Ray offers some starting pitcher options that you should consider streaming on Thursday, including Jose Quintana and Odrisamer Despaigne.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Thursday's Streamers

Jose Quintana, White Sox vs Red Sox

Odrisamer Despaigne, Padres vs Dodgers

Weekly Streamer Performance

I will be providing a status of how my picks have performed over the course of the season, and below you can find how my picks fared this week.

Fan Duel Partnership

If any of your teams are out of the money right now and you have started to rebuild for next year and beyond, you might want to think about testing your fantasy baseball knowledge in a Fan Duel daily fantasy baseball league. You pick a different team every day, and have a chance to win real money every day.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $18,000 Fantasy Baseball league for tonight's MLB games. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Jump in now. Here's the FanDuel link.

Fan Duel fantasy baseball

Fan Duel daily fantasy baseball rules

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy advice, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown for all your fantasy baseball and football needs.

The 6th candidate interviewed comes from a familiar source.

With their next interview, the Padres went back to a familiar source: the Boston Red Sox. The last time the Padres interviewed for GM candidates it was 2009 and they chose Red Sox Assistant GM Jed Hoyer. Now in 2014 they have interviewed Red Sox Assistant GM Mike Hazen. The organization has shifted since the Padres made that 2009 hire. The Red Sox promoted from within to fill their open GM position in 2011 and selected Ben Cherington. Shortly thereafter Cherington moved up Hazen from Vice President of Player Development and Amateur Scouting to Vice President and Assistant GM. Hazen had only recently been promoted to even that position as earlier in the year he was bumped up from Director of Player Development.

Scouting and player development seems to be a repeating theme among the interviewees for the open GM position and Hazen follows that trend. Here is what Baseball Prospectus said about him in a recent article about future GMs:

Current Role: Assistant General Manager (Red Sox)
Skill set: Hazen has come up through the baseball ranks with a heavy focus in player development. Prior to his current role, he served as Boston’s Director of Player Development, overseeing much of the young talent that has either appeared on the big club’s roster or used as chits in recent deals. In addition to Hazen’s eye for talent, he’s had vast experience coordinating, delegating, and relying on his eyes in the field to make key organizational decisions—much like a general manager does on a large scale. The Princeton grad has spent the past two seasons learning the business side of things, which helps round out his body of work and his qualifications for getting a shot as an organization’s leading man.

There are a fair number of glowing recommendations for Hazen, so you can tell people are enamored by him. I just want to present some thoughts to the contrary though when it comes to player development. The Red Sox have had a good farm system for years, but if you want to look at major league results things are quite puzzling at the moment. Right now you are looking at a team with home grown guys like Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Will Middlebrooks, Felix Doubront and Daniel Nava all struggling. Some of these players have shown flashes in previous seasons (as fellow farm system product Brock Holt is doing this year), but it brings up some questions about process that a future employer would like to hear some answers for. Given that the Padres have had some good farm system rankings with not a lot of results it is something that you would not like to continue under new management.

To be fair, the current crop of prospects are not the first to make it to the majors on Hazen's watch. During his time as Director of Player Development players such as Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury made their debuts. And after being promoted to his current position the team did win a World Series with a number of home grown players helping the cause. It just so happens that the timing of this interview comes at a curious point for the Red Sox player development.

Tyson Ross kept the Rockies to just two runs in last night's game, which amounts to a pretty good outing at the run-friendly Coors Field. Unfortunately those two runs were just enough to beat our Padres, who weren't able to capitalize on opportunities and managed to score only one run (a Rene Rivera solo shot) all night. With the series now even at a game apiece, San Diego looks to Eric Stults to help them secure victory and a happy flight to Los Angeles this afternoon.

Stultsy hasn't had the best season so far, pitching to the tune of a 4.96 ERA and a 3-11 record, just two losses short of the career high he set last season. The veteran lefty hasn't won consecutive starts all season, but he'll try to accomplish that feat today against the division rival Rockies, for whom he pitched in part of 2011, appearing in six games (a combined 12 innings) before they designated him for assignment. Stults is coming off one of his best starts of the season, a seven-inning four-hit shutout against another division rival, the Giants. In his nine starts prior to that, however, he accrued an 0-8 record with a 5.63 ERA. One of those outings, however, was a no-decision at Coors Field on May 16th. He gave up two runs (only one earned) in 6 2/3 innings of work but, like Ross last night, fell victim to a lack of run support. Tonight he'll try to repeat that success and improve on a career 1-1 with a 4.88 ERA at Coors Field.

Getting the ball for the Rockies will be Jair Jurrjens, who made his season debut in L.A. last Friday. That outing didn't go so smoothly as he was lifted after just 4 2/3 innings, having given up eight runs on 12 hits, and then had to be taken to a nearby hospital with breathing problems. Hopefully the Colorado will be more forgiving this afternoon as he tries to bounce back against our Padres. Jurrjens has won three straight starts against San Diego, posting a 1.64 ERA in that stretch. However, he hasn't faced them since 2011 as a member of the Braves.

Tune in for day baseball and see if our Padres can take the series this afternoon. Game time is set for 12:10 PT.

The Dodgers return home, hopefully after rendering all garments worn in the two-day Detroit debacle, to finish their pre-All-Star break schedule with four games at Dodger Stadium against the offensively inept San Diego Padres.

The Padres are hitting .216/.276/.338 as a team, and through 91 games they are averaging 2.99 runs per game. The last time a team scored under three runs per game was 1972, when the Angels (2.93) and Rangers (2.99) were allergic to home plate. The next year, the American League adopted the designated hitter.

San Diego hasn't just been a team held down by their pitcher-friendly home of Petco Park, either. Their adjusted OPS+, where 100 is average, is 77, a number so low that only 18 teams in history have reached that low*. Only once in the past 20 years has a team reached so low offensively: the 2004 Diamondbacks (77 OPS+), a team that lost 111 games.

Similarly, the Padres' adjusted weighted runs created (wRC+), which incorporates linear weights and baserunning and is adjusted for park and league, is just 74, tied for 19th-worst since 1901.

San Diego has been even worse since June 1, hitting .194/.261/.297 while scoring 2.54 runs per game. That's the offense the Dodgers pitching staff gets to face in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers have won five of their last six against the Padres.

But the San Diego pitching staff has helped this shambles of an offense save face somewhat, at 40-51 and only 11 games under .500, in third place in the National League West. Will they see a Dodgers offense that put up crooked numbers eight times in a 28-inning stretch on the road trip, or the one that scored once in the final 17 innings in Detroit?

