After losing the first game to Houston in the tenth inning the Padres came back with three resilient wins in their final at bat to go to 16 games above .500 one game past the halfway point of this exciting season. Their 49-33 mark has them on pace to win 96 games The series against the visiting Astros was a microcosm of the season with outstanding pitching allowing the Padres to hang in there and execute in key at-bats to win ballgames late.

July 1^st, 2010 Padres 3 Astros 6

 WP Chris Sampson (1-0) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

LP Luke Gregerson (2-3) 1IP 2H 3R 3ER 2BB 0K 0HR

S Matt Lindstrom (19) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR

 Luke Gregerson had a rare bad outing walking two batters with two outs before giving up a two-run triple in the top of the tenth breaking up a 3-3 tie. Michael Bourn hit it over Tony Gwynn’s head to scoring Jason Castro and Oswaldo Navaro.

 Jeff Keppinger singled to shallow right to score Bourn and make it 6-3.

 John Garland allowed three runs, all in the second, highlighted by Keppinger’s two run single. He was 2-5 with 3 RBI’s raising his average to .275. Garland had walked six Astros while striking out 3 in five innings.

 The Padres got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with Chris Denorfia’s first pinch it of the season. He knocked in Nick Hundley who scored standing up on a close play at home.

 Hundley scored again in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by “the Armadillo” Oscar Salazar. David Eckstein singled in Tony Gwynn Jr. to tie the game later that inning.

 Matt Lindstrom came in and retired all three Friars faced fanning the final two for his nineteenth save.

July 2^nd, 2010 Padres 3 Astros 0

 WP Mat Latos (9-4) 8IP 4H 0R 0ER 0BB 7K 0HR

LP Brandon Lyon (5-2) .67IP 2H 3R 3ER 1BB 1K 0HR

S Heath Bell (22) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR

 If anyone was unsure about Mat Latos’s inclusion on the National League All-Star roster they shouldn’t be now after he outpitched Roy Oswalt in one of the Padres most exciting games this season.

 Dominant was an understatement when describing Latos’s performance Friday night at Petco Park. He stuck out seven Astros in eight outstanding innings keeping the game tied at 0-0. Latos command was especially sharp walking zero of 27 batters faced.

 He was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth. With one out Matt Stairs replaced Latos and struck out swinging making it look like Latos would get a no-decision with one of his finest performances of the season.

 But after fouling one a ball off just below his knee Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a two strike pitch in the 5.5 hole beautifully to keep the inning alive. The with Gwynn breaking for second base David Eckstein got his only hit of the game doubling in Gwynn to give the Padres a 1-0 lead and Latos a chance for the win.

 With Heath Bell warming up in the pen Chase Headley took four balls after Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked. This set the table for Scott Hairston to single in two runners before Headley was thrown out at third to end the inning.

 Heath Bell pitched a perfect ninth ending the game with Lance Berkman lining out to third after he struck out the first two batters of the inning.

July 3^rd, 2010 Padres 1 Astros 0

WP Mike Adams (2-1) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

LP Gustavo Chacin (1-1) .67IP 2H 1R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

S Heath Bell (23) 1IP 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR

 To quote the great Yogi Berra, “it was like Déjà vu all over again” as the Padres broke a 0-0 tie in the eighth with some timely hitting.

 Aaron Cunningham, who might not have unpacked his bags form being sent to Portland on Thursday, doubled and scored the winning run after being called up today for the injured Will Venable. He scored when a throwing error by relief pitcher Gustavo Chacin got past first baseman Lance Berkman on Tony Gwynn Jr.’s bunt single.

 Kevin Correia had his best outing since his last victory on May 31^st. Though he did not get the win he held the Astros scoreless for seven innings walking only two with four strikeouts. He gave up five hits against the 26 batters he faced.

 Heath Bell struck out the first two Astros to start the ninth before allowing a single two Jason Michaels. He then got Jason Castro to pop out to shallow left to record his 23^rd save in 26 chances.

July 4^th, 2010 Padres 3 Astros 2

WP Heath Bell (4-0) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

LP Brandon Lyon 1.33IP 4H 2R 2ER 1BB 2K 0HR

 Tony Gwynn Jr. was 0-4 before singling with the bases loaded and giving the Padres their third win in a row in their final at-bat. Gwynn either scored or knocked in the run in all three.

Heath Bell came in to a tie game and surrendered no runners for the win. Bell earlier was announced as one of the five players that can be voted in for the final spot on the NL All-Star roster.

Lance Berkman hit a solo homer in the first for an 1-0 lead. He also tied the game 2-2 I the eighth with a RBI triple.

 Aaron Cunningham put his fingerprints all over this win first singling to shallow left to take a 2-1 lead with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The next half inning he preserved the win with a run-saving diving grab with two outs keeping Oswaldo Navarro from scoring.