 20 in ERA both years.

That doesn't make much sense now does it?

When asked about if Cain was ready to take that next step to the kind of pitcher people thought he could be before the year began, there was always the statement, “Yeah, but...” and then usually a tilt of the head.

Filed:May 12th, 2009

Rich Harden delivers a pitch against the Padres Tuesday (Cubbie Nation/file)

Click here for the photo gallery of Tuesday's game.

He came. He pitched. He lost.

The San Francisco Giants were never expected to tear the cover off the ball coming into the 2009 season. There were reasons to be optimistic, but they were never expected to be a team that would improve a little bit.

Well, that hasn't really happened.

The Giants are currently the lowest-scoring team in Major League Baseball by a pretty good amount. Even a trip to Coors Field saw the Giants struggle to score runs on two of three occasions.

Big Money has been money

Despite being over .500 (15-14) coming into today's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, much has been stated about the San Francisco Giants' anemic offense.

Granted the Orange & Black are 26th in average, 29th in slugging, 29th in on base percentage, 28th in doubles, 29th in hits, and last in both home runs and runs scored, they are still one game over .500 and in second place in the wide open National League West.