Jim Brower working to Ramon Vazquez in the ninth inning of an 11-0 game misses for ball one. The Channel 4 mics pick up a guy screaming “pitch to him!” Beautiful.

The Giants, of course, did to pitch to him and to everyone else in the lineup. The Pads, for their part, connected with a hefty portion of the offerings. Phil Nevin and Terrence Long had three knocks. Mark Loretta, Brian Giles, Jake Peavy, and Brian Buchanan (who didn’t even come to the plate until the eighth inning) had two each. Even Jay Witasick hit a ball well to right. Giles hammered his second homer in as many nights.

Sure, it ended up being a laugher, but what was particularly encouraging is the way the Padres executed. They put guys on base, moved them over, and drove them in. Until it got to be garbage time, I can’t remember a bad at-bat. Okay, there were a couple. Ramon Hernandez grounding to a drawn-in J.T. Snow with Long at third after a leadoff triple in the second. Ramon Vazquez popping up on the first pitch with runners at the corners and nobody out in the fourth. But that’s nitpicking.

The pitching was also solid. Peavy struggled a little with his command at times, walking four. But he also struck out Barry Bonds looking in the second on a beautiful inside fastball that tailed back to catch the corner. Witasick also looked good, as did Jason Szuminski, who ended the game by striking out Neifi Perez.

Today’s game is an afternoon affair. Ismael Valdez against Kirk Rueter. Fielders, be on your toes: balls will be put into play…