Here are your pitching matchups for the weekend:

Thursday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Clayton Kershaw takes his 36-inning scoreless streak into the series opener, trying to inch up the historical ladder in his final start before Tuesday at Target Field. Odrisamer Despaigne has allowed two runs in his three major league starts, but he also has eight walks and only five strikeouts in 19⅔ innings. Kershaw at the time of his eighth walk this season had 70 strikeouts.

Kershaw has yet to face the Padres this season.

Friday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Dan Haren's seven scoreless innings on June 30 came in his last home start and stands out like a lonely beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak two months. In his last 11 starts Haren has a 4.98 ERA and 16 home runs allowed, including six multi-homer games, five of which were lost by the Dodgers. Jesse Hahn, 24, came over from the Rays in January in the Brad Boxberger / Logan Forsythe trade (who doesn't remember where they were the exact moment they heard the news of that blockbuster?). In six major league starts the right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 41 strikeouts to go with just 13 walks in 34⅔ innings.

Saturday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)

This would have been Josh Beckett's spot, but he was placed on the disabled list with a left hip impingement. Red Patterson is the likely candidate to come up for the spot start, in what will be he second major league appearance. The right-hander has a 5.15 ERA in 16 starts with Triple-A Albuquerque, with 72 strikeouts and 21 walks in 85⅔ innings. The Dodgers have touched Ian Kennedy for eight runs in 10 innings in two starts this year, but have split both games with San Diego. Kennedy in two July starts has allowed two runs in 13 innings, with 14 strikeouts and three walks.

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Hyun-jin Ryu is coming off seven runs allowed with seven outs recorded on Tuesday in Detroit, the fifth time in his career he has allowed at least five runs in a start. After the previous four clunkers, Ryu in his next time on the mound is 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA and 28 strikeouts against seven walks in 25⅓ innings. Tyson Ross, named an All-Star but won't pitch in Minnesota because of this Sunday start, has allowed one or zero runs in seven of 19 starts, including a shutout of the Reds on July 2 in San Diego, with nine strikeouts and no walks.

*Thanks to Steven Goldman for the research

Friars gave fans an early homerun derby, but the Rocks did what they do best.

Well, it's exactly what one would expect. The series finale against the Rockies ended in a home run parade, with seven home runs hit in one game. The final score of 6-3 came entirely from HR's by both Colorado and San Diego, save one score on a wild pitch yielding in favor of the Padres.

The last time the Padres combined with another team for 7 home runs in a game was against the Chicago Cubs in both 1970 and 1977. They also had a 6 HR combination agains the Cincinnati Reds in 1998. Tonight Jake Goebbert, Seth Smith, Charlie Blackmon, Troy Tulowitzki twice, Wilin Rosario, and Drew Stubbs all went yard. Goebbert's 4th inning smack came after Yasmani Grandal making a poor slide on an extra base-hit and being declared out after replay review.

Goebbert gets to experience the Coors Effect first-hand.

In the bottom of that same inning, Will Venable (despite being universally panned due to his godawful hitting) reminded fans why he's at least viable out on the field with his sticky glove. A full extension diving catch is all too common with Wenable. If only he was that much of a stud in the batters box.

Will, you make it so hard to hate you sometimes.

The following fifth inning got hot for the Padres. With a leadoff HR from Seth Smith, and runners on first and third, Chris Denorfia took advantage of a passed ball that didn't magically bounce off the backboard conveniently into the Rosario's mitt.

Denosaur adopts his raptor-stance to steal a free run from the Rockies.

Even worse than last night, the Friars went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base for the morning. Legend has it that those lost Padre souls are still out there to this very day, standing on their bags, waiting for the ritual to be completed and a hit to be made to bring them home in peace.

The stud from Triple-A El Paso, Blaine Boyer, came in to relieve Stultsy from his 5 inning 3 ER Coors experience. He retired 6 more making for 26 straight outs since his promotion back in mid-June. Unfortunately Chris Benoit couldn't emulate that success and gave up 3 more runs which would seal the Padres' demise and forfeit the series.

A harsh loss, not from offensive famine, but rather some missed opportunities and unlucky hit placement in addition to that thin Denver air. It's not going to get any easier for the Padres as they face Clayton Kershaw tomorrow to kick off the four-game series in Los Angeles. Yikes.

The game thread saw a 8000% increase since yesterday. TheThinGwynn had 2 recs as a result of him begging for run support.

I was looking at Chase Headley's numbers and it occurred to me that he was likely the hit leader amongst Padres third basemen. I used the Baseball-Reference Play Index Split Finder tool to see the all-time team leaderboard in hits while in the lineup as a third baseman and, sure enough, Chase is in first place right ahead of Ken Caminiti, with 661 of his 864 career hits coming as a third baseman.

With that in mind, and suddenly curious how many of Tony Gwynn's 3,141 hits came as a right fielder, I looked up each position. I jotted down the leaders for each spot and then, in case this happens to be interesting to anyone else, threw together the following graphic:

(click image to enlarge)

If nothing else, it serves to further hammer home the point that when it comes to the San Diego Padres, there's Tony Gwynn and then, miles below, there's everyone else.

Gee, the mood switched quick! The big league club is floundering. Dreamy Kris gets kicked out. ADDISON IS BUST!!!! AA is promoted, but is (probably) heading back. Other players have one eye on the door. Rooftop issues linger. Ugh. At least we can look at iridescent clouds and dream.

Can we go back to winning games now?

From Comcast SportsNet

• James Russell knows he could be next out the door.
• After trading Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, the Cubs will get a good look at their next wave of pitching.
• The Rundown compares Anthony Rizzo and Justin Morneau, who are candidates for the All-Star Game.
• Yankees' GM Brian Cashman loves the haul the Cubs got from the Oakland Athletics.
• Former Cub Mark Prior has been elected to the USC Hall of Fame.
• Could Addison Russellarrive at Wrigley next season? Sure.
• Jeff Samardzija is thinking big. He wants a shot at the All-Star Game, a World Series ring, and a megadeal.
• Kyle Hendricks will make his big league debut later today. He's hoping to make a lasting impression.
• The recently promoted Arismendy Alcantara has been underappreciated.

