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Chris Young’s dazzling outing on the mound in Game 3 allowed the Padres to take Game 3 from the Cardinals, in St. Louis no less. Did the Padres capitalize on this opportunity and cash in on their momentum? No. They squadered it in Game 4. After leaving an uncomprehendable 27 men on base in Game 3, the Padres continued their tradition of impotent hitting by stranding 17 men in Game 4. Unforgivable. No game in the series was a blowout and victory was well within reach in each game. Clutch hitting was basically non-existant. Quality pitching can get you only so far. Winning teams put runs on the board. Aside from the obvious, runs accomplish 2 things. They put pressure on the opposition while taking the edge off of your bullpen. Sadly, the Padres frustrated themselves game after game with poor hitting. The team that went to the World Series in ‘98 could hit. Yes, they had a quality bullpen, but they also had a range of players that could generate hits and and move men around the bases. If the Padres can shore up their hitting, they should be in good shape for the 2007 season. They have a quality bullpen, many young players who are turning out to be great players, and a club full of guys that genuinely like each other. The Pads already have dumped Bellhorn and have around $30 million of money to shop for players. I hope they get a power hitter in an effort to propel the club into the next level.