first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Jake Peavy (2-0, 2.76 ERA) vs Al Leiter (1-3, 6.67)
previews: ESPN | CBS | SI | Padres.com
The Padres got the homestand off to a good start, beating the Marlins 3-2 behind Adam Eaton, who needed just 99 pitches to work 7 strong innings. After averaging 17.6 pitches per inning over his first seven starts, a more efficient Eaton took charge early and outlasted Florida’s Josh Beckett. Rich over at San Diego Spotlight gives his thoughts on the game.
And for Saturday’s matchup:
AB BA OBP SLG
Peavy vs current Marlins 50 .300 .340 .460
Leiter vs current Padres 175 .246 .318 .366
Not many at-bats against Peavy. The most trouble has come at the hands of Mike Lowell: one single, two homers, and one walk in five trips to the plate. For the Padres, Phil Nevin (.440/.545/.720 in 25 AB) has had great success against Leiter. Nobody else is doing much.
The U-T notes that Peavy has allowed 11 earned runs over his past three starts. Impressively, not since July 2003 had Peavy allowed as many as 10 earned runs over a three-start period. Right-handers are hitting just .184/.235/.289 against Peavy this year. Lefties are hitting .265/.297/.480, with 56% of hits going for extra bases.
Anybody out there? I’m charting Peavy’s game tonight.
First inning:
18 pitches, 13 strikes
11 fastballs (90-95), 7 sliders (84-89)
First pitch strikes to 3 of 4 batters.
(Radar readings are from Channel 4; I’m making educated guesses on pitch type based on speed.)
Second base umpire blew the call on Roberts’ stolen base attempt. He was safe.
On replay, Roberts was out.
Peavy’s second inning:
10 pitches, 8 strikes
6 fastballs (88-94), 4 sliders (86-88)
First pitch strikes to 2 of 3 batters.
Fastball has good movement in toward right-handers. Both strikeouts have been on called third strikes.
Giles homers off the top of the scoreboard in right, umpires rule it a double. Ugh.
Peavy is dealing. His third inning:
7 pitches, 7 strikes
6 fastballs (87-96), 1 slider (84)
First pitch strikes to all 4 batters.
Leadoff double to Gonzalez, then nothing. He got LoDuca to pop to Loretta on the slider, same pitch LoDuca hit a weak ground single to right on in the first inning. I love that Peavy came back with that pitch even though LoDuca got a hit the first time.
Loretta has taken Leiter to the warning track both times up tonight. Damn.
Peavy through 3 innings: 35 pitches, 28 strikes.
Tough fourth for Peavy, but leaves ‘em loaded without any runs scoring. Walk to Delgado, single to Cabrera. Weak grounder to first by Easley should have ended the inning but Nevin threw to second, where nobody was covering.
Peavy’s MO: fastballs outer half to get ahead, sliders down and away to get Lowell and Encarnacion chasing.
24 pitches, 16 strikes
fastball 93-94, slider 86-87, changeup 80-85
first pitch strikes to 4 of 6 batters
He’s at 59 pitches, 44 strikes through 4 innings.
Peavy yelling after that weird cue shot to Nevin. Was he yelling at Nevin? at Greene for not covering? I know he yells at himself a lot, but that wouldn’t have been an occasion to do that.
I think he was just pissed because he made a good pitch that should’ve gotten him out of the inning and it didn’t. Not sure it was directed at anyone in particular.
Peavy’s fifth inning:
11 pitches, 8 strikes
fastball 91-94, slider 86-87
first pitch strikes to 2 of 3 batters.
LoDuca could’ve been tossed for arguing called strike three to end the inning. He was fired up.
Pierre has seen a total of three pitches in his last two trips to the plate. Is he always so aggressive?
Eric, thanks for stopping by. I could talk to myself all night if I had to.
I’m here now. It looks like I should have just watched Peavy pitch well instead of losing money at pool.
Welcome, Kevin!
Peavy’s sixth inning:
15 pitches, 10 strikes
fastball 91-94, slider 83-87
first pitch strikes to 2 of 4 batters
Delgado has had the best at-bats of the night against Peavy so far. Lined a 93 mph fastball outer half to the left-center gap on a 1-2 count for a double. Real nice piece of hitting.
