Ismael Valdez picked a fine time to turn into a pumpkin. You really need to win those games where your team scores six in the first.

Jason Bay and Daryle Ward did the damage, each knocking two homers last night. Their four bombs came in as many innings (Bay’s were in the third and fifth innings, Ward’s in the fourth and sixth).

Two out of three in a series on the road is always good, but this hurt. On the bright side, the Dodgers lost their seventh straight game, thus keeping the Padres in a "virtual" tie for first in the division.

But there’s no putting a good spin on Valdez’ performance last night. He’s been smoke and mirrors all season, and it’s starting to catch up to him. Is Sterling Hitchcock ready yet? Because I’m sure ready for him.

Freak Stat

Eddie Oropesa walked the only batter he faced in Wednesday’s game. He now has issued 12 free passes in just 9 innings this year. John Smoltz walked 8 in 64 frames last season. David Wells walked 20 in 213. How do you average 12 walks per game? How is that even possible? Seems like eventually you’re going to throw a strike by accident.

Other Stuff

Regular reader/contributor Howard Lynch provides these nuggets:

• Draft Pulse (Baseball America). "The rise, fall, and rise of Stephen Drew and Jeff Niemann."
• Xavier Nady‘s stats at Portland are sure lookin’ good. Yeah, .403/.481/.627 will get it done. Nady is seeing time at first base and in center field. Hey, why not.
• Tim Stauffer is pitching well at Mobile. He allowed just one run over eight innings in his second Double-A start.

And more goodies:

• Wells calls accident ‘honest, ridiculous’ (NC Times). For those who care, here is more info on David Wells’ injury. Pitching matchups for the upcoming games at Philly are also listed. Should be a good series.
• Pauley wants a place (NC Times). A look at one of the Padres better pitching prospets.
• One-time prospect Petrick, 27, retires (Sports Illustrated). John Sickels rated Petrick the 36th best prospect in baseball in his 1998 Minor League Scouting Notebook, just behind Javier Vazquez and ahead of Cesar King. Other players with a Padres connection who ranked among Sickels’ top 50 that year include Todd Helton (#4), Mark Kotsay (#10), Matt Clement (#11), D’Angelo Jimenez (#29), Ruben Rivera (#32), Mike Darr (#34), and Derrek Lee (#41). Judging minor-league talent, as ever, remains more art than science.

It’s been a heckuva week and I’m wiped, so I’ll stop right here. If the Padres can take two out of three in Philadelphia, I’ll be happy. Unless, of course, the one they lose is on Sunday after scoring six in the first…