With only one home run all season, Sean Burroughs has been part of the problem for the Padres. Robert Beck/SI
	Division of Non-Powers NL West standings since May 31 Teams W-L PCT. Colorado 14-18 .438 L.A. Dodgers 13-19 .406 San Diego 12-20 .375 San Francisco 11-21 .344 Arizona 11-22 .333

San Diego GM Kevin Towers runs the only team in the National League West that carried a winning record into the Fourth of July, and he's just as uneasy as the rest of the Mild, Mild West. The problem is the Padres lived in a tree for a little more than a month, going a charmed 24-6 after April 27. (They were 11-1 in one-run games during that stretch; 14-3 in games decided by one or two runs.) Outside of that streak? They are 21-32.

San Diego has been hit hard by injuries recently, but within the next three weeks the Padres will welcome back catcher Ramon Hernandez, outfielder Dave Roberts, first baseman Phil Nevin and pitcher Adam Eaton and second baseman Mark Loretta (late July), leaving Towers some wiggle room before the trade deadline to see what parts he needs. (And no, used-up reliever Paul Quantrill is not the answer.)

"Once I see the team healthy, then we can begin to make some calls about where we stand," Towers said. "The one frustrating part for us is we've allowed the Dodgers to hang around by the way we've played against them. We've gone 4-8 against them, and if we had only played .500 ball against them we'd be talking about a 9 1/2-game lead on them.

"I still think everybody in the division has a chance to win it, with maybe Colorado the exception because they're looking to rebuild. The Dodgers are hanging around, the Diamondbacks are a good team and I'm so used to the Giants winning 90 or more games I can't picture them ever being out of it. I fully expect the race to come down to the last month."

Once the Padres get healthy, Towers must decide if the team can use another bat. If so, the X factor is likely to be Xavier Nady, who has picked up playing time at first base and the outfield but will somehow have to stay in the lineup when everyone is healthy. That could mean serious bench time for light-hitting Sean Burroughs, who last homered in April and is the NL version of Tony Womack.

"X has been taking a lot of groundballs at third base," Towers said. "He played there in college. I think he has enough glove to play the position. Throwing may be an issue sometimes for him there, but we can't ignore the production he's given us."

The Padres rely on the 1-2 punch of starters Jake Peavy and Eaton -- San Diego's Petco Park has made the division top-heavy with pitchers' parks -- and a good bullpen. But the forgiveness of the NL West is what may serve them best in the end, especially with the Dodgers' J.D. Drew (surprise!) out with a broken wrist. That 24-6 stretch may have been enough to win the division. San Diego is an 88-win team, but that is all it will need to be to earn a trip to the playoffs.

Not convinced about the division's problems? Check out the NL West standings since May 31 (chart, above).