Padres, Phillies Tied For National League Wild Card

The San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the NL wild card lead with the Colorado Rockies just one game out. <br/><br/>San Diego lost its fourth straight game the same day they lost

Tuesday, September 25th 2007, 7:31 am

By: News On 6

The San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the NL wild card lead with the Colorado Rockies just one game out.

San Diego lost its fourth straight game the same day they lost two outfielders for at least the remainder of the regular season. They also lost their half-game lead in the NL wild-card race.

``We're a resilient bunch,'' pitcher Chris Young said. ``We're not going to quit, and hopefully we find a way to get it done.''

Young was roughed up by the last-place Giants, who got a season-high four RBIs from Omar Vizquel to help Barry Zito end a six-start winless stretch in San Francisco's 9-4 victory.

San Diego fell into a tie with Philadelphia atop the wild-card standings, one game ahead of Colorado. The Padres are three behind NL West leader Arizona, which has a magic number of four to win the division.

``We still determine our own fate,'' manager Bud Black said. ``For us and for the Phillies and for the Rockies and for the Diamondbacks, it's a six-game season. It's exciting. There are a lot of teams that would trade places with us.''

In other NL games, it was: Washington 13, New York 4; and Milwaukee 13, St. Louis 5.

Zito (10-13) singled in a run on the way to his first career win in seven outings against the Padres, trying to make the playoffs after winning the NL West the past two seasons.

It won't be easy.

Earlier in the day, the Padres learned they will be without left fielder Milton Bradley for the rest of the year because of a knee injury that requires surgery, and center fielder Mike Cameron for at least this week due to a partially torn ligament in his right thumb.

In a bizarre and costly sequence, Bradley tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee when Black spun him to the ground while trying to keep him from going after umpire Mike Winters during an eighth-inning confrontation in Sunday's loss to Colorado.

Cameron, a three-time Gold Glove winner, was hurt Sunday when Bradley accidentally stepped on his hand as they pursued Garrett Atkins' inside-the-park homer.

Then Monday, the Padres lost again on the heels of a three-game sweep at home by the Rockies.

The commissioner's office said it is investigating whether the volatile Bradley was baited by Winters. The Padres said Winters directed profanities at Bradley right before the blowup.

``We've got to push past that and keep fighting all the way through the end,'' said Brady Clark, who replaced Cameron in center. ``We can't worry about what everybody else is doing. We have to worry about what we're doing.''

Needing a quick fix in the outfield, San Diego obtained Jason Lane from Houston for a player to be named or cash. Lane could help fill in this week, but if the Padres reach the postseason he wouldn't be eligible to play because he was acquired after Aug. 31.

Tyler Walker escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for the Giants, who played without injured Barry Bonds again.

Vizquel, an 11-time Gold Glove shortstop, is trying to persuade San Francisco to re-sign him for 2008. He had his first four-RBI game since May 16, 2006, at Houston.

Ryan Klesko chopped an RBI single into left to put the Giants ahead 3-2 in the third, when they scored five runs against Young (9-8). Klesko later scored on a wild pitch before Vizquel singled.

Young is 0-5 in 10 starts since beating the Phillies on July 19. His seven runs and seven earned runs allowed both matched a career high. Plus, his ERA increased from 2.83 to 3.13 after he entered ranked second in the majors.

``It's frustrating because it's a big game, it's a night we needed to win and it didn't go our way,'' Young said.

Young struggled even though he didn't have to face the home run king.

The 43-year-old Bonds missed his ninth straight game while nursing a sprained right big toe, though manager Bruce Bochy still hoped the slugger would play at least one final time to say goodbye to his hometown fans in the city where he's spent 15 of the 22 years in his career.

``We want Barry!'' one man repeatedly yelled before the game.

And there were many a ``Bonds 25'' shirt in the stands _ soon to be a collector's item.

``Barry is doing better. I talked to him today,'' Bochy said. ``He may be able to pinch hit tomorrow.''

The Giants announced Friday they would part ways with Bonds after this season.

Zito won for the first time since Aug. 17 at Florida. He allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings.

Nationals 13, Mets 4

At New York, Mike Pelfrey (3-8) gave up a three-run homer to Austin Kearns, and the sluggish Mets squandered a chance to increase their NL East lead.

New York's magic number to clinch the division title remained at five and its cushion was cut to two games over idle Philadelphia. Ryan Langerhans added a three-run shot and Ronnie Belliard also drove in three runs for Washington.

Moises Alou extended his club-record hitting streak to 28 games for the Mets, who had won four of five.

Brewers 13, Cardinals 5

At Milwaukee, Prince Fielder hit his league-leading 48th home run and the Brewers moved within three games of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central. Chicago's magic number remained at four.

Milwaukee manager Ned Yost was ejected for the second consecutive day. Ryan Braun hit his 33rd homer for the Brewers.