The Padres lost their ninth game in a row with another poor offensive performance. They fall 6-2 to the Rockies. Interestingly, there was a moment of bad luck in the game, one of those oddities that can turn the game in one direction or another:

With the bases loaded and the Padres down by a run with two out in the seventh, Rockies reliever Esmil Rogers uncorked a pitch so wild that it appeared destined to either drill David Eckstein or sail to the backstop for a wild pitch.

But as Eckstein hit the deck, the pitch struck his bat for a foul ball. Nick Hundley returned to third with the tying run and Eckstein struck out to end the threat — although the second baseman said he tipped the strike three.

There are all sorts of examples of this through the season. A bad hop turns an out into a hit. A bad swing causes a dribbler that no one can field in time. A pitcher hits the outside corner, but the ump calls it a ball. The wind knocks down a home run ball, turning it into an out. The difference between a .290 hitter and a .300 hitter over a season is five or six hits. Five lucky plays either way can make the difference.

The Rockies are now just 5 1/2 games out in the division.

Update: This article ties the losing streak to the injury to Jerry Hairtson, Jr. I was under the impression that losing a .249/.305/.369 hitter would improve the club.