Seeking pennant in NL west, possible for any team

I've said it in a previous post that the AL West may be wide open this season. The same applies to the NL West. The D-backs, Giants, Rockies, Padres, and Dodgers are all fighting for first place. Usually I'd agree with anyone that Colorado doesn't stand a chance, but with the way things are shaping up it's not out of the question. At current, they're 6.5 games back in the division at 47-53. The club came close to two shutouts at home this week.

San Diego remains in first place. They're not guaranteed to finish at the top. Their pitching must hold up until late September. With Jake Peavy at the helm they're got a good shot even though they need consistency from the rest of the rotation. Mike Piazza and Brian Giles have to stay healthy as well. Their offense accounts for most of the run production. The Padres are up 2.5 on the Diamondbacks.

In third place are the Giants who are rely too much on Barry Bonds' power and the strength in the rotation from Jason Schmidt. If they want to have a competitive they need to strike another trade before the deadline. Otherwise their season could be up in smoke. Personally, I think the Dodgers have the best chance of coming back and claiming the division title. Sure, they're in last place, 7.5 games back, though they have the best lineup and rotation. As far as their bullpen I'm not so sure without a healthy Eric Gagne.

I can't wait to see what unfolds in the NL West. Which ever teams builds the most momentum down the stretch will probably win the division. With the issues surrounding Barry Bonds I'm sure it will be too big of a distraction to the team. It's turning out to be a close race in the West. No team is out of the picture yet.