Fall from the Top: Looking at the San Diego Padres Late-Season Collapse

On August 25, the San Diego Padres were the class of the National League. They were 76-50 and had a six game lead over the San Francisco Giants. The Padres were the surprise team of baseball, picked by most experts to finish in fourth in the NL West. 

Led by young starting pitching and a reliable closer in Heath Bell, the Padres had led the division a majority of the season. Manager Bud Black had done a phenomenal job with the club and was the front-runner to win NL Manager of the Year. 

On this night they would opening a three game set at home against the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had been hot for the past month until falling flat and being s...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - San Diego Padres
Article is property of BleacherReport.com