first pitch: 11:10 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Darrell May (0-1, 5.20 ERA) vs Johan Santana (7-2, 3.32 ERA)
previews: ESPN | CBS | Padres.com
The Padres managed to avoid the sweep Saturday night thanks to some good pitching from Brian Lawrence, and the hot bats of Ryan Klesko and catcher (!) Robert Fick. Nice to see Bruce Bochy get a little creative and stick Fick behind the dish for his first start there since 2001. The guy is on your roster, might as well use him. (Sorry, Mr. Nady; this logic doesn’t apply to you.)
So today’s game should be a lot of fun. On the one hand, you’ve got last year’s unanimous Cy Young Award winner. And on the other, you’ve got the third lefty out of the bullpen being asked to make another start. Is there even a line on this one in Vegas? (Just checked, and there is; Padres are at +225, worst odds of the day.) Seriously, this is one of those games that will bring great shame on the state of Minnesota if the Twins somehow manage to lose it.
As a team, the Pads are hitting .241/.324/.357 against southpaws. Khalil Greene (.289/.313/.578 in 45 AB) and Xavier Nady (.294/.390/.412 in 51 AB) are the only guys doing much against lefties this year. Players Nady could spell today include Dave Roberts (.227/.306/.273 in 44 AB), Sean Burroughs (.238/.298/.310 in 42 AB), and Klesko (.250/.364/.321 in 56 AB). Not that anyone is going to hit Santana, but it’d be nice to see somebody at least throw Nady a bone once in a while.
The good news is, despite all their recent struggles, the Friars still lead the NL West by 2 1/2 games and still have the fourth best record in the league. If they can start playing good baseball again, like we know they’re capable of doing, the division is the Pads’ for the taking.
76 Comments
Happy Father’s Day to all!
Yes, Happy Father’s Day everyone!
OMG, Roberts is leading off. Three-pitch strikeout.
Nady is starting in left, batting seventh. May gets out of the first inning after a leadoff single and stolen base.
Um, I think that’s Happy Padres Day.
How is it going, Geoff? I haven’t been on here much this week at all.
You and me both. It’s good to be back home. I hope all is well out your way.
Yeah, Richard is going to go nuts when he sees Ojeda hitting in front of Nady. But at least Nady is playing.
Nady breaks up the no-no. It’s a single in the box score but in a real ballpark, that’s a double or a possibly a home run. Nady crushed the pitch, banged it high off the wall in right.
Man, I hate domed stadiums.
These Twins are a great defensive team.
May is getting it done. He seems to do well in long relief or emergency duty but not when he is officially part of the rotation.
This is as good as I’ve seen May in a Padre uniform. He’s working both sides of the plate and not just nibbling at the outside edge.
I don’t think you send Nevin vs. Shannon Stewart and Joe Maurer.
Nevin tries to go Darin Erstad on the Minnesota catcher but no luck. Still scoreless.
I don’t what the numbers are, Geoff, but May is starting because he pitches well vs. the Twins, especially in the Metrodome.
Let’s hope he can keep it going! Speaking of going, I have to head out and take care of some errands.
Man, if the ball is hit in the air against the Twins, it doesn’t drop.
Roberts goes deep to tie it. First one from a left-hander off Santanta.
Dave Roberts nuts up to tie it!
This is the first game May has pitched into the sixth inning this season.
Make sure nobody reminds Darrell May that he’s freaking Darrell May.
After six, he’s allowed fewer hits and fewer walks than Santana while striking out more.
May: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Santana: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR
Nevin just drew a walk — and from a very good pitcher.
8 pitch walk drawn by Phil Nevin. Fantastic PA.
If Ojeda swings at the first pitch, they ought to pull him from the game and cut him from the roster.
How about that batting order, Richard?
I have not the words, Kev.
I still can’t believe they bunted. He just walked two to lead off the inning and you give him a free out.
Yeah, and Blum swings at the first pitch.
Blummer swung at the first pitch. The ump is squeezing Santana…
He swung at Ball 4. What an idiot.
