Playoff affords Peavy chance at 20th victory

By: DAN HAYES - Staff Writer | Sunday, September 30, 2007 9:32 PM PDT ∞

MILWAUKEE ---- The way Jake Peavy has pitched this season he's likely deserving of more than 19 wins. But in a strange twist, the 26-year-old will get a shot at joining the 20-win club tonight when he takes the mound in Denver for a 4:30 p.m. showdown for the National League wild card.

Peavy, who leads the NL in wins and strikeouts (234), and all of baseball with a 2.36 ERA, will go head-to-head with Colorado's Josh Fogg on four days of rest.

In his last outing Wednesday, Peavy allowed two runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings in San Francisco to earn the victory.

"I feel good," Peavy said. "I'm excited. I didn't want it to come to this, but it has. We're starting the playoffs with Game 7. Hey, it's fun."

Manager Bud Black didn't want it to get here, either. But considering the scenario ahead of the Padres, Black is happy to have Peavy going against a hot Colorado team.

"We had this mapped out for a while," Black said. "We knew it could come to this. If that was the case we'd feel good with Jake and the way he's throwing this year on regular rest."

Travel gets easier

As of two hours before first pitch Sunday, Brian Prilaman was a wreck.

Not only did the Padres' equipment manager have his regular getaway-day duties to tend to, he also had a handful of different travel scenarios dancing around in his head because he doubles as the team's travel manager.

"How do you think I'm doing?" Prilaman said with a smile.

Fortunately for Prilaman and the Padres, the entire playoff mess isn't as sordid as it once appeared. Florida quickly cleared up the picture in the National League East by beating the New York Mets 8-1 to eliminate New York, while Philadelphia defeated Washington 6-1 to win the NL East title.

"It wasn't as bad as it could have been," Prilaman said.

Cameron on the mend

Not only was Mike Cameron dealing with a sore thumb this week, the injured center fielder spent the past three days fighting the flu ---- enough that he had to have an intravenous injection. But the free-agent-to-be was feeling well enough Saturday that he was in uniform and swinging a fungo bat in the cages.

Black also said Cameron threw the ball and swung a regular bat, though with some discomfort. The first-year manager thought in the best case Cameron could be ready to play by midweek, but he wasn't comfortable putting a timetable in place.

"He's feeling better," Black said. "And the thumb is getting better."

Et cetera

OF Brian Giles' leadoff home run was the third of his career. All have come this season. ... 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff's ninth-inning home run was his 18th blast of the season, tying Benito Santiago's franchise record for a rookie set in 1987. ... Both 1B Adrian Gonzalez (29) and SS Khalil Greene (27) established career highs for home runs.