From Cubs Den

• Arismendy Alcantara is joining the Cubs for two days (at least?).
• More trade rumors are popping up, including news that the trade with the A's was almost even bigger.
• Jason McLeod not only turned down an opportunity to interview with the San Diego Padres for their general-manager job, but he's signed on to stay two more years in Chicago.

• (Video) Tsuyoshi Wada talked about his solid major league debut.
• Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is urging the Cubs and rooftop owners to avoid court action.
• Travis Wood is living and learning.
• Starlin Castro is happy for one last reunion with Derek Jeter at this year's All-Star Game.
• Justin Ruggiano is crediting his coaches for his recent surge.
• (Video) Alcantara talked about his promotion.

From the Chicago Sun-Times 

• Jake Arrieta is eager to keep plugging away.
• The Cubs admit they are feeling a little down after "The Trade." But they aren't pinning the recent skid on their feelings.

From the Daily Herald

• It's time again for the Cubs to look at new starting pitchers.

Miscellaneous

• Only sort of Cub-related, but Jeff Samardzija talked to FanGraphs about pitch counts, injuries, and the old days.

Today's food for thought

• Hey! A baseball thing! Tampa Bay Rays' outfielder Kevin Kiermaierhit a line drive so hard it went through the glove of Kansas City Royals' first baseman Eric Hosmer. The worst part for Kiermaier? He was still retired on the play.
• Here are some cool iridescent clouds over Thamserku.

Tony Gwynn is by far the most successful career-long Padre, but other, lesser, players have also played all of their major league games in a Padres uniform. Unlike Tony, the vast majority of guys on this list wear the one-team distinction as a testament of their ineptitude rather than their loyalty. The second-longest-tenured career-long Padre played less than 40% as many games as Gwynn, and no other inactive player has played even 8% as many games as him. What follows is a 25-man roster comprised of players who never played elsewhere. For each position I used the leader in games played; if it were a matter of personal preference I'd have a middle infield consisting of Matt Antonelli and Callix Crabbe.

Starting Lineup:
C- Yasmani Grandal (152 games)
1B- Guillermo Velasquez (94)
2B- Tim Flannery (972)
SS- Everth Cabrera (471)
3B- Chase Headley (899)
LF- Mike Darr (188)
CF- Will Venable (756)
RF- Tony Gwynn (2440)

Bench:
C- Dan Walters (84)
2B- Mike Champion (193)
IF- Edgar Gonzalez (193)
OF- Kevin Ward (125)
OF- Kory DeHaan (102)

Starting Rotation:
Tim Stauffer (162 games, 73 starts)
Brian Tollberg (53/52)
Mike Corkins (157/44)
Joe McIntosh (47/33)
Cory Luebke (55/25)

Bullpen:
Nick Vincent (102)
Floyd Chiffer (81)
Rich Troedson (65)
Josh Spence (51)
Mark Schaeffer (41)
Andres Berumen (40)
Kerry Taylor (37)

With current Padres included, that team is subject to change at any point. Say, for instance, if Chase Headley got traded to Toronto tomorrow or something. With guys who could end up playing elsewhere in their career removed from the equation, the team is predictably far weaker.

Starting Lineup:
C- Dan Walters (84)
1B- Guillermo Velasquez (94)
2B- Tim Flannery (972)
SS- Donaldo Mendez (72)
3B- Dave Hilton (161; 119 at 3B)
LF- Kevin Ward (125)
CF- Mike Darr (188)
RF- Tony Gwynn (2440)

Bench:
C/IF- Kevin Higgins (71)
2B- Mike Champion (193)
IF- Edgar Gonzalez (193)
OF- Kory DeHaan (102)
OF- Don Reynolds (87)

Starting Rotation:
Brian Tollberg (53/52)
Mike Corkins (157/44)
Joe McIntosh (47/33)
Rich Troedson (65/19)
Dennis Tankersley (27/16)

Bullpen:
Floyd Chiffer (81)
Josh Spence (51)
Mark Schaeffer (41)
Andres Berumen (40)
Kerry Taylor (37)
Donnie Elliott (31)
Mike Bynum (29)

I made this quiz a while ago, but never posted it because it seemed like more of a guessing game than a test of knowledge. But some people like guessing games, and any correct answers that anyone would get would be educated guesses, so here it is. That, and there were a couple National League batting races which came down to the wire that a lot of people will remember.

Once your time is up, log your results in the poll, and don't forget to use spoiler bars in your comments when discussing answers.

The Rockies won their first series in nearly a month yesterday and expect the return of Carlos Gonzalez tomorrow. Also, Justin Morneau's push for the All-Star final vote ends today,

5 homers - 2 from Tulo - help Rockies claim needed victory vs. Padres - The Denver Post
Patrick Saunders has the full recap of the Rockies' win in the rubber game against the Padres yesterday that included a pair of home runs from Troy Tulowitzki, bringing him to 20 on the season.

Carlos Gonzalez likely switching positions when he returns to Rockies on Friday - The Denver Post
Aftetr a red-hot performance in three rehab games at AAA, Carlos Gonzalez will return to the Rockies' lineup Friday, and he will likely be in right field when he does so.

Twitter joins in for last hours of Final Vote - MLB.com
Justin Morneau's quest to join Charlie Blackmon and Troy Tulowitzki at the All-Star Game in Minnesota ends today, and you can vote on Twitter until 2 p.m. Mountain time.

Dick Monfort: "I don't know how our record got to be where it is" - The Denver Post
In an extended version of his interview with Saunders, the Rockies owner discusses a variety of topics, including the lack of a team president, the trade deadline and, of course, the team's record.

Rockies longest of longshots to make run into contention - The Denver Post
Saunders also chimes in with what he thinks the Rockies need to attempt  to get back in the race, which boils down to better pitching.

Rockies trade rumors: Jorge De La Rosa subject of Orioles' pursuit - Purple Row
Reports from the Baltimore and national media link the Orioles, leading the AL East, to a move for the Rockies' veteran lefty, who has a contract that expires at the end of the series.

Top pick Freeland debuts with two scoreless innings - Rockies.com
Lefty Kyle Freeland, the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft, debut with two shutout innings in Grand Junction.

Around MLB

Yankees place Masahiro Tanaka on the disabled list with an inflamed right elbow - Pinstripe Alley
Yes, another arm injury to a top pitcher, this time Yankees All-Star Masahiro Tanaka, though this one doesn't seem to be as serious as some others.

Troy Tulowitzki has been one of the best players in baseball this season, though it might signal that this is the end of his run in Colorado. If the Rockies did decide to move the superstar shortstop, could the Orioles make a play for him?

