Sometimes you get the bear...

...and sometimes the bear gets you.  When the Padres smacked LA around the Ravine 10-5 on Monday I briefly entertained thoughts of a sweep.  How great would that have been?  Dodgers effectively buried for 2010.  Things didn't work out that way, and we go into tonight's game hoping for a split of the four game series.

Let's put this in perspective.  LA and SD have played 6 games over the last week and are 3-3.  The Dodgers are no closer to first place today than they were last Wednesday (7 back). Before these 7-games-in-10-days started, I thought it realistic that San Diego could win four of the seven games (2 of 3 at home, split in LA).  They can still do that.

Also, it's tough to beat a team when:

• You don't score a run for 17 consecutive innings (still active), and
• You don't get a hit for 14 1/3 innings (from Tejada's first inning HR Tuesday to Ludwick's single in the sixth last night).

I don't know what it is about Dodger pitching that causes Padre bats to turn into wet noodles, but they held the Friars scoreless for 31 innings earlier this season and here we go again.

San Diego has a tough task today, seeing as Chad Billingsley hasn't allowed a run to San Diego over his last 13 2/3 innings pitched.  In contrast, Kevin Correia has allowed 4 ER in both his 2010 starts against the Dodgers.

Podcast tonight at 10pm Pacific.  Padres leave LA and head to that other house of horrors next (Arizona).