Lowell drove in the run with a sac fly on slider that Peavy hung. Lowell and Encarnacion cannot lay off the slider down and away, and they can’t hit it either.
For his career, Pierre sees 3.37 pitches per plate appearance. He walks 44 times every 162 games.
Phil Nevin has walked twice! Life is full of choices, and I made a bad one by not watching this dandy.
The Marlins feed I’m watching just showed some Peavy highlights from tonight. Nasty stuff. Everyone likes the Maddux comparisons, and they’re not bad, but what about Orel Hershiser. Thoughts?
That was a nice inning, which almost assures Peavy of pitching the eighth.
Nope, that’s it for Peavy. May is up in the pen.
And Otsuka.
Darrel May throwing in the pen. haha. that’s funny.
Isn’t he a starter at the moment?
Where are you, Geoff, you didn’t post Peavy’s numbers for the 7th.
Peavy throws harder than Maddux or Hershiser did. How about Saberhagen?
That’s not a bad comparison either. Baseball Reference says he is similar to Josh Beckett and Andy Benes too.
Sorry, eating dinner.
Peavy’s seventh:
14 pitches, 12 strikes
fastball 92-93, slider 84-86
first pitch strikes to all 3 batters
Game totals to follow.
Braves 3, Dodgers 1 in the 8th
Peavy’s night:
99 pitches, 74 strikes
fastball consistently 91-94 all night
used fastball outside corner, slider down and away as strikeout pitches
Delgado is the only guy who made real good contact. He easily had the best at-bats against Peavy. Lowell and Encarnacion looked lost, Pierre was overanxious.
Two broken bats: second inning slider to Easley that he fouled straight back, sixth inning fastball to Lowell that he lined just foul past third base.
It was pretty much vintage Peavy tonight.
I’m sorry, it’s 2-1, Atlanta.
Cue AC/DC.
Unfortunately, I’m getting commercials tonight, so I don’t see Hoffman’s entrance and such.
Oh my, did you see the Chicken?
One out (Death).
The announcers just said Hoffman began coming out to “Hell’s Bells” on July 25, 1998.
Two outs (Taxes).
Three outs (Hoffman).
Four pitches? Geez, he makes it look so easy.
Another one-run game. The Padres are now 11-3 in one-run games. It was vintage Peavy (as Geoff kept track of), timely hitting and Otsuka and Hoffman to close it out. And the San Diego Chicken was there. Are you old school?
The game was two hours, 11 minutes. If you like to go out after the game, then Peavy and Hoffman are your men.
Normally I gripe about 1 run games, but man, they did not have many hard hit balls against our pitching. It was a shame that we did not score more off of Leiter. He did not have good stuff, but somehow got outs. 2 of 2 against the Marlins, run margins aside, is awesome. Not to jinx (knock, knock) but 2 of 3 vs. Arizona, sweep of Rockies, 3 of 4 vs. St. Louis, 2 of 3 vs. Cinci, and 2 of 2 vs. Miami. That adds up to 13-3 in last 16 games. Pretty nice. Hopefully not too far in the TMI category, but the Pads are undefeated when I watch the game on Tivo while giving my girlfriend a back massage (I think 7 for 7).
OK, one gripe. Why, exactly, was Roberts starting vs. a LHP? Unless he has fantastic numbers against Leiter, it was X time. He did work a few walks but overall looked over-matched against Leiter. This is not his fault, but what his skills are. It is Bochy’s fault for putting him in the line up. Free X.
I don’t think I have ever been less-worried about a bases-loaded situation as I was with Peavy on the hill…
Great start, as usual. Sabs is better comparison – good call.
I think Roberts started for two reasons; defense and continuity. Bruce is big on getting a “feel” going and I suspect that him having both Roberts and Khalil there since Monday in Cincy are giving him a chance to build that comfort zone.
The Chicken as Grim Reaper was great.
The factoid that I will always remember re: first Hell’s Bells game. That was the only game in ’98 (reg. Season) where Hoffy blew a save. Alou hit a dinger off him. But we came back and won.
Leiter has a cutter that has generally made him as effective v righties as lefties. At least that’s the theory.