Kevin Kouzmanoff is trying to redeem a brutal season with a smashing finish.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Hot: Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good. Edgar Gonzalez has won seven straight decisions and overall he is 8-2 despite a 4.61 ERA. One would think that Gonzalez’ agent will be pitching the Joe Morgan “he knows how to win” factor when the next contract comes up.

Not: The miserable season for Stephen Drew continues, with him hitting just .184 over the last ten games. He has still been productive, with one homer, eight RBI, and five runs, but he is going to need to hit a lot better than .231 if he is going to live up to the hype.

Colorado Rockies

Hot: Just in case you were not convinced that Troy Tulowitzki was rookie of the year, try what he has done over the last ten games in the pressure of a playoff hunt: 13-for-34, two home runs, eight RBI, ten RBI, and seven walks. If the Rockies do not make the playoffs, no one can blame him.

Not: Jeff Francis was pounded in his last start, allowing eight hits, four walks, and eight earned runs in just 3 1/3 innings. This was the fourth time in Francis’ last eight starts that he was not able to pitch a quality start.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Hot: James Loney is trying his best to carry the Dodgers into the playoffs. Over his last ten games, Loney is hitting .475 with five home runs, fourteen RBI, and ten runs scored. Maybe, just maybe, had the Dodgers not banished him to Triple-A to open the season, they might not be chasing a playoff spot and instead already have it.

Not: Russell Martin is one of the few Dodgers not hitting right now, with only a .237 batting average over the last ten games, with no homers, three RBI, and three runs in 38 at-bats.

San Diego Padres

Hot: Kevin Kouzmanoff is not guaranteed a starting gig next year after how poorly he has played most of this year, but he is trying hard to redeem his season when it counts most. This month, Kouzmanoff is hitting .442 with three home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored.

Not: Adrian Gonzalez has really hit a rough spell. Over his last ten games, Gonzalez is hitting just .186 with a home run, six RBI, and five runs. This is not a good time for the Padres’ offensive leader to slack off.

San Francisco Giants

Hot: After a disastrous first half, Barry Zito has pitched much better in the second half, going 3-3 with a 3.72 ERA since the break, with 59 strikeouts and only 24 walks in 75 innings. Zito’s K/BB ratio has never been too strong, but his ratio post-break is a very solid 2.50, compared to 1.30 pre-break, as his walk per nine has dropped 1.5 per nine and his strikeout per nine has increased well over a full strikeout.

Not: Noah Lowry once showed a ton of potential. No longer. Lowry was shut down after pitching just one quality start in his last six, supposedly to strengthen his arm. Even if that area does improve, there is no reason to believe that he will be that much better next year.

Questions and comments may be sent to markhaverty@sportsgrumblings.com