The Feed: Tubby Resurrection

Wells When the Padres released David Wells a month ago they had good reason. He'd gone 0-3 with a 14.33 ERA in his past four starts, was facing a suspension and the team had a playoff race to think about. When the Dodgers signed him it seemed like a desperate team grasping at straws after their season imploded and left them as the fourth team in the NL West. What a difference a month makes. Wells won for the second time in three starts with the Dodgers and got sweet revenge on his former employers in Thursday's 6-3 victory. He also doubled, providing him with the most cardio he's had since he chased down a meatball following an ill-timed sneeze. The win moves the Dodgers within a game and a half of the Padres in the Wild Card race and they are five and a half back of the Diamondbacks as the two teams open a three-game series this evening.

The Phillies are tied with the Dodgers in the Wild Card race after slamming the Rockies 12-4 to salvage a split of their series. Their starting pitcher J.D. Durbin lasted only an inning because he gave up three runs to the Rockies and started the second frame with two straight singles but Geoff Geary entered, got a double play and pitched three scoreless innings to right the ship. The offense also contributed by scoring four runs off Jeff Francis in the bottom of the first and posting another four-spot in the fourth. The runs were welcome after the Phils spent the previous two games getting crushed 20-2 by the Rockies, who remained two and a half games back of the Padres.
The Brewers were idle last night, not a bad strategy in the NL Central but it backfired when the Cubs won for the second straight night and took a half-game lead on their rivals from Wisconsin. They got homers from Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Daryle Ward and Cliff Floyd in the 6-2 win against Houston and made Steve Trachsel a winner in Chicago for the first time in 2,906 days.
The Cubs may actually extend their winning streak even further this weekend when they head to St. Louis. The Cardinals lost their seventh straight game Thursday 5-4 to the Reds and neither they nor Rick Ankiel seem to be able to get back on track after the HGH revelations a week ago. Ankiel went 0-for-2 and is now 2-for-20 since the story broke and the team looks like it took the final hit in a season full of them. Recovery may be impossible without a sweep this weekend.

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

November 2007