In-Game Discussion: Padres @ Twins (19 Jun 2005)
Sun, Jun 19, 2005
by Geoff Young
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.
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June 19, 2005 at 10:16 am
Happy Father’s Day to all!
June 19, 2005 at 11:04 am
Yes, Happy Father’s Day everyone!
June 19, 2005 at 11:12 am
OMG, Roberts is leading off. Three-pitch strikeout.
June 19, 2005 at 11:25 am
Nady is starting in left, batting seventh. May gets out of the first inning after a leadoff single and stolen base.
June 19, 2005 at 11:27 am
Um, I think that’s Happy Padres Day.
June 19, 2005 at 11:33 am
How is it going, Geoff? I haven’t been on here much this week at all.
June 19, 2005 at 11:40 am
You and me both. It’s good to be back home. I hope all is well out your way.
June 19, 2005 at 11:42 am
Yeah, Richard is going to go nuts when he sees Ojeda hitting in front of Nady. But at least Nady is playing.
June 19, 2005 at 11:43 am
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.
June 19, 2005 at 11:45 am
These Twins are a great defensive team.
June 19, 2005 at 11:53 am
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.
June 19, 2005 at 11:57 am
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.
June 19, 2005 at 12:00 pm
I don’t think you send Nevin vs. Shannon Stewart and Joe Maurer.
June 19, 2005 at 12:00 pm
Nevin tries to go Darin Erstad on the Minnesota catcher but no luck. Still scoreless.
June 19, 2005 at 12:02 pm
I don’t what the numbers are, Geoff, but May is starting because he pitches well vs. the Twins, especially in the Metrodome.
June 19, 2005 at 12:04 pm
Let’s hope he can keep it going! Speaking of going, I have to head out and take care of some errands.
June 19, 2005 at 12:15 pm
Man, if the ball is hit in the air against the Twins, it doesn’t drop.
June 19, 2005 at 12:26 pm
Roberts goes deep to tie it. First one from a left-hander off Santanta.
June 19, 2005 at 12:30 pm
Dave Roberts nuts up to tie it!
June 19, 2005 at 12:32 pm
This is the first game May has pitched into the sixth inning this season.
June 19, 2005 at 12:37 pm
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.
June 19, 2005 at 12:39 pm
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
June 19, 2005 at 12:42 pm
Nevin just drew a walk — and from a very good pitcher.
June 19, 2005 at 12:42 pm
8 pitch walk drawn by Phil Nevin. Fantastic PA.
June 19, 2005 at 12:43 pm
If Ojeda swings at the first pitch, they ought to pull him from the game and cut him from the roster.
June 19, 2005 at 12:45 pm
How about that batting order, Richard?
June 19, 2005 at 12:46 pm
I have not the words, Kev.
June 19, 2005 at 12:47 pm
I still can’t believe they bunted. He just walked two to lead off the inning and you give him a free out.
June 19, 2005 at 12:48 pm
Yeah, and Blum swings at the first pitch.
June 19, 2005 at 12:49 pm
Blummer swung at the first pitch. The ump is squeezing Santana…
June 19, 2005 at 12:50 pm
He swung at Ball 4. What an idiot.
June 19, 2005 at 12:50 pm
What was Blummer doing? 3-1 pitch. You DO NOT swing if you can’t do something with it.
June 19, 2005 at 12:50 pm
So I guess you wouldn’t have called for a squeeze play there, Richard?
June 19, 2005 at 12:51 pm
I blame Bochy for giving them the free out.
June 19, 2005 at 12:52 pm
Thank you, Damian.
June 19, 2005 at 12:52 pm
The Twins are right to be pissed. Santana got squeezed.
June 19, 2005 at 12:52 pm
Who needs Mark Loretta when you’ve got Damian Jackson hitting a bases-clearing, two out double?!
June 19, 2005 at 12:53 pm
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?
June 19, 2005 at 12:54 pm
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?
June 19, 2005 at 12:54 pm
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.
June 19, 2005 at 12:55 pm
I think Bochy has to Ojeda up with instructions not to swing until there are two strikes on you.
June 19, 2005 at 12:55 pm
The blue wrist bands are part of a league-wide Prostate Cancer benefit.
June 19, 2005 at 12:57 pm
Ah, I see.
June 19, 2005 at 12:57 pm
Why are they pulling Darrell after 89 pitches?
June 19, 2005 at 12:59 pm
To give the bullpen a chance to blow it?
June 19, 2005 at 12:59 pm
Thanks, Kevin.
June 19, 2005 at 1:01 pm
Brian Sweeney v. Randy Johnson
Sound about right?
June 19, 2005 at 1:02 pm
What?
June 19, 2005 at 1:03 pm
Maybe Brian Tollberg…
June 19, 2005 at 1:03 pm
Darrell May outpitching Johan Santana reminds me of the Sweeney v. Johnson game.
June 19, 2005 at 1:05 pm
I guess we have to give Bochy credit for this kind of odd move, pitching May instead of Peavy.
June 19, 2005 at 1:05 pm
“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.
June 19, 2005 at 1:07 pm
He did it to give Peavy an extra day. It’s possible that May’s past success in Minnesota played a role, though.
June 19, 2005 at 1:07 pm
“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.
June 19, 2005 at 1:09 pm
What I heard was May has great success vs. the Twins, especially in Minnesota. And Peavy has great success vs. the Dodgers.
June 19, 2005 at 1:10 pm
Final: Cleveland 3, Arizona 2
June 19, 2005 at 1:14 pm
The Twins announcers said Giles isn’t having much of a year, considering he is in a contract year. Idiots!
June 19, 2005 at 1:15 pm
We need six outs. We’re not in a save situation anymore.
June 19, 2005 at 1:16 pm
The Giants just got a two out, 3 run HR in the 9th to go ahead of the Tigers, 8-5.
June 19, 2005 at 1:23 pm
We need three outs. Who will we see on the mound?
June 19, 2005 at 1:27 pm
Well, now the Tigers just got a two out, two run HR to tie it, 8-8.
June 19, 2005 at 1:32 pm
1 down.
June 19, 2005 at 1:34 pm
2 down.
June 19, 2005 at 1:37 pm
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.
June 19, 2005 at 1:40 pm
In your face, Ryne Sanberg!
June 19, 2005 at 1:40 pm
In your face, Ryne Sandberg!
June 19, 2005 at 1:42 pm
Sorry about the double post.
June 19, 2005 at 1:43 pm
What does that mean?
June 19, 2005 at 1:48 pm
Maybe now Geoff will pipe down about the silly Curse of the Fifth Starter… :>)
June 19, 2005 at 5:10 pm
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.
June 19, 2005 at 6:41 pm
Kevin, Ryne Sandberg said the Twins would sweep the Padres.
Brian, technically May is the sixth starter.
June 19, 2005 at 7:51 pm
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.
June 19, 2005 at 9:54 pm
Farm Report:
Redding with good (6 IP) start for Portland … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.....a_tucaaa_1
McAnulty goes 2-for-5 to get back to .300 (OBP in the .370s) … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.....x_biraax_1
June 19, 2005 at 10:45 pm
How did Redding notch only one strikeout in six innings against Triple-A players?
June 20, 2005 at 6:48 am
Um, Richard, is that a rhetorical question?
July 1, 2005 at 12:39 pm
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