NL contenders' conundrum: Slow the pace on young aces?

Hey, kids: The back-to-school bell is about to ring, and you think you can just blow off math this year with no consequences?

Are you nuts?!

Reds rookie Mike Leake, pitching for Arizona State last season, has been moved to the bullpen. (Getty Images)

Even if the only thing you like about math is the fact that Winnie from The Wonder Years is cranking out books and making it sexy, you need to know it for reasons like this:

As San Diego, Cincinnati, St. Louis and San Francisco thunder toward the stretch run with rookie pitchers playing pivotal roles, the Padres' Mat Latos, the Reds' Mike Leake and Travis Wood, the Cardinals' Jaime Garcia and the Giants' Madison Bumgarner are being watched as if the hour already is late and the babysitter was due home an hour ago.

Don't look now, but the winning equation in the NL in September might be: X + Y = PLEASE, LET'S FLUFF THE PILLOWS AND GET THAT KID SOME REST!

The Reds made a tough move in that direction Tuesday in Arizona when they bumped Leake to the bullpen despite him being 8-4 with a 3.78 ERA.

Latos (13-5, 2.33) already has established himself as a staff ace this summer as the rampaging Padres have compiled the NL's best record. But as he zoomed past a career high in innings pitched, the Padres worked the angles to give him a two-week rest around the All-Star break, shutting him down from July 9-July 23.

They placed him on the disabled list during part of that time with sore side muscles suffered when he -- official word from the Padres here, don't laugh -- attempted to "stifle a sneeze."

"I wrestled a bear," Latos growled the other day. "Whatever."

The Leake and Latos examples are the best illustrations of the way the Padres, Reds, Cardinals and Giants each are working to finesse precocious -- and vitally important -- rookie starters so that the fuel gauge does not prematurely read "E".

Other young starters factor into the race in both leagues this summer, most notably Atlanta's Tommy Hanson, the Yankees' Phil Hughes, Texas' Tommy Hunter and Tampa Bay's David Price and Wade Davis.

But how effectively Latos, Leake, Wood, Garcia and Bumgarner are managed down the stretch -- and have been managed all summer -- will play a huge role in sorting out October:

Mat Latos
Vitals: 13-5, 2.33
Workload to date: 142 2/3 innings pitched
Professional career high: 123
2010 single game pitch-count high: 108, Saturday vs. San Francisco.
Last three starts: 2-1, 1.42 ERA

Latos, 22, surpassed last year's professional career high of 123 innings combined at Class A, Double-A and in the majors a couple of weeks ago. Manager Bud Black and pitching coach Darren Balsley have been masterful in handling him so far, with Latos' pitch count usually falling in the 90-103 range. The 108 he threw Saturday in San Francisco was a season high.

"I feel amazing, actually," said Latos, who ranks fifth in the NL with that 2.33 ERA. "I feel real good. I knew what was to be expected, so I planned for it this offseason. I did more lateral movement stuff, cardiovascular stuff."

To lessen the risk to Latos' future, the Padres intend to limit his innings to somewhere in the 150 to 180 range this season. With roughly nine starts left, if Latos averages six innings per, that's still 189 innings pitched. The Padres think they can help Latos to the finish line within their prescribed innings-pitched range by using days off to get him extra rest between starts and perhaps by giving spot starts to reliever Tim Stauffer or even, when rosters expand in September, to prospect Cory Luebke.

Then there's veteran Chris Young, who has been disabled all season since starting the second game. Another solid bullpen session Monday in Wrigley Field left the Padres hopeful that he could return in time to make a couple of starts in September.

"That would be very big," Black said. "No matter what innings you're talking about in September, if we're contending, they're going to be very important."

Said Latos: "If it does come down to them wanting to shut me down after 170, 180 innings, believe me, I'll be in Buddy's office pleading my case as hard as possible. Not for me. For my teammates. I enjoy pitching for these guys. It's literally the highlight of my day to be here every day."

Jaime Garcia
Vitals: 10-6, 2.58
Workload to date: 132 1/3 innings pitched
Professional career high: 153
2010 single game pitch-count high: 111, June 16 vs. Seattle.
Last three starts: 1-2, 4.41 ERA

One slot behind Latos in the NL ERA leaders, St. Louis' Garcia is sixth in the NL at 2.58. Nestled into the Cards' rotation behind co-aces Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, his contributions have been especially timely given the significant injuries to Kyle Lohse (who returned Sunday after missing two months with a forearm injury) and Brad Penny (who may be lost for the season).

Garcia, 24, is 23 months out from Tommy John ligament transfer surgery and, at 132 1/3 innings pitched, has shouldered his biggest workload since throwing 153 innings combined at Class A Quad Cities and Palm Beach during his first year as a pro in 2006.

Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan also have been very cautious with Garcia's workload: His high is 111 pitches in a game this season, back on June 16. The Cards also have given him an extra day's rest at each opportunity: He's made 11 starts on the regular four days' rest so far this season, five on five days' rest and four on six days' rest.

"In May and June, we had a hard time manipulating it," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. "But in July and August, the consensus was to try and take advantage of it.

"As we turn toward next week [following two off days this week], it's pretty much a sprint to the end and that might be where we can take advantage of Jeff Suppan in September, make sure we don't push Jaime past a level that will set him back. But with his strength, he's in a good place right now."

The Cardinals have not placed an innings-pitched restriction on Garcia, Mozeliak said, "because that wouldn't necessarily be in anyone's best interest. There may be a point where we feel he's had enough. Or there may be a point where we feel he can keep going."

Mike Leake
Vitals: 8-4, 3.78
Workload to date: 135 2/3 innings pitched
Professional career high: N/A
2010 single game pitch-count high: 108, June 16 vs. Dodgers.
Last three starts: 1-2, 5.52 ERA

Travis Wood
Vitals: 3-1, 2.65
Workload to date: 149 innings pitched (51 with Reds, 98 with Triple-A Louisville)
Professional career high: 167
2010 single game pitch-count high: 112, July 18 vs. Colorado.
Last three starts: 3-0, 2.45 ERA

With zero days in the minor leagues, Leake's jump from Arizona State last spring to the Reds rotation this year was as audacious as the results were remarkable. But the alarms began to sound with this 22-year-old right-hander several weeks ago. After racing out to a 6-1 start with a 3.53 ERA before the All-Star break, Leake has gone 2-3 with a 4.84 ERA since. He's still been effective, though not quite as sharp.

So the Reds replaced him in the rotation with Wood and will use Leake out of the bullpen for a spell.

"We felt in Leake's case, even though he's feeling strong, he's feeling good, we're trying to be very careful and cautious," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "He's approaching an area he's never been, be it in innings pitched or length of time pitched or stressful game situations. He's started some pretty stressful games, and it's different than he's used to.

"You never know for sure what's the right approach. You've got to be cautious."

Leake threw 161 innings combined last year at Arizona State (142) and in the Arizona Fall League (19). In a perfect world, Jocketty said, Leake will check in with somewhere between 175 and 185 innings pitched this season. Jocketty also said he expects Leake to make more starts at some point down the stretch.

"I think we'll see him starting again at some point," Jocketty said. "It might be the first of September, it might be mid-September."

At 23 and in the Reds organization since 2005, Wood, the club's second-round pick in '05, has made a sensational late-season splash to help keep Cincinnati atop the NL Central despite the Reds getting swept by St. Louis at home earlier this month. With 149 innings pitched so far, Wood probably won't surpass his professional career high in innings pitched (167, last summer) for another three starts.

For now, the Leake-to-Wood relay could be just what the Reds need.

"He's been incredible," said Jocketty who, down the stretch, should have a nice stable of starters, including Leake, Wood, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Aaron Harang and Homer Bailey to choose from. "He's done a great job for us."

Madison Bumgarner
Vitals: 4-4, 3.27
Workload to date: 146 innings pitched (63 1/3 innings with Giants, 82 2/3 at Triple-A Fresno).
Professional career high: 141 2/3
2010 single game pitch-count high: 115, July 6 vs. Milwaukee.
Last three starts: 0-1, 4.96 ERA

With two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum suddenly misfiring, losing three consecutive starts for the first time in his career, the Giants unexpectedly have been taking on serious water over the past week. It was only a week ago that lefty Jonathan Sanchez predicted the Giants would take first place in the NL West by sweeping the Padres.

Suddenly, they've lost 4½ games to the Padres over the past nine days, dropping two games behind the Phillies in the NL wild-card chase at the same time.

Suddenly, it's all hands on deck -- and Bumgarner, 21, who replaced Todd Wellemeyer in the rotation, is more important now than anyone could have imagined in April. But as is the case with Latos, Bumgarner is just a pup, he already has surpassed his professional career high in innings pitched ... and there's still six weeks left in the season.

"He's a big, strong kid," manager Bruce Bochy told reporters in San Francisco the other day. "He did throw a lot of innings down in Triple-A and he pitched deep in the game every time out, so that helps out. It's when you have a lot of stressful innings or games -- that's when it catches up to you."

The Giants have not put a hard ceiling on the number of innings they will allow Bumgarner to pitch this season. At least, not publicly. But the warning lights are flashing on him, too. And if the Giants do shut him down at some point in September, don't be surprised if he makes like Latos and sets up an appointment in the manager's office to argue his case.

Because being a rookie in the majors is one thing. But pitching in meaningful games, surrounded by teammates you love, with the stretch run just up around the corner?

"It's like waking up Christmas morning," Latos said. "Christmas morning when you're 4 or 5 years old and Santa's dropped 40 or 50 presents under your tree."