With the dog days of summer upon us, one of the biggest questions is whether youth or age will win the West.
The Rockies are a young team that still needs to learn how to win in the clutch. The Giants and Padres have a lot of creaky knees and sore hamstrings to attend to, but they have veterans who don’t flinch. Right now, experience is trumping youth, but that could change as the long season winds down.
Padres (51-47)
Who’s hot: First baseman Adrian Gonzalez, named the NL player of the week after hitting .607 with a .964 slugging percentage. He had a 14-game hitting streak through Sunday.
Who’s not: Starter Jake Peavy, who was supposed to be the staff ace but is 4-10 with a 5.15 ERA and hasn’t won since May 28.
What to watch: If the arrival of former Cubs reliever Scott Williamson will give the Padres the best bullpen in the division.
Giants (51-48)
Who’s hot: Shortstop Omar Vizquel, who has slowly inched his average to .303 and has a .379 on-base percentage.
Who’s not: Closer Armando Benitez, who gave up a game-tying, ninth-inning homer Sunday to the Padres’ Terrmel Sledge, who was hitting .156.
What to watch: If newly acquired first baseman Shea Hillenbrand can shed his reputation as a malcontent and help the Giants down the stretch.
Diamondbacks (50-48)
Who’s hot: Outfielder Luis Gonzalez, who despite trade rumors hit .463 with eight doubles in his past 10 games.
Who’s not: Starter Juan Cruz, knocked around early and often by the Rockies on Sunday.
What to watch: How Arizona fares on a 10-game road trip that starts tonight in Philadelphia.
Dodgers (47-52)
Who’s hot: Outfielder Andre Ethier, in line to be rookie of the year thanks to his .338 batting average.
Who’s not: The rest of the lineup, hitting .133 with runners in scoring position since the all-star break.
What to watch: If the return of outfielder Jason Repko, back from a two-month stint on the disabled list, will put some life in the L.A. offense.
Rockies (46-51)
Who’s hot: Shortstop Clint Barmes, who’s breaking out of a season-long funk. He entered Monday night’s game with an 11-game hitting streak, during which he hit .375.
Who’s not: Reliever Jose Mesa, who gave up a game-winning homer Saturday at Arizona and has a 6.94 ERA in his past 13 games.
What to watch: If Todd Helton, who’s been mediocre at the plate, will hit better from the No. 5 hole.
