Three wins in a row, someone pinch me.

I can’t say enough about the pitching, it has been so solid from starters to relievers, up and down the whole staff has been great all year. The offense is starting to come together as well though especially in terms of being able to string together more than two hits in an inning. On Saturday against the Washington Nationals they did it in the fourth with a Chase Headley single, Blake Tekotte’s triple, and Kyle Phillips’ single; in the top of the ninth they got another single by Headley, a walk from Tekotte, and a single from Logan Forsythe (except Headley was throw out at home). On Sunday in the fifth they were able to string together a Forsythe single, two walks by Bartlett and Ryan Ludwick, a single from Brad Hawpe, and a Headley double, which was good for three runs – they hadn’t put together a three-run inning since May 16th. A double and a single constituted both of the other runs, one in the fourth and one int he ninth. Then on Monday against the Atlanta Braves in the third they had three singles from Rob Johnson, Aaron Harang, and Eric Patterson good for a run (aided by a poor throw from Jordan Schafer, the young Atlanta center fielder who is in the bigs because of the injury to Nate McLouth, who was trying to double Harang at second after he strayed too far from the bag on a liner to center). That is four innings in the last three games where the San Diego Padres have actually looked like the team that I thought they could be for the last two years – a team that strings together hits, doesn’t try to do too much each at bat, and collectively gets enough runs in for the phenomenal pitching staff to do their job. I have really enjoyed watching the Padre players go the other way, hit the ball where it is pitched, and also being able to take advantage of some mistakes: Phillips’ game winner on Monday, Jorge Cantu’s nice double on Sunday, and Jason Bartlett’s homer on Friday.

Are these positive signs that the Padres are going to turn the conner, or is it just the day games?

A few side notes:

First, what was Patterson doing holding onto that ball in the bottom of the third against the Braves today? Throw the ball on a line, hit the cutoff man and at least try to get the guy at home, it wasn’t like Rickey Henderson was running the bases out there, it was Martin Prado. And what’s more, Brian McCann got the hit, was Patterson really worried about his speed if he threw the ball plate-ward? I understand keeping the double play in tact, but you have to throw the ball on that play, just hit the cutoff.

Second, someone should tell the guys at ESPN and FOX that Bard Hawpe was a first baseman his entire playing career till he got blocked by Todd Helton and was then converted to an outfielder, I am really getting tired of people calling him a “converted first baseman.” Maybe someone should actually check their facts every once in awhile (they also called Brooks Conrad, who was filling in at thrid base today, Chipper Jones, apparently didn’t get the memo he took the day today). I don’t even know why I watch that drivel on the “East coast SPorts Network.”