Dodgers Web doings: Padres actually have believers

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All you Padres fans who have your panties in a snit because I wrote earlier that I’m far from a believer, take heart.

Yahoo sports.com’s Tim Brown said Tampa Bay Manager Joe Maddon is rooting for the Padres to win the National League pennant so he can meet his old friend, San Diego Manager Bud Black, in the World Series.

And Brown does believe, apparently. In his latest rankings of all major-league clubs, he has the Padres at No. 5, just behind the Phillies (his highest ranked N.L. team).

Tampa Bay is his No.1, and if you’re wondering, the Dodgers are at 17.

Also on the Padres, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney discusses how this team of no-names has had baseball’s third-best record since July 27.

Sticking to the Padres, San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan bemoans the poor offensive production of their outfield and says Jermaine Dye would like to play in San Diego.

And finally to finish off the Padres thread, True Blue L.A.’s Michael White breaks them down in advance of this weekend’s series.

Also on the Web:

-- ESPN.Los Angeles’ Tony Jacksonsaid for left-hander Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers starter Saturday, it’s either feast or famine. Expectations are either off the charts, or the disappointment is.

-- Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com profiles rising star Andre Ethier, and quotes Diamondbacks coach Kirk Gibson saying he expects Ethier will continue to be a clutch player.

-- The L.A. Daily News’ Doug Padilla thinks the Dodgers’ recent improved play can be directly linked to the return of Manny Ramirez.

-- MikeSciociasTragicIllness doesn’t think Joe Torre should be complaining about his pitchers’ failure to go seven innings when he often comes with a quick hook.

-- Riverside Press-Enterprise’s Michael Becker offers a feature on the curious rise of right-hander John Ely.

-- LADodgerTalk has come around on its thinking of utility player Jamey Carroll.

-- And, as they say, last but not least, here at The Times, Kevin Baxter and Baxter Holmes, clearly joined at the hip, take a look at the role of a major-league pitching coach with the Dodgers’ Rick Honeycutt and the Angels’ Mike Butcher.

-- Steve Dilbeck