The Padres did what they needed to do by sweeping Pirates in their final home series before heading north to San Francisco. They will face the Giants Friday night for Game one of a crucial three game series at AT&T Park.

Their final game against Pittsburgh featured both teams wearing uniforms from 1978. The Padres had their familiar brown and gold tops with their white pants, brown stirrups and gold sanitary socks

 worn on the road in the late seventies. Their cap was brown with the gold triangle with the classic interlocking “SD” in the middle.

The Pirates look featured a white top with yellow pinstripes outlined in black with a yellow word mark and numbers. They had Black pants with yellow stirrups over white sox. They wore a yellow “pill box” style cap with black horizontal stripes, bill, and letter P in the middle.

By defeating Pittsburg, they held onto a 2.5 game lead in the NL West. Only a sweep, as predicted by Friday’s Giants starter Jonathon Sanchez, will cause the top spot to change hands. The Giants are 1-7 againts the Friars this season winning their last contest in extra innings. The Padres have not lost more than two games in a row in 2010.

August 10^th, 2010 Padres 4 Pirates 1

WP Wade LeBlanc (6-10) 5.33IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 8K 0HR

LP Jeff Karstens (2-8) 6IP 3H 2R 2ER 1BB 3K 1HR

S Heath Bell (32) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 0K 0HR

Ryan Ludwick went deep off starter Jeff Karstens for his first home run as Padre in the bottom of the second. And in the seventh he did it again off Will Ledezma’s 0-1 pitch for his 11^thmulti-homer game of his career. The first Padre to do so since Chris Denorfia on July 18^th.

Wade LeBlanc tied his career high striking out eight Pirates in five and one third innings pitched. He fanned 19 batters over 18 1/3 innings his last three starts.

After Ludwick’s first shot gave the Friars a 1-0 lead, LeBlanc helped his own cause singling in Yorvit Torrealba for a two run advantage.

The Pirates answered back in the top of the third with a two out rall of their own. Pedro Alvarez’s base hit to shallow right scored Jose Tabata, cutting the home teams lead in half.

But Ludwick led off the seventh the same way he did the second for his 13^thround-tripper of the season. Jerry Hairston Jr. added an insurance run knocking in Denorfia from second base in the eighth.

Heath Bell walked one Pirate but allowed no runs for his 32^nd save. The Pirates left eight runners on base while scoring only one run Tuesday night.

August 11^th, 2010 Padres 8 Pirates 5

WP Kevin Correia (9-7) 6.33IP 4H 4R 4ER 1BB 7K 0HR

LP James McDonald (1-2) 4.67IP 7H 4R 4ER 1BB 6K 0HR

S Heath Bell (33) 1IP 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

Kevin Coreia dominated for six innings before surrendering four runs in the seventh. But the Padres bats were out in full force scoring eight runs on thirteen hits beating visiting Pittsburgh for the second straight night.

Adrian Gonzalez went 4-4 with a walk and scored twice with as many RBI’s. He score the Padres first run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Gonzalez slapped a two run double to put the Padres up three with the bags full the next inning. Ryan Ludwick followed with a double of his own scoring Miguel Tejada. Yorvit Torrealba drew a bases loaded walk to make it 4-0.

Jerry Hairston had a two run homer before Tejada scored on Gonzalez’s double in the sixth to put San Diego up 7-0.

Pittsburgh fought back in the seventh with four runs. After a bases-oaded walk of their own, Ryan Doumit double to center plating two Pirates. Pedro Alvarez would then score on Chris Snyder’s groundout to pull within three.

Both teams would add a run in the eighth inning with runs crossing the plate by Jose Tebata and Miguel Tejada.

Heath Bell allowed no runs or hits to record his 33^rd save in 36 tries.

August 12^th, 2010 Padres 3 Pirates 0

WP Jon Garland (11-8) 6IP 1H 0R 0ER 4BB 5K 0HR

LP Zach Duke (5-11) 6IP 6H 3R 2ER 3BB 2K 1HR

S Heath Bell (34) 1P 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR

Jon Garland pitched six innings of one-hit ball leading the Padres to a 3-0 shutout on Throwback Thursday. Ryan Ludwick’s beautiful two-run shot was topped by only the “old school” 1978 uniforms both teams sported on what has become this writer’s favorite promotion by far.

The Padres pitchers combined four their 14^thshutout of the season, second to only the Mets nineteen. Garland also scored the Friars’ first run on Miguel Tejada’s third inning double.

After Adrian Gonzalez reached on a throwing error, Ryan Ludwick deposited the ball in the Padres’ bullpen for a 3-0 lead.

Heath Bell allowed no runs in the ninth for major league leading 34^th save. He has converted 21 straight save opportunities since May 29^th, going 3-0 in 28 outings.