The trade season always brings about some preposterous trade suggestions that would truly shock the baseball world should they occur. This is definitely one such suggestion. Here are the nuts and bolts of the trade that I think should happen:

The Trade

The Orioles receive

SS - Troy Tulowitzki

RP - Adam Ottovino

The Rockies receive

SP - Kevin Gausman

SP - Dylan bundy

2B/3B - Jonathon Schoop

1B - Christian Walker

So basically the Orioles are trading two top 25 prospects, another fringe top 100 prospect, and another B prospect for the second best position player in baseball and a reliever.

To put this trade together I went through dozens of incarnations with the O's sending various prospects to Colorado, even dabbling with including a third team in the San Diego Padres. Ultimately it came down to the fact that in order to get one of the best players in MLB a package of anything less than two top 25 prospects just wouldn't do.

Why the Orioles Should Do It

The Orioles are in first place in a surprisingly weak American League East and they can surely taste the playoffs at this point. This is, after all, the best spot they've been in in terms of playoff contention at this point in the season in a very long time. SB Nation MLB's Grant Brisbee outlined a handful of reasons why the O's should be optimisticdespite having a somewhat lackluster start to the season. Grant summarized it:

The Orioles came into the season with a lot of obvious talent, but only one of the expected stars is doing star things (Adam Jones). Yet they're here. They're the first-place Orioles, which is not only something we can say without giggling, but something we might get really used to.

Grant Brisbee - The awful fortune of the first-place Orioles

Similarly Jerry Crasnick wrote about the O's being poised to take over the AL East recently, and he outlined a few potential trades that could make an impact. The one above wasn't one of them, but it would no doubt do the job of making the birds division favorites.

As of the morning of 7/9 the Orioles had a 53% chance of making the postseason according to MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, by far the best figure of any team in the AL East. Their chance of winning the division is nearly 43%, another astonishingly high figure considering they came into the season with just a 16% chance of making the playoffs.

Now may be the time for the Orioles, but why Tulowitzki? Why not a pitcher?

Well, a pitcher makes a lot of sense. However with both Jason Hammmel and Jeff Samardzija gone, the next best trade chip out there is David Price. It's unlikely the Rays would trade Price within the division, leaving the O's with even fewer options on the market. If the Orioles turn their attention to position players instead, they could do far worse than to go after one of the best infielders in all of baseball.

The Orioles do have JJ Hardy under contract, but that's a problem that could be easily solved. Not necessarily by trading Hardy, but by moving him over to second base while Tulo holds down his normal spot at shortstop. They would easily make one of the best defensive infields in baseball (Chris Davis, Hardy, Tulo, Machado from first to third) while likely getting solid production at the plate from each player.

Second base has been a black hole for the O's this season, producing a .239/.280/.329 triple slash line so far this season. Their combined 69 wRC+ is good for 25th best in baseball, making it a clear spot for potential upgrades for the club. There might be a slight learning curve, but it's conceivable that Hardy could make the transition to second base relatively easily given the fact that he's one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball.

Why is Tulo a fit for the Orioles? That's a pretty easy question to answer given his .348/.440/.597 triple slash line. His wRC+ of 174 is good for second best in all of baseball behind Mike Trout. Basically offensively he's hitting 74% better than the average MLB hitter right now. All of that to go along with a very good glove as shortstop, as he's easily a top 5 defensive shortstop right now.

Tulowitzki is under contract through at least 2020 with a club option for the 2021 season. He'll make $20MM per year from 2015 - 2019, with a guarantee of $14MM in 2020 and a club option at $15MM in 2021 (with a $4MM buyout). There are other clauses in his contract worth noting including the fact that he can't be traded more than once and the fact that his 2020 and 2021 salaries could increase by $6MM per year based on performances. Overall though Tulowitzki is basically on a 5/$94MM contract with a $15MM club option for year 6 and a $4MM buyout. So the O's would be on the hook for at least $100MM over 6 seasons ($94MM in salary + $4MM buyout + $2MM trade bonus).

Tulowitzki would immediately become the highest paid player on the O's roster, but he would also be the best player on the roster. His 4.8 fWAR this season outpaces current O's leader Adam Jones by 1.2. His on base percentage would be a welcome improvement on a team that struggles mightily in that aspect of the game. Tulowitzki won't be cheap, but he'll be a huge boon to the Orioles' chances at making the playoffs and potentially winning the world series.

Adam Ottovino is a big part of this trade, though obviously not the key piece here. He's a capable reliever whose FIP has decreased in each professional season so far. The main reason for this is that he's worked to get his walks under control. His bad luck in the first few years of his career, especially on home runs, has bounced back making him a very solid reliever. The Orioles have a noted interest in relief arms, and Ottovino would give them some value from a guy that wouldn't just be a rental. For the O's, Ottovino fills a need without them having to make another trade to bring back relief help.

Why the Rockies Should Do It

The Rockies have a 0% chance of making the playoffs in 2014 according to MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, not exactly a surprise with them being 11.5 games out of first place through July 8th. This has lead to many media outlets to make the claim that the Rockies should move its greatest trade asset: Troy Tulowitzki.

Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post noted that Tulo's trade value may never be higher than it is right now as he's in the middle of a career year for the Rockies. Saunders would describe the situation that the Rockies are in with the following:

But another losing season has changed the landscape. Tulo, at age 29, has shown that he's healthy although he sat out Friday and Saturday with groin tightness and leg injuries will always be a concern with his injury history. He is at the peak of his trade value. Now or never is drawing nearer if the Rockies are going to move him. His value might never be higher.

Patrick Saunders - Troy Tulowitzki's trade value may never be higher for Rockies

This is a perfect synopsis of the situation because Tulo is moving toward a portion of his deal where he won't net the Rockies multiple top prospects in a trade. Saunders' thoughts aren't easy for Rockies fans to hear, but they do seem valid. This prompted writers in other cities to wonder if Tulo was a fit for them. The idea of sending Tulo to the Yankees wasn't met with much excitement, but I think the Orioles are a much better fit asset-wise.

Earlier in the week Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post wrote that the trade winds swirling weren't bothering Rockies' stars Tulowitzki or Carlos Gonzalez, which is good because there would be many more to follow. Fangraphs was next to suggest that now was the time to move Tulowitzki with Mike Petriello laying out a case for doing so. Petriello lays out a few candidates for trade partners including both New York teams, Detroit, Seattle, and Boston as potential suitors.

