When the Padres and Giants square off in a 4-game series beginning September 9^th, unexpected implications will be on the line. Only a season ago, the San Diego Padres finished the regular season a full 20 games back in the National League West. To the see Fathers atop the standings at this late juncture is a surprise to many, perhaps even San Diego fans themselves. Just a year after trading away Jake Peavy, their ace over the past few seasons, a wide selection of analysts and writers across the country expected the Padres to take a step backwards in 2010, though so far the San Diego ship appears to be sailing along, full steam ahead. Their closest competition for divisional supremacy comes out of San Francisco where the Giants are in the midst of an impressive turn around in their own right. While the Giants faired slightly better than the Padres over the course of the 2009 season, sporting a winning percentage of .543 and finishing just 7 games back of the pennant and 4 out of Wild Card berth, San Francisco fans haven’t enjoyed post season play since they won the West in 2003. In 2008, the two teams finished 4^th and 5^th within the 5 team division. Read the rest of this entry »