What was Blummer doing? 3-1 pitch. You DO NOT swing if you can’t do something with it.
So I guess you wouldn’t have called for a squeeze play there, Richard?
I blame Bochy for giving them the free out.
Thank you, Damian.
The Twins are right to be pissed. Santana got squeezed.
Who needs Mark Loretta when you’ve got Damian Jackson hitting a bases-clearing, two out double?!
DJ? wow, when things are going right, everything falls in place..
What have they done with May? Who is that freaking left handed monster on the mound for the Padres?
The home ump, Gardenhire and some of the Twins are wearing a light blue wrist band on each wrist. What was this, a giveaway day?
The home plate umpire was insisting on giving us the game in that inning and bad manging (sac. bunt) and poor plate discipline (Blummer) almost let the Twins get out of it.
I think Bochy has to Ojeda up with instructions not to swing until there are two strikes on you.
The blue wrist bands are part of a league-wide Prostate Cancer benefit.
Ah, I see.
Why are they pulling Darrell after 89 pitches?
To give the bullpen a chance to blow it?
Thanks, Kevin.
Brian Sweeney v. Randy Johnson
Sound about right?
What?
Maybe Brian Tollberg…
Darrell May outpitching Johan Santana reminds me of the Sweeney v. Johnson game.
I guess we have to give Bochy credit for this kind of odd move, pitching May instead of Peavy.
“Seriously, this is one of those games that will bring great shame on the state of Minnesota if the Twins somehow manage to lose it.” – Geoff
Great shame.
He did it to give Peavy an extra day. It’s possible that May’s past success in Minnesota played a role, though.
“The Padres managed to avoid the sweep Saturday night …” I’m going to pick on Geoff here, but you don’t avoid a sweep in Game 2. I guess he was assuming a loss today.
What I heard was May has great success vs. the Twins, especially in Minnesota. And Peavy has great success vs. the Dodgers.
Final: Cleveland 3, Arizona 2
The Twins announcers said Giles isn’t having much of a year, considering he is in a contract year. Idiots!
We need six outs. We’re not in a save situation anymore.
The Giants just got a two out, 3 run HR in the 9th to go ahead of the Tigers, 8-5.
We need three outs. Who will we see on the mound?
Well, now the Tigers just got a two out, two run HR to tie it, 8-8.
1 down.
2 down.
3 outs. Good win for the Padres. With the series on the line, May comes out and outpitches Johan Santanta. Go figure. Good move by Bochy juggling the rotation.
In your face, Ryne Sanberg!
In your face, Ryne Sandberg!
Sorry about the double post.
What does that mean?
Maybe now Geoff will pipe down about the silly Curse of the Fifth Starter… :>)
Kevin: You’re right, I was assuming a loss today. I really thought we had zero chance of winning this one. I am absolutely stunned.
Kevin, Ryne Sandberg said the Twins would sweep the Padres.
Brian, technically May is the sixth starter.
From The AP: Damian Jackson’s tiebreaking double in the seventh shouldn’t have come as a total surprise. Jackson is 15-for-41 (.366) with the bases loaded in his career with 38 RBIs. “He was clutch up there for us,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We had good at-bats against a very, very good pitcher (Johan Santana).” Prior to his double, Jackson was 6-for-30 (.200) with no RBIs against lefties this year. … Starter Darrell May has a 5.00 career ERA, but is 2-3 with a 3.11 ERA in seven career games at the Metrodome. May spent the past three seasons with Twins’ division rival Kansas City.
Farm Report:
Redding with good (6 IP) start for Portland … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&did=milb&t=g_box&gid=2005_06_19_poraaa_tucaaa_1
McAnulty goes 2-for-5 to get back to .300 (OBP in the .370s) … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&did=milb&t=g_box&gid=2005_06_19_mobaax_biraax_1
How did Redding notch only one strikeout in six innings against Triple-A players?
Um, Richard, is that a rhetorical question?
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