• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Brewers throw a wrench in the NL playoff picture

Sep 30, 2007 - 11:19 PM By David Cotey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres spent much of Sunday afternoon glued to the TV while playing the waiting game. They will spend Monday playing a one-game playoff.

The Padres, needing a win to clinch the National League wild card, lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 11-6, Sunday at Miller Park and are tied with the Colorado Rockies atop the wild card standings.

The Rockies were in action vs. the NL West champion Arizona Diamondbacks and held on for a 4-3 victory Sunday to force the tie and Monday's one-game playoff in Denver.

"We have to forget about these two (Padres lost on Saturday), and it looks like we'll play a game tomorrow," Padres outfielder Brian Giles said. "We'll find out tomorrow if we're in (the playoffs) or out. It's one game. We'll have our ace out there. I think we like our chances."

Righthander Jake Peavy (19-6), the NL leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts, will start for the Padres and get the opportunity to win 20 games for the first time in his career, and more importantly, propel San Diego to its third straight postseason appearance.

"I'm excited," Peavy said. "I didn't want it to come down to this, but it has. We'll go to Colorado tonight, have a good dinner and see if I can't win another ballgame for this team and push us on to Philadelphia."

Peavy began preparing for the assignment Sunday and watched video tape of the Rockies once his team fell behind the Brewers, 10-4. He has never pitched in an elimination game.

"It's going to be fun," Peavy said. "We're starting the playoffs with Game Seven. I'm excited about the opportunity, and I think the boys will come out battling and fighting hard. The season is on the line. You play 162 and you still need one more to decide it. You're going home, or you're in."

Peavy allowed two earned runs in 14 innings - two starts - vs. the Rockies earlier this season.

"They're hot," Peavy said. "They're as good as anybody in baseball, but they are a beatable team. They play tough baseball at home, but if I go in there and execute and we score and have good at-bats, I think we'll come out victorious."

Padres manager Bud Black decided not to pitch Peavy in the regular season finale on three days rest, instead opting to save him for a possible playoff.

"We had this mapped out for a while, that this could happen," Black said. "We feel very good with Jake this time of year on regular rest. Jake will be ready. I think he knew it could come to this."

Colorado is expected to counter with righthander Josh Fogg (10-9, 4.79).

"It's a one-game season," Giles said. "We controlled our own destiny, and we still do. We have to go to Colorado and win one game."

On Sunday, the Brewers came from behind as Corey Hart drove in a pair and Gabe Gross belted a bases-loaded triple to lead the Brewers to an NL best 51-30 at home. Hart finished the contest with three RBI and ended his breakout 2007 campaign with 81 RBI, including 20 in September.

"I felt like if I had an opportunity I could contribute," Hart said. "I got a chance, I was lucky enough to get on a good roll and made them feel confident in me that I could do a good job for them."

In a disastrous fifth inning, the Padres watched their 4-2 lead turn into a 6-4 deficit thanks to two wild pitches and a single off second baseman Geoff Blum's glove.

Damian Miller began the frame with a double and moved to third on Jeff Suppan's sacrifice. Rickie Weeks delivered Miller with a single, then moved to third on consecutive wild pitches by Tomko.

After J.J. Hardy walked, Cla Meredith relieved Tomko, and rookie of the year candidate Ryan Braun greeted him with a sharp ground ball off Blum's glove that trickled into right field, allowing Weeks to score. Both runners advanced on Brian Giles' throw to third.

Gabe Gross was intentionally walked and Hart drove in Hardy with a sacrifice fly. Joe Dillon followed with an RBI single.

The sixth inning was no better for the Padres as reliever Kevin Cameron walked the bases loaded before Gross cleared them with a triple off Doug Brocail.

"They're a good team, especially here at home," Black said. "They can hit, and they hit today. They got some clutch hits when they needed to."

The Padres touched Brewers starter Jeff Suppan (12-12) for three first-inning runs, including Giles' third career leadoff home run. Blum later added a two-run double.

Hart homered in a two-run fourth inning for Milwaukee, which clinched its first winning season in 15 years with a win Saturday.

"We felt like we owed it to Major League Baseball to give our very, very best effort, even though we were eliminated," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "The other team was still in contention and we did everything we could to win a baseball game. I'm proud of the way they came out and did their part."

San Diego's Khalil Greene hit a solo home run in the fifth, his sixth RBI of the series.

Tomko (4-12), a 34-year-old righthander who was signed with the Padres on September 4, lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed five runs and five hits and two walks. It was his first loss with San Diego.

Suppan allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings.

Kevin Kouzmanoff and Adrian Gonzalez provided some drama off Milwaukee closer Francisco Cordero with back-to-back solo homers in the ninth, but it proved to be too late.