The final piece to nail home the fact that now is the time to trade Tulo is Jon Heyman's piece that notes that he gave the Rockies the go-ahead to move him if it was in the best interest of the team and he could go to a contending team. Heyman notes:

Tulowitzki's message was said to be something along these lines: "I love it in Colorado. I'd like to be here. But if things (don't improve), and you can (trade) me to a winning situation I'm OK with it."

Jon Heyman - Tulowitzki gives subtle blessing to trade; Rockies intend to keep him

The Rockies and Tulowitzki had a good run. In total the club will have paid him roughly $40 million including his $2.3 million signing bonus from being drafted. For those $40 million the club has gotten 33.9 fWAR in the majors. Regardless of the $/WAR figure you prefer, there's pretty much no way to say that the Rockies haven't made out like bandits so far in terms of contract value. Next season though Tulo will be 30 and starts a run of being paid $20 million per season for the next four year. His value isn't as certain in those seasons, so moving on now might be the best way to maximize the club's value in return for the slugging shortstop.

So if we've established that the Rockies should trade Tulo, how does this return work for the Rockies?

SP - Kevin Gausman

Gausman is the first key piece of the trade, a solid MLB starter already who has shown the potential to be a front-end arm for any club. He has the potential for two plus pitches, and uses his fastball, slider, change combination to baffle hitters. Just about everyone has been high on Gausman as he soared through the O's farm system and is periodically helping the big league club this season. Both Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America had very positive things to say upon Gausman's first call up to the majors. Personally I'm very high on Gausman, and have previously detailed how excellent he can be when he's on his game. If nothing else click through that link to see GIFs of Gausman's ridiculous split-change.

Going into the 2014 season Gausman was the O's consensus #1 prospect as Chris St. John identified here on Beyond the Box Score. Chris also compiled a consensus top prospects list, where Gausman ranked #16 in all of baseball.

SP - Dylan Bundy

Dylan Bundy is one of the most polarizing prospects in baseball because his talent level is immense, but he's still working back from Tommy John surgery just about a year ago. A recent scouting report from Tucker Blair at Baseball Prospectus noted that Bundy has the chance to have 2 grade 60 pitches, another grade 65 pitch, and a grade 70 pitch. If those grades do end up being where Bundy lands after working his way back to 100% from elbow surgery, that would be four plus pitches. If he reaches his ceiling, he'll be one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Bundy was the O's #2 prospect going into the season, but he finished just a few points overall behind Gausman. That is a testament to his immense talent because he had yet to throw in a baseball game after his surgery at the time of the rankings. On the consensus MLB top prospects list, Bundy ranked just behind Kevin Gausman at 17th overall.

2B/3B - Jonathon Schoop

Pressed into early service with the Orioles, Schoop's underwhelming performance belies his true value as a prospect. Rather than talk about Schoop's potential I'll post a quote from Roch Kubatko's Orioles' blog with a scout's take on Schoop:

"Defensively, Schoop is going to be really solid no matter where they put him," said a scout from outside the organization. "He doesn't have great foot speed, which is probably why they have him at third base, but he handles everything there. He has plenty of arm. He can handle that or second base. And I've heard he can handle shortstop."

Schoop, the Orioles' minor league Player of the Year in 2011, batted .245/.324/.386 with 24 doubles, a triple, 14 homers and 56 RBIs in 485 at-bats at Bowie this summer.

"I talked to scouts about him all the time. I loved him at Bowie this year," the rival scout said earlier this week. "He's the guy everybody is intrigued by. To me, he looks like he's a little tired at this point. His hand speed at the plate looks a little down. I think that's why his batting numbers aren't quite as good as they might be.

"I think he has a ton of upside. From a batting standpoint, he's very young and raw, but when he's on, he has really good bat speed and really strong hands. The ball explodes off his bat. I saw that, and talked to other scouts who saw it. They're all very interested in what he's doing."

Roch Kubatko - A rival scout talks about Jonathon Schoop

Going into the season Schoop was the O's #5 prospect, but the overall #88 prospect in all of baseball. Schoop has long been the best position prospect that the Orioles have, so his inclusion in this deal makes the return more than just pitching for the Rockies.

1B - Christian Walker

Walker is an interesting prospect to include in the deal for several reasons. Orioles Nation provides the following scouting report on Walker:

Solid approach at the plate and knows how to handle the bat – sweet swing; good bat path through the zone; hands and feet are quiet; sees a lot of pitches. There are questions about the power, and some concern that power will not translate to professional pitching. He has shown good gap power at times, but there are still questions about overall impact. Has always shown the ability to get on base and moves around the bases well for his size. If he finds the power stroke against professional pitching, he could push for time at the MLB level. Looks to be more of a platoon or bench bat at the time being, but a full season at AA Bowie should reveal more information regarding his overall ability.

Orioles Nation

Walker has really impressed in his second run at AA posting a .306/.368/.535 triple slash line for Bowie. In discussing a possible trade with other writers I reached out to a Rockies' writer to see what he thought the club would look for in a trade return. He said that the Rockies like guys that they think other teams are underrating, and Walker could potentially be that guy. In the right environment (Colorado) Walker could prove to be a very solid pickup for the Rockies.

Going into the season Walker was ranked as the #15 overall prospect in the Orioles' farm system.

Will it Happen?

The short answer is no. This move would basically send the message to Colorado fans that the team is in full-on rebuilding mode. The Orioles would also likely balk at the idea of moving two of their top prospects in a deal. While it would leave the O's with two solid prospects in Hunter Harvey and Eduardo Rodriguez, it would be a huge blow to their rotation in 2015 and beyond. The move would help Colorado build around a young core, but it would essentially punt playoff contention for the next two or three seasons. That said, a rotation of Eddie Butler, Jonathan Gray, Kevin Gausman, and Dylan Bundy would be pretty awesome to see.

I'm sure many Rockies fans would balk at any trade of Tulo, and maybe even this return isn't enough in their eyes. Similarly O's fans would likely veto any deal of Gausman or Bundy that didn't net a #1 starter in return. There are dozens of reasons why this trade wouldn't work, but there are also several for why it makes sense.

If I was in either GM's shoes, I'm not sure I could make the trade as I've outlined it above. I would have to think about it for a long time though, as it does have the potential for significant benefit to both teams.

