Chase Headley

Chase Headley's career-high fifth hit of the game drove in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the San Diego Padres won their third straight over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-6, on Monday night. Headley hit a line drive into the right-field corner off Jeff Karstens (3-5) for his third double of the game to drive in Everth Cabrera and give the Padres, who blew a 6-2 lead in the eighth, their eighth win in 12 games. -- associated press

The Dodgers have gotten more offense out of their pitchers than their third basemen. That makes any news about Chase Headley pertinent to the Dodgers. The new ownership group of the San Diego Padres had been practically invisible all season, until Executive Chairman Ron Fowler popped up Wednesday to tell U-T San Diego the team soon would offer Headley a contract that would make him the richest player in franchise history. "Indentured servitude went out a long time ago, so we can't force him to stay here," Fowler said.

The Dodgers have gotten more offense out of their pitchers than their third basemen. That makes any news about Chase Headley pertinent to the Dodgers. The new ownership group of the San Diego Padres had been practically invisible all season, until Executive Chairman Ron Fowler popped up Wednesday to tell U-T San Diego the team soon would offer Headley a contract that would make him the richest player in franchise history. "Indentured servitude went out a long time ago, so we can't force him to stay here," Fowler said.

"He said, 'C'mon, hit me a home run, I love you.' I said, 'I love you too, I'll hit you one.'" - Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier , after fulfilling a promise to Teddy Kremer , a 30-year-old man with Down syndrome, who was serving as the Reds' batboy during a game with the Miami Marlins. --- "Chase has a lot of common sense. He knows he can't. ... Even though the last two months [of 2012], he pretty much did just that. " - San Diego Padres Manager Bud Black , on whether third baseman Chase Headley - just off the disabled list - might be inclined to try to carry the team's offense.

"He said, 'C'mon, hit me a home run, I love you.' I said, 'I love you too, I'll hit you one.'" - Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier , after fulfilling a promise to Teddy Kremer , a 30-year-old man with Down syndrome, who was serving as the Reds' batboy during a game with the Miami Marlins. --- "Chase has a lot of common sense. He knows he can't. ... Even though the last two months [of 2012], he pretty much did just that. " - San Diego Padres Manager Bud Black , on whether third baseman Chase Headley - just off the disabled list - might be inclined to try to carry the team's offense.

SAN DIEGO -- The last place San Diego Padres made the improbable happen by sweeping NL West-leading Arizona. The Padres did it when Jody Gerut's go-ahead single capped a two-run rally in the eighth inning for a 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. It was Arizona's fourth straight loss and fifth in six games. The loss also prevented Randy Johnson from gaining his 295th victory. Gerut, who had three hits, singled off Chad Qualls (2-8) to score Chase Headley from second with the go-ahead run in the eighth.

Despite homering on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte could be on the move. He's being discussed in deals for Hunter Pence and Shin-Soo Choo . … The Washington Nationals expect Jayson Werth back next weekend, possibly as early as Tuesday when the Philadelphia Phillies visit. He could be a big part of the story line in September and October. … The Chicago Cubs' Bryan LaHair is a possibility for the Baltimore Orioles as they search for ways to improve at the infield corners.

So much for perfection. The Dodgers suffered their first loss of the season Sunday as Aaron Harang had himself a forgettable debut, the Dodgers falling, 8-4, to the Padres as San Diego avoided a four-game sweep. Hey, there's always 161-1. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier continued their hot starts, each with a two-run homer, but otherwise the Dodgers went ever so quietly, particularly against Padres starter Clayton Richard. Richard, coming off shoulder surgery and making his first start since July 4, frustrated the Dodgers throughout the afternoon.

Wait till next year? Coming off a dreary 1-5 trip blamed on their weak offense, the Dodgers returned to Dodger Stadium and stroked seven hits — including five consecutive — in the first three innings Monday in the opening game of their showdown series with the first-place San Diego Padres. And still the Dodgers couldn't score for starter Hiroki Kuroda. So the Padres did instead, with three-run home runs by Will Venable and Chase Headley powering San Diego to a 10-5 win that extended the Dodgers' losing streak to six games — their second six-game skid since the All-Star break — and buried them further in the National League West.

Ron Washington slumped on the bench in an otherwise empty dugout and smiled a smile that said he was hiding a secret. Spring training was still unfolding but already the focus was on the Angels and Seattle Mariners. Washington's Rangers weren't even an afterthought outside Texas. "I know we can play baseball," Washington said with a grin. "We just have to go out there and play. " That faith and confidence was rewarded Saturday when Jorge Cantu's eighth-inning home run lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics, giving Texas its first American League West title in more than a decade.

