SAN DIEGO, Calif. - By now, the label's about worn off completely.

You pitch in 60 major league games over the course of five months, whiff some of the game's very best hitters more than once and firmly establish yourself in a vital role, you almost have to remind yourself and others that you haven't done this before 2009. That you're still only in your first go-round.

Heck, on the Padres, who isn't?

"It's been hard to feel like a rookie," said relief pitcher Luke Gregerson, a 25-year-old right-hander. "Initially, I did feel like one. But we've had so many guys coming in, guys about the same age in pretty much the same situation as me, just coming out of the minors."

However, the fact that Gregerson is only in his first campaign above Double-A ball makes his overall performance this season even more impressive. Among first-year relievers with at least 60 innings pitched, Gregerson is first in the majors with his 23 holds, best by far in the National League with 76 strikeouts and second-best with an earned-run average that just got back under 3.00 with a strong road trip.

Repeat, road trip.

While recovering nicely from three blown saves in the first month of his big league career and a stint on the 15-day disabled list, Gregerson has withstood the constant notation that he's been so much better at Petco Park than anywhere else. Not that that's good news to the Colorado Rockies, who open a weekend series downtown Friday night.

Things lately have begun to even out, but still, opponents are batting .145 against Gregerson in San Diego and .308 in Padres road games. That's based on exactly 117 at-bats over 30 games both home and away.

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