The NL West is going to come down to the final week, meaning that baseball tickets will matter in every city in the division. However, this is the time of year when certain teams step up while others fall off the pace. As of this writing, only five games separate the first place team from the cellar, and the entire outlook could change over the next few weeks.



San Diego Padres

Currently:

The Padres have been atop the division standings for some time now, but they haven't made a run that puts any appreciable distance between them and the rest of the teams chasing them. They've posted a mediocre 13-13 record over the past 30 days, and perhaps they're not getting on a roll because they really don't have any star power. This is just a team of hard-working grinders who find a way to win more often than not.

Outlook:

Although the Padres are not dynamic in nature, there's no reason to think they'll fade, so they'll be right there until the finish of the regular season.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Currently:

The Diamondbacks deserve a lot of credit for turning around their season after the fallout from the Jason Grimsley disaster. The D'backs went 16-9 over the past 30 days, including a 7-2 stretch to open the second half of the season, putting them right back in the thick of things after being left for dead a month ago. This is another team without huge stars, but pitcher Brandon Webb is leading the way with a great season.

Outlook:

We know better than to count the Diamondbacks out again, and if they can put the Grimsley episode behind them, we know they can deal with distractions.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Currently:

This is a team that's impossible to figure out. They were horrible after the All Star break, losing 13 of their first 14 games to start the second half. Immediately following that debacle, however, the Dodgers have won their last nine games, and are still not out of it after all hopes appeared to be lost. Despite being out with a knee injury, Nomar Garciaparra is still the offensive leader of the team.

Outlook:

This team is as streaky as they come, but if Garciaparra can get back soon, the Dodgers are still somehow in the thick of the race. One thing is certain - baseball tickets in Los Angeles are guaranteed to give fans an interesting show.

Colorado Rockies

Currently:

The Rockies had a tough month, which is why they've fallen down the standings a bit. They went only 10-16 over the past 30 days, and they lost eight of their first nine games after the All Star break. Without the fireworks of Matt Holliday and the pitching of Jason Jennings, this team wouldn't even be close to contention.

Outlook:

The Rockies are looking like a team that could fall into a rut, so they need to guard against that in order to stay in contention.

San Francisco Giants

Currently:

The Giants are hanging on, but just barely. They appear to be slumping at the wrong time, as they have won only nine of their past 25 games. Included in that dismal stretch is a nine-game losing streak, and they've lost 11 of their past 12 overall. If the Giants didn't have Jason Schmidt, it'd be even worse, as he won two of those nine games and lost another when he gave up only three runs.

Outlook:

The time is now for the Giants - turn it around immediately, or start looking towards 2007, with the only remaining relevance of baseball tickets for the rest of 2006 being Barry Bonds' home run chase.