Louisvilles best hope is not only to wi

SAN DIEGO -- The Colorado Rockies continue their three-game series with the San Diego Padres on Friday, nestled on the fringes of the National League wild-card race.Getting thumped 14-1 by the Padres in the series opener Thursday didnt help the Rockies cause. But at least Colorado can sniff a playoff spot.The Padres were long ago been erased from being a postseason factor. They assume their traditional role as a spoiler in a season-ending span of 22 more games against National League West teams.However, there is another race that is heating up for the Rockies.Can second baseman DJ LeMahieu win the NL batting title?No doubt, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.LeMahieu is matched against the New York Mets Daniel Murphy, with Murphy holding a slight edge, .345 to .342, after the Colorado veteran went 0-for-1 with two walks Thursday. That ended a stretch in which LeMahieu hit safely in eight of nine games.Baseball law says manager back their players. And while Weiss appreciates Murphy, he likes LeMahieu.A lot of that has to do with seeing what hes made of, Weiss said. It really shows up every day in him trying to get better. Thats how he works, thats how he competes. I expect DJ will be in that race right down to the end.The beginning of Padres pitcher Luis Perdomos career caused some pause. After never working above Double-A before this season, the right-hander got rocked for six runs in one inning by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the season-opening loss.However, as the Padres get closer to the tape, Perdomo (7-8, 5.92 ERA) has been among the few bright spots in another dismal season. The Padres have notched one complete game this season, and it belongs to Perdomo, 23.Perdomo has defeated the Rockies twice this year in three decisions. One of those wins came as a reliever, before he was inserted into a depleted rotation after the Padres peddled starters James Shields, Drew Pomeranz and Andrew Cashner and went into complete rebuilding mode.Since June 15, Perdomo has surrendered three earned runs or less in 10 of his 14 starts.The Padres have some concerns about his workload, as he has thrown 121 2/3 innings. He threw 126 2/3 innings last year when splitting time between low Class A Peoria and high Class A Palm Beach.He feels good, manager Andy Green said. But that is something we will watch.The Padres will try to add a day of rest down the stretch with an eye on Perdomos inning total.Perdomos mound opponent Friday will be Tyler Chatwood (10-9, 3.94 ERA). The Colorado right-hander is making his second start since being reinstated from the disabled list after recovering from a back strain. He took the loss on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing six runs (five earned) in five innings.Chatwood has been particularly impressive on the road, pitching to a 6-1 record and a 1.82 ERA. His road ERA is the best in the majors (minimum 50 innings pitched).Chatwood is 2-0 with an 1.84 ERA in two starts against the Padres this season. Clearance Shoes Australia . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. Shoes Australia From China . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. https://www.shoesaustraliaonline.com/ . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Fake Shoes Australia . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Shoes Australia Outlet . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Were almost at the halfway point of the season, the time of year when the top teams in the country start to separate by rising to the top of their conference standings.Clemson has emerged as the clear frontrunner to win the ACC, Washington has proven to be the team to beat in the Pac-12, and Alabama is still ... Alabama. In the Big Ten, the Ohio State-Michigan game cant get here soon enough, and the Big 12 is simply playing from behind, once again depending upon a backloaded league schedule to impress the selection committee when it matters most.In the Group of 5, Houstons top four dreams were shattered on Saturday with an American Athletic Conference West Division loss to Navy.Conference play has that effect, as teams knock each other out of the postseason picture and undefeated ranked teams -- gasp! -- lose. There are still 11 undefeated teams remaining, including nine from the Power 5 conferences. At this point last year, there were 16 unbeaten teams, and only one - Clemson - stayed that way.Can this years Power 5 frontrunners stay the course until Dec. 4 when the College Football Playoff selection committee releases its final ranking? The sport has a tendency to sort itself out.In many ways, it already has.Heres a closer look at the College Football Playoff pecking order heading into Week 7. For more, watch tonights College Football Playoff: Top 25 (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).Tier I: Alabama stands aloneUntil proven otherwise, Alabama remains king. Not even Ole Miss, which was the only team to beat the Tide in each of the past two seasons, was able to finish the job on its home turf this year. Heres the tricky part: Alabama is beginning its toughest three-game stretch of any season since 2005, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information. The Tide will travel to Tennessee this weekend, come home to face Texas A&M on Oct. 22, then have a bye week to prepare for a road trip to LSU on Nov. 5.According to ESPNs Sharon Katz, an average FBS team would have a .05 percent chance to win all three games, which includes three opponents ranked in the top 12 of ESPNs Football Power Index (two on the road). Alabama isnt exactly average. ESPNs FPI gives the Tide a 29 percent chance to win its next three games.If it does? Alabama stands alone -- again.Tier II: Win and youre inCandidates: Ohio State, Clemson, Michigan, Washington, Texas A&MThis group likely features the Big Ten champ, Pac-12 champ and ACC champ -- a forecast of three of the top four playoff spots. Add in the SEC champ (See: Tier I) and theres your top four.Only one question here: Whos the Big Ten champ?No, we cant fast-forward to Nov. 26, when Ohio State hosts Michigan, but that will be The Answer to the Big Tens playoff question. Its possible -- but extremely unllikely -- for the runner-up to get into the top four, especially if the other candidates here run the table and win their leagues.dddddddddddd According to ESPNs FPI, Clemson has a 36 percent chance to enter bowls undefeated, Michigan 34 percent and Washington 31 percent. We will know a lot more about the Buckeyes on Saturday after their trip to Wisconsin, an opponent Michigan already defeated.And then theres Texas A&M. The Aggies already have wins over UCLA, Auburn, Arkansas and Tennessee, but none of it will amount to a top-four spot if the Aggies cant win at Alabama on Oct. 22 (See: Tier I). ESPNs FPI gives A&M a 29.3 percent chance at the upset. If the Aggies can pull it off, it will change the playoff picture instantly.?Tier III: Playoff worthy but needs helpCandidates: LouisvilleThe ACC appears to be the Power 5 conference with the best chance to get two teams in the top four in spite of the Cardinals narrow, thrilling loss at Clemson on Oct. 1. The only reason this scenario isnt far-fetched is because Louisville has looked like a top-four team with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, and its favored to win each remaining game by at least 70 percent.The problem is Houston is the only ranked team remaining on the Cardinals schedule, and Houston just lost to Navy. Now, Houston might not even win its own West Division in the American Athletic Conference. It would still be a respectable win for Louisville, but it wont carry as much weight with the committee as it would have had the Cougars been fighting for a spot in the top four. Louisvilles best hope is not only to win out, but to have another conference champion with a weaker strength of schedule slip up and have two losses.Tier IV: The Power 5 undefeatedsCandidates:?Baylor, Nebraska, West VirginiaBaylor has almost no margin for error, as it faces the same nonconference strength-of-schedule questions it had in the first two years of the CFP. With wins against SMU, Northwestern State and Rice, an undefeated season is the Bears only realistic hope at cracking the top four.Nebraska has quietly gotten off to a 5-0 start, but the Huskers have back-to-back road trips at Wisconsin (Oct. 29) and Ohio State (Nov. 5) -- the only two games on their schedule ESPNs FPI doesnt project them to win. If they escape those trips, its time for a more serious conversation. The same can be said for West Virginia, which has played only one FBS team (Kansas State) with a winning record. If the Mountaineers are still undefeated heading into November, after road trips to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, thats only half the battle. Texas, OU and Baylor still await. ' ' '