Special thanks to Rob Shields (O's) and Zach Fogg (Rockies) for giving me a sounding board for some of my trade proposals, and for helping me figure out what the final deal should look like.

All statistics courtesy of Fangraphs,Brooks Baseball, and Baseball-Reference.

Jeff Long is a writer at Beyond The Box Score and Baltimore Sports and Life. You can follow him on Twitter at @BSLJeffLong.

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers will try to snap a two-game losing streak as they open a four-game weekend series against the Padres, but most of the focus on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium will be on Clayton Kershaw and his 36-inning scoreless streak.

Kershaw is 9-6 with a 2.47 ERA in 21 career starts against the Padres, though since his career ERA is a scant 2.55 it is just normal. The left-hander hasn't faced the historically bad offense of the 2014 Padres, but in his last start against San Diego, last Sept. 21, Kershaw did pitch seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts.

The Dodgers ace has won his last seven starts and with a win on Thursday would be the first Dodgers pitcher to win eight straight starts since Bob Welch in 1985.

But about that scoreless streak:

• During the 36 innings, Kershaw has five walks and 45 strikeouts.
• Opposing hitters have 16 hits - 13 singles and three doubles - and are hitting .130/.164/.154.
• Left-handers have fared better against Kershaw during the streak, 6-for-27 with a double, two walks and nine strikeouts (.222/.276/.259).
• Right-handers are 10-for-96 with two doubles, three walks and 36 strikeouts (.104/.131/.125).
  
• Exactly half - 18 of 36 - of the innings have been 1-2-3 innings.
• In just four of the 36 innings, two runners have reached base.

The Dodgers have played 43 games this season against the National League West, and have won four of six games against San Diego, but Thursday marks the Padres' first trip to Los Angeles in 2014.

San Diego will start 27-year-old Cuban free agent signee Odrisamer Despaigne, who has allowed no more than one run in any of his three major league starts. He also has eight walks and just five strikeouts in 19⅔ innings.

The Padres have been shutout 12 times in 2014, tied with the Rays for the most in baseball.

San Diego has scored one or zero run 29 times this year, five more times than any other team.

The Padres has scored two or fewer runs 46 times, nine more than any other team in baseball.

San Diego has scored three or fewer runs 23 times in their last 31 games.

Chris Denorfia is 9-for-29 (.310) with three home runs against Kershaw, one of only two batters with more than two home runs against Kershaw (joining the left-handed Adam Dunn, who has four home runs in 14 plate appearances against Kershaw).

Denorfia, a career .304/.370/.450 hitter against southpaws, is hitting just .274/.329/.370 with no home runs in 79 PA against lefties this season, but also hitting .187/.260/.231 overall in his last 39 games (cherry-picking to be sure, as Denorfia was also 6-for-14 with a double and a walk at Coors Field this week).

Kershaw at home has 62 strikeouts and four walks in six starts and 45 innings this season.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers plan to activate outfielder Carl Crawford for this weekend's series against the Padres - the announcement hasn't been made officially just yet - but Crawford won't be in the starting lineup for Thursday night's series opener against San Diego.

Matt Kemp starts in left field, his 40th start in 41 games since Crawford was placed on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle.

Hanley Ramirez is back at shortstop after two games at designated hitter in Detroit, and he flipped spots with Yasiel Puig. Ramirez is batting second and Puig third, something that was tried 13 times in a 16-game stretch in June.

Ramirez is hitting .345/.435/.534 batting second this season, including 16 starts. Puig though has just one home run in 30 games batting third, hitting .286/.362/.393.

Scott Van Slyke is in center field against the right-handed Odrisamer Despaigne, the seventh start against a right-handed pitcher for Van Slyke this season.

Chris Denorfia, hitting .310/.412/.690 with three home runs in 34 plate appearances against Clayton Kershaw, starts in right field and bats leadoff for the Padres.

Chase Headley has the most career plate appearances among Padres against Kershaw with 50, but is 10-for-48 (.208) against him with three doubles, a triple and two walks. Cameron Maybin is 2-for-16 (.125) with two walks and five strikeouts. Carlos Quentin is 3-for-11 (.273) with a double and a walks, and Yasmani Grandal is 4-for-8 (.500) with a double and a walk.

Padres travel to Chavez Ravine for the first time this season. Tonight they kick off the final series before the All-Star Break, a four-game set against the NL West rival Dodgers.

After dropping back-to-back series against division rivals, our Padres look to get back on track today as they face another NL West foe. They begin a four-game set against the Dodgers in L.A. this evening and righty Odrisamer Despaigne will kick things off opposite Clayton Kershaw.

Since being called up to make his major league debut on June 23rd, Despaigne has been an impressive addition to the San Diego pitching staff. In three appearances, he is 2-0 with a 0.92 ERA - a historic beginning for the Cuban defector, being the first pitcher in franchise history to throw at least six innings and allow no more than a run in each of his first three ML starts. Despaigne's struggled a bit with the walks, issuing four in each of his last two outings, but has otherwise been effective on the mound. Tonight he's tasked with keeping the first-place Dodgers at bay.

But those Dodgers will counter with their ace Kershaw, who's having one of the best seasons in his already successful career. He's already thrown a no-hitter this year and he's coming into tonight's matchup riding a 36-inning scoreless streak and 7-game winning streak. Over that seven-game stretch he's posted a 0.69 ERA through 52 innings while allowing only 28 hits and five walks and collecting 69 strikeouts. Kershaw faced our Friars four times last season, going 0-3 in his first three starts before pitching a seven-inning three-hit shutout in his most recent appearance against them.

Tonight will be Kershaw's last start before the All-Star Break, where he's likely to make the start for the National League in the All-Star Game. Tune in at 7:10 PT tonight to see if Despaigne can continue the hot start to his major league career and if our Padres can give him some run support and bring Kershaw back down to Earth.

The Dodgers open a four-game series against the Padres on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, with Clayton Kershaw on the mound for Los Angeles and Odrisamer Despaigne pitching for San Diego.

The Dodgers return home, hopefully after rendering all garments worn in the two-day Detroit debacle, to finish their pre-All-Star break schedule with four games at Dodger Stadium against the offensively inept San Diego Padres.

The Padres are hitting .216/.276/.338 as a team, and through 91 games they are averaging 2.99 runs per game. The last time a team scored under three runs per game was 1972, when the Angels (2.93) and Rangers (2.99) were allergic to home plate. The next year, the American League adopted the designated hitter.

