So, if the Padres didn’t use Rod Beck in the ninth last night, then why exactly did they sign him? One of the things a big-league bullpen should be capable of doing is holding a lead. These aren’t guys you bring in only after the damage has been done. I feel horribly for Brian Lawrence right now. He’s thrown two beautiful games in a row, only to see his manager’s complete lack of confidence in the ‘pen undermine those efforts. Very frustrating.

Granted, Lawrence hadn’t thrown as many pitches last night as in the Milwaukee game, but how does Bruce Bochy go the mound with Bobby Higginson at bat and Jesse Orosco ready, and come away without bringing Lawrence with him? Maybe Bochy shared Rick Sutcliffe’s opinion that Lawrence’s kicking at the dirt after allowing a leadoff single on an 0-2 pitch signified that the right-hander was still competing.

I dunno, I tried to tune Sutcliffe out last night. When he focuses on things he knows (like pitching), Sutcliffe can be very good. But last night he didn’t have much to say (but talked a lot anyway). I lost interest when, early in the game, he referred to yesterday’s first pick overall Delmon Young as Dmitri Young’s son and then used that to segue into a discussion of Gary Matthews Jr.

Whatever.

The Draft

I’ll have more to say about this in the coming days, but for now I just wanted to point out an article on Pads’ first-round pick Tim Stauffer. A reader alerted me to this one: Stauffer bound for West Coast (Saratogian.com).

Stauffer’s hometown paper in New York includes a scouting report from Kevin Towers, thoughts from Stauffer and his family, and the information that the right-hander will start at Eugene in the Northwest League once he signs. The story’s writer also has his own blog, which is well worth a visit.

More later…