first pitch: 1:40 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Brian Lawrence (1-2, 5.60 ERA) vs Shawn Estes (1-1, 4.00 ERA)
game previews: ESPN | CBS SportsLine | SI
Padres try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Snakes this afternoon. Saturday night’s loss was frustrating but not entirely surprising given the Pads’ lack of success against Brandon Webb in the past and poor clutch hitting this year, and the fact that once again their best hitter (Xavier Nady) was not in the lineup. Talk of bringing up Damian Jackson or Kerry Robinson to replace the hitless Adam Hyzdu is great, but none of those guys is a difference maker. Nady might be. It’d be a shame to see him waste another year in deference to guys with bigger contracts who aren’t necessarily better options.
AB BA OBP SLG
Lawrence vs current D'backs 183 .235 .286 .355
Estes vs current Padres 201 .274 .368 .378
Padres vs LHP 151 .252 .370 .444
Giants vs RHP 420 .257 .321 .390
The one guy who owns Lawrence is Jose Cruz, Jr. (.538/.600/.923), currently on the DL. Shawn Green (.224/.296/.367) has two homers against Lawrence in 49 at-bats, while Luis Gonzalez (.200/.243/.314) hasn’t left the yard in 35 at-bats. For the Pads, Ryan Klesko (.368/.455/.632) has done the most damage against Estes. Geoff Blum (.444/.545/.889) and Xavier Nady (.500/.500/.875) also have had success, in much smaller samples. Estes has pretty well neutralized several of the Friars’ best hitters: Phil Nevin (.200/.351/.267), Brian Giles (.160/.222/.320), Mark Loretta (.211/.348/.263), Ramon Hernandez (.063/.167/.063). Day game after a night game? Looks like a good time to start Miguel Ojeda.
Just got home from lunch: 2-0 Arizona in third, threatening to score more. Padres have no hits. Ugh.
Tony Clark, three-run jack: 6-0. Lawrence has nothing.
Wow. Roberts almost took Estes out to right-center. Leadoff triple. That ball was crushed.
Home run… Jesse Garcia?!
Tying run comes to the plate with two out in the eighth: Miguel Ojeda. What a bizarre inning.
Brandon Lyon in. Brian Giles bats for Ojeda, hits a routine grounder to short, but the shortstop is playing behind second base. First and second.
Ground ball to first by Jesse Garcia, inning over. Padres down 8-6. Nice to see them doing some damage against the Arizona bullpen. Not as nice as it would have been not to fall behind 8-1, but whatever.