first pitch: 6:40 7:10 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Darrell May (0-0, 4.24 ERA) vs Brad Halsey (3-2, 3.54 ERA)
The Friars beat Arizona in Tuesday night’s opener at the BOB. The final score was 9-5, but it shouldn’t have been that close. The Snakes’ starter, Russ Ortiz, worked behind in the count all night and was bailed out several times by inexplicably overanxious Padres hitters. (To give one example: In the third inning alone, Ortiz threw 15 balls and 4 strikes, but didn’t surrender a single run; he walked the bases loaded with two outs and then induced Khalil Greene to hit a weak foul popup to Troy Glaus on a 1-0 pitch to end the inning. Before the popup, 13 of Ortiz’ previous 14 pitches had missed the mark; why is Greene hacking?)
The good news is, the Padres got some timely hitting from Phil Nevin, Dave Roberts, and Robert Fick, and hung on to get Adam Eaton his sixth straight victory. Trevor Hoffman capped an “interesting” ninth inning by retiring Craig Counsell on a deep fly ball to right for a one-pitch save. With the win, the Friars move back into first place in the NL West, a half game ahead of Arizona.
Wednesday night features two left-handers.
AB BA OBP SLG
May vs current Diamondbacks 68 .309 .364 .485
Glaus (.545/.583/.727 in 11 AB) is the only batter who has double-digit at-bats against May. Tony Clark and Quinton McCracken have the homers. For whatever reason, the spot in the lineup giving May the most trouble so far this year is the #8 hole (.538/.571/.923 in 13 AB). That’s a real small sample, though, so it could be a fluke. Again, with limited data points, May has been very tough with RISP (.200/.250/.267 in 30 AB); those numbers are pretty far out of line with what he’s done over the past several years, so it’s probably a fluke. It’s also helps explain the respectable ERA despite weak supporting numbers. Eventually those guys May puts on base are going to start scoring. Every time he gets the start, you just hope he can keep it close until the bullpen arrives. It has the potential to be ugly sometimes, but how is that any worse than what the Pads had at #5 for much of 2004?
For the Snakes, Halsey makes his 16th big league start and second against San Diego. His first game against the Pads last month was pretty darned good, although Nevin and Ramon Hernandez did take him deep.
X Factor
Xavier Nady did not play in Tuesday night’s contest and remains well rested. He has sat out 4 games in a row, and 8 of the last 11.
G AB BA OBP SLG
thru Apr 13 8 34 .412 .459 .824
since Apr 13 24 52 .154 .279 .250
(Thanks to David Pinto’s Day by Day Database for those numbers.)
I’m beginning to think the bench may not be the best place for Nady. I wonder if anyone else could use his services.
Pizza Feed
In the comments to yesterday’s In-Game Discussion LynchMob alerted us to the Baseball Prospectus Pizza Feed that is happening at Petco Friday, June 24. Padres GM Kevin Towers will be speaking. More info is available over at Prospectus. Maybe we can get a bunch of Ducksnorters out there.
What was with both Nevin and Giles swinging at the first pitch?
That inning was like a death by papercuts. But I will take the runs any way you can get ‘em.
That was a “give-back”…ump can call interference when you hook a foot like that…Clayton’s foot got in between nady and second and when Clayton fell back he pulled X up & off…
What a weird inning. But it’s 6-3; we’ll take it.
Hrbek-like…great comparison. like I said…
Insult to injury: They charged Halsey with an error on the Klesko grounder. Halsey actually made a nice play to get to the bag and get the out. Harsh.
Not the call you would expect from the home town scorer.
May is reaching the end of his effectiveness…they had him on a 75 pitch watch. They will try to qualify him for the W.
Double switch – Dj to center
Nady’s night is done. Home run Tony Clark. You can’t really expect to win the games May starts.
There is no way that we should be letting the likes of Tony Clark and Royce Clayton beating us.
Geoff, we had won them both…May is no worse than Tank or Germano or Hitch was…and he was gassed, remember he had adapted to bullpen work…May hasn’t given them the lead, Rudy has…
Welcome to batting practice.
That lead was nice while it lasted.
Sure, Seanez coughed up the lead. But you’re not going to win many when the starter gives up six.
All of those homers were crushed, especially Torrero’s.
On the bright side, DJ is in the lineup to help mount a comeback. Sigh.
Beware that third time through the lineup when May pitches.
Bochy just wanted to strategically place Seanez in the order so he could get a couple innings out of him *sarcasm off*.
Damn. Can’t blame DJ for that. Nice play by Glaus.
” But you’re not going to win many when the starter gives up six.”
granted, no doubt about that…
DJ could have just pitch here anyway if Bochy wanted the speedster to get on base. Either that or Bochy all of a sudden decided he needed a “superior” defender in center.
Anybody wanna tell me why we haven’t locked him up yet?
And thank you, Bob Melvin, for having Lopez pitch to Ramon right there. Tied up again.
Has Burroughs hit a ball out of the infield yet (besides the one that trickled out there after the error)?
SAN DIEGO CATCHER RAMON HERNANDEZ DOUBLED IN THE SEVENTH INNING TO EXTEND HIS HITTING STREAK TO 12 GAMES.
I wonder what our record is when not trailing after 7 full innings … I gotta like our chances this evening! We know one thing … May won’t pitch any more this game
I’m interested in any opinions on how Valverde is looking … I’ve got him on my roto team … thanks … but haven’t seen him yet this season.
Valverde on your roto team? Come on Lynch! Drop it like its hot!
That’s why I’m in an AL only roto team. I don’t have to root against the Padres to win.
It looks like our hope that Nevin had broken out of his slump was a bit premature.
Rich Campbell at the plate…
Hey Peter … AL roto? What is the AL? Why do you think they call it the “junior circuit”?
I just make sure that I have a good enough roto team that I don’t have to root against the Padres
BTW, in general, I don’t acquire Padres … I can’t stand the double-whammy when they lose
Aki and Seanez both are struggling in this series.
Aki’s in trouble again … 2 on, 0 out …
LOL – touche’ AL works better for Roto anyway, you don’t have to worry about pitchers hitting…
Padres vs. LynchMob Propellerheads
It’s a lose-lose situation. Either you’re upset about your roto team, or upset about our Padres…
OMG, it’s Reyes.
If they get out of this with only giving up the tying run, it will be a miracle. Nevermind, Reyes is coming in. I give up all hope.
Bruce, what’s amazing is that we’re even in this one at all. It’s the exact reverse of last night’s game: they’ve had numerous chances to put us away but haven’t been able to do it.
I agree. Without those gifts in the fifth we are done.
Ironic if Denny’s Reyes bails Aki out with a couple K’s
I want to punch Bochy in his enormous face.
This is gonna get ugly real quick.
Council should pay me & I should have turned the TV off. When I watch him, he hits.
How do you put Aki in to pitch the 8th after what he did last night? How do you not put Hammond in after what he did last night?
Arizona and the umps tried to give this one to us, but Bochy wasn’t having it. Managers don’t win games, but they do lose them for you.
I don’t know why Hernandez didn’t go down on his knees for that one.
Why didn’t Hammond open the 8th? Why?
If Hoffy were really a lights-out closer, wouldn’t/shouldn’t he have been brought in instead of Reyes?
Hey, we got an out.
Who wouldn’t you bring in over Reyes?