Fan News

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.

As I remember watching some of these all stars of their days, and some of them are even all stars now. I watch as these ballplayers go through a process everyone will go through, old age. The hero's I used to know and love to watch on T.V. are no longer the best in baseball and have given the throne to the next generation of hitters and pitchers. This is a list of my personal favorite hitters and pitchers I used to enjoy watching as a kid.

Following Wladimir Balentien's RBI double off C.J. Wilson in the top of the 11th inning, the Seattle Mariners appeared to have won their matchup against the Texas Rangers.

Luckily for the Rangers fans, Brandon Morrow still had to face the heart of the Rangers' dangerous lineup.

After Michael Young's single to lead off the inning and a Josh Hamilton walk, Hank Blalock hit a double to deep right-center, scoring both runners. It was Blalock's only hit of the night in six at-bats. Wilson was credited with the win.

Former Boston Red Sox player and current analyst and reporter for Comcast SportsNet New England, Lou Merloni, claimed last week that Sox management taught players how to use steroids during his tenure with the team.

Major League Baseball is my favorite professional sport. There is really nothing better than being able to sit back and relax and maybe enjoy a hot dog or some popcorn while watching a game on a beautiful summer day (though it in Arizona, you better hope the roof is closed). Baseball has always been a passion of mine from a very young age.

Since the beginning of interleague play, all the way up to the introduction of instant replay in MLB, I have been thinking of some other rules baseball should perhaps consider implementing.

By far, the hardest part of a season for an East Coast team is that looonnngggg trip across the country to play about a week's or more worth of baseball against the teams of the NL West. It can often be a turning point of a season, as it is so tough to get through with a winning record that if you can actually accomplish a .500 west coast road swing, it can propel your team up, up, and away.

Good news and bad news about the Houston Astros' latest game against the Colorado Rockies.

First, the bad news: Astros starter Mike Hampton pitched six innings, giving up seven hits and five earned runs.

Good news: The Astros had an offensive explosion, getting 24 hits (including two in three at bats by Hampton, who also drew a walk) as they defeated the Rockies, 15-11.

Yes, a football score: Houston had two touchdowns, an extra point, and a two-point conversion while the Rockies had a field goal, touchdown, and two-point conversion.

Ryan Zimmerman grounded out sharply in his final at-bat of the night, realizing that San Francisco would be the final resting place of his prolonged accomplishment.

Zimmerman’s 30-game hit streak had come to a close, reminding those around baseball exactly how impressive "56" truly is.

With May in full swing and roughly two months before the first trade deadline, it's no longer early for the Oakland A's 2009 reunion tour with Jason Giambi to take off.

So far Giambi's return to the team he broke in with is a bust.

The San Francisco Chronicle's best columnist, Bruce Jenkins, described it as "pangs of regret surrounding Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra, and Eric Chavez."

Garciaparra and Chavez, and their bagful of injuries, was to be expected. They were both pennies tossed into a wishing well at best.

The Mets lost two out of three to the Braves, which isn’t a complete disaster, but the games were filled with baserunning blunders, fielding miscues and all around sloppy play. The good news is that they’re showing they have some fight in them by coming from behind the last two games (but falling short yesterday). But we’ll start with the bad news.