Adrian Gonzalez is quite a hit(s)

How about that Adrian Gonzalez?

Forget Baseball Hall of Fame players Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield for a moment.

Gonzalez became the first San Diego Padres player ever to collect six hits in a nine-inning game Tuesday at the Milwaukee Brewers.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone.

After all, Gonzalez was tearing the cover off the ball and leading the National League in home runs until opposing teams wisely decided to start walking him over-and-over again from June on forward.

And to think that Gonzalez and Padres closer Heath Bell could have been members of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the July 31 trading deadline …

The Padres were asking for Dodgers first baseman James Loney and catcher Russell Martin … among others … for Bell and Gonzalez.

Can you imagine even how much better the Dodgers would be with Bell and Gonzalez?

Speaking of the trading deadline, it doesn’t look so much like a fire sale when the Padres traded Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox for four pitchers on July 31.

Has anybody else noticed that the Padres have won all three games started by Clayton Richard, a key figure from the White Sox in the Peavy deal?

For the past two weeks, it’s all good news for the Padres as they gaze toward what the future might have to offer.

Los Angeles Dodgers may be MLB's best team

One month does not a season make; but it sure makes the Los Angeles Dodgers look awfully good.

In fact, could the Dodgers be the best team in MLB right now?

They have already set a team record with a 10-0 start at home ... which is quite impressive considering how impressive the Dodgers have been over the past several decades.

Is there any stopping them?

Certainly not in the weak NL West. By August, the Dodgers should be setting up their playoff pitching rotation.

And that's where things could get interesting.

The Dodgers are off to their great start despite Opening Day starter Hiroki Kuroda being injured since Game 1.

Chad Billingsley, the only five-game winner in the NL, looks like a world beater. And the Dodgers will definitely go get an ace before the trading deadline.

It may not seem like much that the Dodgers just swept four games vs. the lowly San Diego Padres. But consider it was the first time LA ever swept a four-game home game series vs. the Padres, who have given the Dodgers fits over the years.

The Dodgers won easily Sunday while resting regulars Manny Ramirez, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake and Russell Martin.

Put it this way: Any team with Blake batting No. 8 must be pretty darn good. He'd be batting No. 5 on numerous teams.

Watch out for those Dodgers!

How about those Dodgers?

To quote Mr. Ed, the famous television talking horse of the 1960s: “How about those Dodgers?”

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been dead for years, look like they could be very alive in 2008.

Certainly, one week does not a six-month season make, but this team has improved itself immensely and should be gaining on the NL West.

Two additions in particular make the Dodgers a better team this season:

Andruw Jones may still not be hitting, but he’s already winning games with his spectacular defense in center field.

Hiroki Kuroda, the Japanese import pitcher, can throw strikes. He started off 10 straight Padres batters with strikes at one point Friday night; a statistic virtually unheard of in today’s world of pitchers falling behind hitters.

The Dodgers already had fine young players in the likes of catcher Russell Martin, first baseman James Loney and outfielders Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

Rafael Furcal is solid at shortstop. Jeff Kent is getting older at second base, but Chin Iung-Hu is already proving to be a man who can spell Kent late in games (and occasionally the starting lineup) to keep Kent fresh. The black hole is still third base; we’ll see what happens when Nomar Garciaparra returns from the disabled list.

The Dodgers have a solid top-four pitching rotation with Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Kuroda. And it certainly appears Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito have surpassed San Diego’s Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman as a late-inning relief combination.

Add Manager Joe Torre to the mix and we have a clue for you: Watch out for the Dodgers in 2008!