San Diego hasn't just been a team held down by their pitcher-friendly home of Petco Park, either. Their adjusted OPS+, where 100 is average, is 77, a number so low that only 18 teams in history have reached that low*. Only once in the past 20 years has a team reached so low offensively: the 2004 Diamondbacks (77 OPS+), a team that lost 111 games.

Similarly, the Padres' adjusted weighted runs created (wRC+), which incorporates linear weights and baserunning and is adjusted for park and league, is just 74, tied for 19th-worst since 1901.

San Diego has been even worse since June 1, hitting .194/.261/.297 while scoring 2.54 runs per game. That's the offense the Dodgers pitching staff gets to face in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers have won five of their last six against the Padres.

But the San Diego pitching staff has helped this shambles of an offense save face somewhat, at 40-51 and only 11 games under .500, in third place in the National League West. Will they see a Dodgers offense that put up crooked numbers eight times in a 28-inning stretch on the road trip, or the one that scored once in the final 17 innings in Detroit?

Here are your pitching matchups for the weekend:

Thursday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Clayton Kershaw takes his 36-inning scoreless streak into the series opener, trying to inch up the historical ladder in his final start before Tuesday at Target Field. Odrisamer Despaigne has allowed two runs in his three major league starts, but he also has eight walks and only five strikeouts in 19⅔ innings. Kershaw at the time of his eighth walk this season had 70 strikeouts.

Kershaw has yet to face the Padres this season.

Friday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Dan Haren's seven scoreless innings on June 30 came in his last home start and stands out like a lonely beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak two months. In his last 11 starts Haren has a 4.98 ERA and 16 home runs allowed, including six multi-homer games, five of which were lost by the Dodgers. Jesse Hahn, 24, came over from the Rays in January in the Brad Boxberger / Logan Forsythe trade (who doesn't remember where they were the exact moment they heard the news of that blockbuster?). In six major league starts the right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 41 strikeouts to go with just 13 walks in 34⅔ innings.

Saturday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)

This would have been Josh Beckett's spot, but he was placed on the disabled list with a left hip impingement. Red Patterson is the likely candidate to come up for the spot start, in what will be he second major league appearance. The right-hander has a 5.15 ERA in 16 starts with Triple-A Albuquerque, with 72 strikeouts and 21 walks in 85⅔ innings. The Dodgers have touched Ian Kennedy for eight runs in 10 innings in two starts this year, but have split both games with San Diego. Kennedy in two July starts has allowed two runs in 13 innings, with 14 strikeouts and three walks.

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Hyun-jin Ryu is coming off seven runs allowed with seven outs recorded on Tuesday in Detroit, the fifth time in his career he has allowed at least five runs in a start. After the previous four clunkers, Ryu in his next time on the mound is 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA and 28 strikeouts against seven walks in 25⅓ innings. Tyson Ross, named an All-Star but won't pitch in Minnesota because of this Sunday start, has allowed one or zero runs in seven of 19 starts, including a shutout of the Reds on July 2 in San Diego, with nine strikeouts and no walks.

*Thanks to Steven Goldman for the research

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw saw his historic scoreless inning streak come to an end, but he still turned in a typical brilliant performance in a 2-1 win over the Padres on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw allowed a run in the six inning, but extended his scoreless streak to 41 innings, tied for the fifth-longest streak of the expansion era, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

"We're not supposed to give up runs," Kershaw said after the game. "That's our job."

Kershaw struck out 11 and walked one in his nine innings, allowing only three hits. For the first time since April 4, Kershaw qualifies for the ERA leaderboard with 95⅓ innings in 94 team games. His 1.775 ERA leads the majors, narrowly over Adam Wainwright (1.786).

With the win Kershaw improved to 11-2, and become the first Dodgers pitcher since Bob Welch in 1985 to win eight consecutive starts.

There was no-hitter energy in the ballpark, just as there always seems to be with Kershaw on the mound, especially of late. He did retire the first seven hitters of the game, but a one-out single by Alexi Amarista in the third inning ended that suspense rather early in the night.

Amarista reached second base, which was news in itself. With two outs Chris Denorfia, the man with three career home runs against Kershaw, grounded out to second base to end the threat.

San Diego dared to dream again in the fifth when Cameron Maybin drew a two-out walk and stole second base. But Amarista grounded out, again to second base, to end the inning.

During the streak, 18 hitters batted against Kershaw with runners in scoring position. They were 0-for-17 with eight strikeouts, nine groundouts and two walks, and haven't hit the ball out of the infield.

After stranding runners at third base in both the first and third innings, the fourth frame was telling a familiar refrain until with two outs Scott Van Slyke lofted a single into short right field for a 1-0 lead. He drove in Yasiel Puig, who led off the inning with a stand-up double off pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne.

Yes you read that right. The visual proof, thanks to Chad Moriyama.

That one run lead seemed insurmountable because, you know, Kershaw, so in the top of the sixth inning with Chase Headley at the plate I tried an attempt at humor.

You know it's weird, Clayton Kershaw hasn't even allowed a home run during this streak

— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) July 11, 2014

A few pitches later Headley homered over the wall in left center field to tie the game at 1-1, and stop Kershaw's streak.

But the Dodgers got that run right back in the bottom of the inning, when Hanley Ramirez singled, stole second base and advanced to third on the throw, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez.

Despaigne allowed only two runs in his seven innings, pushing his grand total to four runs allowed in four major league starts. He kept the Dodgers off balance all night.

"He reminded me of Cracker Barrel. He had us in rocking chairs, rocking us back and forth," manager Don Mattingly said after the game. "He throws different angles, so many different pitches. He can throw a slow curve ball, he throws a little harder, he can cut a ball, he can make a ball run, he'll give you angles. Shoot, he his 95 once and 94 once. He's fun to watch."

Almost as fun as watching Kershaw.

Notes

Padres first baseman Tommy Medica left the game with right groin tightness after grounding out in the second inning. He was replaced in the field by Rene Rivera in the bottom of the inning.

Thursday was Kershaw's third complete game of the season and 13th of his career. The 115 pitches were a season high, beating his previous high of 109.

The 11 strikeouts marked the third double-digit strikeout game for Kershaw this season, all in his last three home starts, with 39 strikeouts and three walks in those starts.

"He was ahead in the account and the guys were swinging," said catcher A.J. Ellis. "They are an aggressive team."

People really believe in jinxes.

