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The Padres season ended just short of a playoff
berth in 2007, after a loss in the 163rd game of
year. Finishing with identical 89-73 records after
162 contests, the Padres and Rockies played a
one-game tiebreaker on October 1 at Coors Field,
with the Friars dropping a 9-8 decision to the
Rockies in 13 innings. First-year manager Bud Black
led San Diego to its fourth straight winning season,
marking the first time in club history that the team
finished over .500 in four consecutive years.
Additionally, the Friars 47 wins at home in 2007
were their most since PETCO Park opened in 2004 and
the most wins at home for San Diego since it won a
club-record 54 games at home in 1998.
The Friars were led by their pitching staff which
posted a Major league best 3.70 (611 ER/1484.2 IP)
ERA. Padres starters led the Majors with a 4.11 ERA
(427 ER/935.0 IP) while the relievers were also tops
in all of baseball with a 3.06 mark (187 ER/549.2
IP). The bullpen’s ERA was the fourth best in club
history and the lowest mark since the 1992 Padres
relievers recorded a 3.01 ERA (184 ER/549.2).
The Padres pitching staff was headed by ace Jake
Peavy who, according to the Elias Sports Bureau,
became only the second pitcher in the last 22 years
to lead the National League in wins, ERA and
strikeouts. Peavy led all Major League hurlers with
a 2.54 ERA (63 ER/223.1 IP) and 240 strikeouts. He
led the National League with 19 wins, 9.7 strikeouts
per 9.0 innings and a 2.57 road ERA (28 ER/98.0 IP).
Chris Young finished fifth in the National League
with a 3.12 ERA (60 ER/173.0 IP), while leading the
Majors with a 1.69 ERA (16 ER/85.1 IP) at home.
 On June 6 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, closer Trevor
Hoffman became the first player in Major League
history to record 500 saves. In addition, Hoffman
reached the 1,000-strikeout plateau on September 8
at Colorado, striking out Todd Helton in the ninth
inning. The all-time saves leader with 524 career
saves, extended his Major League record for 40-save
seasons to nine with 42 in 2007. Hoffman appeared in
his sixth All-Star Game, along with teammates Jake
Peavy (2nd) and Chris Young (1st), marking the first
time in club history the Friars sent three pitchers
to the Midsummer Classic. Jake Peavy was chosen to
start the game at San Francisco’s AT&T Park.
Padres hitters tallied the second most home runs
(171) in team history and the most since San Diego
knocked 172 in 1970. The offense was led by Adrian
Gonzalez who connected for his 30th home run and
collected his 100th RBI with his first career grand
slam in the 163rd game of the season at Colorado.
Gonzalez is the first Padre to hit 30 home runs
since Phil Nevin smashed 41 and Ryan Klesko clubbed
30 in 2001. He is also the first San Diego batter to
reach the 100 RBI plateau since Nevin drove in 105
runs during the 2004 season. Gonzalez is the first
to accomplish both with the club since Nevin (41
homers, 126 RBI) and Klesko (30 HR, 113 RBI) in
2001.
 Rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff helped power the Padres
offense, tallying 18 home runs to tie Benito
Santiago’s franchise rookie record. Kouzmanoff also
collected 74 RBI, third among National League
rookies in 2007 and second all-time among Padres
rookie leaders behind Santiago’s 79 in 1987. Khalil
Greene broke his own franchise record for home runs
by a shortstop with 27, besting his previous mark of
15 in 2004, ’05 and ’06. His 44 doubles, 97 RBI and
89 runs were also career highs and club records for
a shortstop.
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