first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Adam Eaton (4-1, 3.79 ERA) vs Josh Beckett (5-2, 2.14)
After a 5-2 road trip, the Pads return home to play the two best teams the NL East has to offer. The story out of Florida is the pitching. Marlins hurlers are holding the opposition to .226/.300/.328 through 31 games. They’re basically making everyone look like Paul Bako or Juan Castro right now. Looking for chinks in the armor, not finding much. I guess the one good thing is that the Pads aren’t throwing a left-hander against them this weekend. The Fish are hitting .316/.373/.462 against southpaws, as compared to a more manageable .259/.335/.392 versus right-handers.
AB BA OBP SLG
Eaton vs current Marlins 115 .339 .392 .513
Beckett vs current Padres 76 .211 .315 .316
Juan Pierre (.444/.483/.630! in 27 AB) has Eaton’s number. In limited time, Miguel Cabrera (.714/.750/1.286 in 7 AB) has put up some sick numbers as well. On the other side, no Padres have faced Beckett often enough to make a difference. Khalil Greene has the lone home run.
Random stat of the day: Brian Giles has yet to strike out in May. Over those 10 games, he’s hitting .378/.500/.703, with seven extra base hits and nine walks.
Pre-game discussion topic: Ken Rosenthal has the Padres interested in Mike Cameron yet again (see URL link for details). Any interest here in a deal?
absolutely. I was thinking of that today. Mets need a better-hitting 1B than Mientkiewicz. Will Nevin and Roberts for Cameron work? with cash considerations?
The article says that Mets would be looking for bullpen help. You would then assume maybe…Linebrink? Seanez?
Doesn’t Nevin have a no-trade clause, which is what killed the proposed Ken Griffey, Jr. deal? For that matter, doesn’t Klesko also have a no-trade?
Here’s what one Mets fan has to say:
http://metstradamus.blogspot.com/2005/05/maximizing-value.html
All are too steep for my taste. I could almost see the Linebrink one if the Mets threw in a boatload of cash.
Honestly, though, I don’t think Cameron is a huge upgrade over Payton. Their career numbers:
Cameron: .248/.340/.440, 105 OPS+
Payton: .285/.335/.443, 100 OPS+
There’s a small difference in defense between DR, JP and Cameron.
I don’t think the defensive difference is small. I think Cameron is easily the best of those guys.
I would like to see Cameron with the Padres for Roberts and a reliever. I don’t know if that would get it done, but in the bullpen, we have depth.
I just got home from dinner. I see Eaton has held the fish scoreless through four. Has he looked as good as his numbers would suggest?
Give it up for Bruce Bochy on that hit and run call. Took a little courage after having Loretta thrown out last inning.
That was a very good PA from Roberts to load the bases.
Eaton looked very good tonight. More bad baserunning and situational hitting. Should’ve scored at least three runs in the seventh.
Man, what a big double-play ball.
That was great seeing all 43000+ waving their Trevor Time t-shirts as Hoffy made his entrance.
Does this feel like a playoff game?
Yes. Yes, it does.
It was nice to see. I saw it on MLBtv, and they are not showing commercials tonight, so I saw his entrance and everything.
One out (Death).
Another strikeout. Two outs (Taxes).
Call it, Kev…
Three outs (Hoffman).
Plus, Weaver just gave up a slam to LaRoche…Dodgers now down 4-2. Woohoo!
AND, the Braves just got a grand slam to go ahead of the Dodgers. Half a game out after tonight?
How ’bout them D’Backs? I just saw the score there. Wow.
What a nice win. Eaton (5-1, 3.42) really stepped up in a game against a great starter. We got some clutch hitting. Otsuka worked out of a jam against the heart of the lineup. Hoffman saved his 403rd game.
Giants won, D’backs lost. This is going to be a fun division.
Cool win. However, all these 1 run wins keep making me nervous. Pads are 10-3 in 1 run games. The only other team at all close to that kind of ratio is Chi Sox at 14-4. Could we start actually creating some margin so that I think all our wins are more skill than luck? Skill to keep it close, luck that we win most of them.
Inexcusable. Gaslamp Ball had more comments. Just sad, really.
http://www.gaslampball.com/story/2005/5/13/215345/395#43
I know what everyone keeps saying with the luck thing, but I don’t buy it completely. Just because a team is not dominant does not mean they are lucky and not good. Good teams who play in pitchers’ parks, who play low-scoring games, who win with their bullpen, they are going to have less dominant runs scored and runs given up numbers.
Yes, gaslamp Ball had more comments, and yes, I stop by regularly there, but, dammit, 3/4 of the comments were by Dex. That’s no “in-game discussion.” That’s just a dude talkin’ to himself.
I’d comment there more often, but you have to jump through all sorts of hoops to do it.