Thursday particulars

Home run: Chase Headley (7)

WP - Clayton Kershaw (11-2): 9 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts

LP - Odrisamer Despaigne (2-1): 7 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw was stellar, again, in his final start before the All-Star break, pitching his third complete game of the year, striking out 11 in a win over the Padres on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

Now that Kershaw's next start for the Dodgers won't come until July 18 at the earliest, the ultra-focused ace can turn his attention to Target Field in Minnesota, where he will pitch in his fourth straight All-Star Game on Tuesday night.

"Now I can start thinking about it," Kershaw said after the game.

Kershaw has as good a case as any to start the game, building a resume that looks just as good if not better than any of his last three seasons, which saw him finish first, second and first in National League Cy Young voting. Here are some Kershaw numbers at the All-Star break in each of the last four years:

• 2011: 9-4, 3.03 ERA, 147 strikeouts, 35 walks
• 2012: 6-5, 2.91 ERA, 119 strikeouts, 32 walks
• 2013: 8-6, 1.98 ERA, 139 strikeouts, 35 walks
• 2014: 11-2, 1.78 ERA, 126 strikeouts, 13 walks
  

Did I mention Kershaw missed five weeks this year on the disabled list?

While Kershaw would certainly be deserving of the start on Tuesday, don't be surprised if he doesn't get the nod. Mike Matheny, manager of the National League pennant-winning Cardinals, manages the NL squad, and his own ace Adam Wainwright is having a typically excellent season.

Wainwright is 11-4 with a 1.79 ERA with 111 strikeouts and 27 walks, and has pitched 35 more innings than Kershaw this season. He would be a worthy choice to start Tuesday, no matter the manager or team affiliation.

Don Mattingly gave the politically correct answer when asked who he would start in the All-Star Game, and even took it a step further.

"If I'm Mike Matheny I probably start my own guy, but if I'm me I start my guy," Mattingly said. "If I'm Bud Black I'm starting [Odrisamer] Despaigne."

Kershaw has pitched scoreless innings in each of his previous three All-Star Game appearances. The difference in starting or pitching in relief would likely be pitching two innings on Tuesday instead of one. Kershaw said he was ready for anything in Minnesota.

"Whatever Mike decides is fine with me. I'm just happy to get to be going," Kershaw said. "Just getting to go with three teammates, that's pretty cool."

Kershaw will be joined on the NL squad by teammates Zack Greinke, Yasiel Puig and Dee Gordon.

Up next

The Dodgers try for a second straight win, with Dan Haren on the mound in his final start before the All-Star break. Haren will make his 335th career start on Friday night, while Padres rookie Jesse Hahn makes his seventh major league start for San Diego.

The San Antonio Missions, San Diego's AA affiliate, scored six runs Thursday evening on 11 hits, four of which were doubles and one that went out of the park. Unfortunately, the Midland RockHounds tallied exactly one more of each of those things, and the Missions fell 7-6 on a walkoff homer by Midland third baseman Jefry Marte. The game wouldn't have even been down-to-the-wire if not for big offensive performances from San Antonio outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Yeison Asencio; the pair of Padres prospects combined to go 6-8 with all five of the Missions' extra-base hits.

Renfroe, who got off to a slow start after his promotion to San Antonio, was back in the lineup Thursday after homering in a pinch appearance on Wednesday. He went 2-4 with a double and another home run, his third in just 42 at-bats with the Missions. That small-sample-size rate of one homer every 14 at-bats is ahead of the pace he set at Lake Elsinore of one every 17.38 at-bats (16/278). Only time and a whole lot of plate appearances will tell anything of value, but one can only hope these past two games are an indication that the Padres' representative on the All-Star Futures Game's USA roster is getting settled in to his new league, and that his .190 batting average in AA will rise along with the temperature in south-central Texas.

Asencio was unstoppable, bashing three doubles and a single in his four trips to the plate. The doubles were his thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of the season to go along with three triples and six homers in 331 at-bats. His batting average is up to a respectable .278, but his OBP is lingering at .310 thanks to his mere 15 walks. If that number wasn't ridiculously low enough, consider this: six of those walks were intentional. The artist formerly known as Yoan Alcantara has also been striking out more than ever; his 50 strikeouts are just eight behind his career-high which he set last year in 203 more at-bats.

First baseman Jason Hagerty, shortstop Brian Bixler, third baseman Casey McElroy, and mega-prospect catcher Austin Hedges all helped out with singles, with Hagerty collecting two and coming around to score twice. McElroy and Rymer Liriano also scored one run each, and Hedges contributed an RBI.

The Missions have been outscored 17-12 in the first two games of this four-game set. They'll work toward the split starting with tonight's game at 7pm (5 Pacific).

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers go for a second straight win on Friday night, with Dan Haren hoping to head into the All-Star break on a high note, turning around a two-month slide.

Haren had his best start of the season just two starts ago, allowing one hit and one walk in seven scoreless innings in a win against Cleveland at Dodger Stadium on June 30. But even with that start mixed in Haren has a 5.12 ERA in his last 10 starts, with 15 home runs allowed after allowing just three home runs in his first eight starts of the year.

But it's not just the home runs that have hurt Haren. He is tied for third in the National League with 18 home runs allowed this season, but he's also sixth in the league with 13 stolen bases allowed.

Opposing runners are 13-for-14 stealing this season against Haren, who seems to be morphing into the right-handed Ted Lilly right before our eyes.

Haren hasn't been particularly good at holding runners throughout his career, with an opposing 78.6 percent success rate against him. But in his first nine full years as a starter (2005-2013) he averaged 33 starts and 15 stolen bases allowed per year, with a high of just 21 in 2011 with the Angels.

If Haren makes 14 more starts in 2014 and keeps up his current pace, he will allow 32 home runs and 23 stolen bases. There have been 20 seasons by a Dodgers pitcher allowing 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, the last by Lilly, who allowed 28 home runs and 35 steals in 2011.

The only Dodgers to allow at least 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season are Jeff Weaver (2005), Isamel Valdes (1999) and Don Sutton (1970).

Haren this year against the Padres this season has allowed four runs (three earned) in 11⅔ innings in two starts, with 11 strikeouts and two walks.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA

I guess I'm on some Marshall Eriksen kick, because I'm really feeling charts and graphs lately. Yesterday I did up one of the Padres' hit leaders by position; the next logical thing was to follow that up with home runs. Everybody loves the longball, right?

(click image to enlarge)