The thing about stretch runs is, you have to get going. Get the wheels moving, the wins tallying up. The Dodgers came home, greeted September and went 3-4 on their homestand after Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Padres before an announced crowd of 50,560. That's hardly the way stretch drives are born, though with the Giants losing the Dodgers did not lose any ground in the National League West, and with the Cardinals losing they did not lose ground in the NL wild-card race. Of course, neither did they gain ground, and the days to do that are dwindling.

The third time, the magic wasn't to be for the Dodgers. It was there for the taking, almost teasing them, but this time they were unable to come up with the dramatics. After winning their last two games with walk-off hits, the Dodgers again went into extra innings Tuesday, at which point a walk-off was the only way they could win. Only this time it was the Padres who came up big, scoring three times in the 11th inning to earn a 6-3 victory before an announced crowd of 40,619 at Dodger Stadium.

Despite homering on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte could be on the move. He's being discussed in deals for Hunter Pence and Shin-Soo Choo . … The Washington Nationals expect Jayson Werth back next weekend, possibly as early as Tuesday when the Philadelphia Phillies visit. He could be a big part of the story line in September and October. … The Chicago Cubs' Bryan LaHair is a possibility for the Baltimore Orioles as they search for ways to improve at the infield corners.

"The game is hard enough when you're focused," says Chase Headley, the San Diego Padres' third baseman. "So if you've got something distracting you that can be a real problem. " And Headley easily could be distracted right now because he's among the players repeatedly mentioned as trade candidates ahead of the nonwaiver trade deadline July 31. The teams reportedly eyeing the switch-hitter include the Dodgers, who are wrapping up a three-game series with San Diego at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, because their offensive production at third base has been wanting all season.

So much for perfection. The Dodgers suffered their first loss of the season Sunday as Aaron Harang had himself a forgettable debut, the Dodgers falling, 8-4, to the Padres as San Diego avoided a four-game sweep. Hey, there's always 161-1. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier continued their hot starts, each with a two-run homer, but otherwise the Dodgers went ever so quietly, particularly against Padres starter Clayton Richard. Richard, coming off shoulder surgery and making his first start since July 4, frustrated the Dodgers throughout the afternoon.

Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 26 games Saturday night but, unfortunately for the Dodgers, that was one of their few batting highlights of the game. As a result, the San Diego Padres — scoring three times in the eighth inning against normally untouchable reliever Matt Guerrier — defeated the Dodgers, 5-2, at Dodger Stadium, with the Dodgers wasting a strong effort by starter Hiroki Kuroda. "We just didn't seem to be able to get the hits we needed," Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said.

The thing about stretch runs is, you have to get going. Get the wheels moving, the wins tallying up. The Dodgers came home, greeted September and went 3-4 on their homestand after Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Padres before an announced crowd of 50,560. That's hardly the way stretch drives are born, though with the Giants losing the Dodgers did not lose any ground in the National League West, and with the Cardinals losing they did not lose ground in the NL wild-card race. Of course, neither did they gain ground, and the days to do that are dwindling.

It was fun while it lasted. The Dodgers' nine-game winning streak, built around a series of surprisingly strong starts and an impressive turnaround by a bullpen that had been battered early in the season, went up in flames Wednesday night. Torched by the Padres early and often, the Dodgers wasted a chance to grab a share of the NL West lead in a 10-5 loss that brought them back to a sobering reality. The pitching in the rest of the division has gotten better this season.

Ron Washington slumped on the bench in an otherwise empty dugout and smiled a smile that said he was hiding a secret. Spring training was still unfolding but already the focus was on the Angels and Seattle Mariners. Washington's Rangers weren't even an afterthought outside Texas. "I know we can play baseball," Washington said with a grin. "We just have to go out there and play. " That faith and confidence was rewarded Saturday when Jorge Cantu's eighth-inning home run lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics, giving Texas its first American League West title in more than a decade.

Russell Martin sat on one of the two black recliners on the back end of the silent clubhouse, playing video games on a hand-held device. "It's tough," he said. "It's boring. A lot of downtime. " The Dodgers' 3-1 defeat to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night was the 45th consecutive game sat out by Martin, who suffered a season-ending hip injury Aug. 3. Martin got off crutches last week and appears likely to avoid surgery, but is a long way from returning to the field.