first pitch: 1:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Brian Lawrence (3-6, 4.78 ERA) vs Freddy Garcia (6-3, 3.51 ERA)
Great comeback win Saturday night against the White Sox. Rookie Tim Stauffer allowed a first inning run but otherwise matched Mark Buehrle pitch for pitch. But with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and with Jeff Brantley’s favorite closer on the hill, Ramon Hernandez launched a solo homer into the left field seats to tie the game, 1-1. Four batters later, Damian Jackson punched a grounder past the drawn-in infield to plate Sean Burroughs with the winning run.
Stauffer threw strikes early and often, showing excellent command of the breaking ball and working smart sequences. He was efficient, throwing just 92 pitches (65 for strikes) in seven innings.
The Padres look to take the series in a Sunday afternoon affair that marks the end of their longest homestand of the year. The breakdown:
AB BA OBP SLG
Lawrence vs current White Sox 62 .306 .368 .468
Garcia vs current Padres 84 .286 .362 .357
Juan Uribe (.375/.400/.667 in 24 AB) has faced Lawrence the most, and done the most damage. For the Padres, Robert Fick (.455/.500/.455 in 11 AB) and Ramon Hernandez (.368/.368/.474 in 19 AB) have had the most success against Garcia. Phil Nevin (.071/.188/.071 in 14 AB) hasn’t done much. Given Nevin’s recent general lack of production, today might be a good time to give Fick the start at first base.
I am usually on time delay with Tivo, so just finished watching last night’s game. Great pitching on both sides, and the only slip I saw from Chicago was Karnerko’s running on the double. Either he is really slow or he was not running full out. He had to have been running all out; he makes Nevin look speedy. They got the call last night; we get it tonight.
There was a lot of criticism about Bochy last night. His lineups are pretty bad at times; his burying Nady and running out Nevin despite horrid numbers are the biggest headaches. But this team is playing attentively; he handles his pitchers well and, they keep trying. Last night was a case in point. I would love a good-natured, manager willing to use numbers, but he is not killing us. He does hurt us on the topics mentioned above, but some of this falls back on the players.
Anyway, that last inning was great. Probably unjustifiably, I don’t like Hermanson. Ever since being jettisoned by the Padres, he always seems to step it up against the Padres despite having so-so stuff. Nice to see some of the so-so stuff show up finally.
I loved watching Stauffer pitch. Using a variety of pitches, generally getting ahead. And, while Aki made it a little too interesting, I love that the relievers got 5 or 6 k with their six outs.
Here is today’s lineup, submitted for Richard’s and everyone else’s approval. It’s pretty good.
Jackson, 2b
Fick, rf
Klesko, lf
Giles, cf
Nevin, 1b
Hernandez, c
Burroughs, 3b
Greene, ss
Lawrence, p
I would always bat Giles, then Klesko, then Nevin in the middle of the order, because Giles is the best hitter, but I guess that’s a small quibble.
My Pick
to Click:
Robert Fick.
Carl Everett teed off on a pitch in his wheelhouse to make it 1-0, White Sox.
I posted this late last night, after the game had ended. I’m also posting it here to gain feedback. I heard some writer from the Union-Trib on ESPN Radio this morning, saying the Padres still need a fifth starter. Guy sounded either half asleep or half in the bag.
Nine days between starts sure didn’t bother Tim Stauffer.
In his sixth start, Stauffer allowed just three hits – an RBI double and a pair of infield singles.
After Scott Podsednik led off the game with a dribbler up the third-base line and Tadahito Iguchi brought him home with a double, Stauffer retired 21 of the next 22 hitters, including the final 13, he faced. Only Iguchi reached base again, on an infield single to short with two outs in the third inning.
Stauffer struck out a career-high seven, including Podsednik, Iguchi, and Aaron Rowland in the sixth inning.
Stauffer never walked a batter, the first time he’s done so in his career. He threw 65 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Stauffer threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of the first 21 hitters. In the seventh, Stauffer retired the heart of the White Sox order, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, and A.J. Pierzynski in order, despite getting behind on the first pitch to each hitter.
But despite this sparking performance, Stauffer failed to notch a win for the fifth straight start. During this stretch, he’s 0-2 with three no decisions.
The Padres, meanwhile, are 4-2 when Stauffer pitches, and the kid’s delivered a quality start (at least six innings with three or fewer earned runs allowed) in four of his six outings. On the other two occasions, Stauffer allowed four earned runs and lost both games, 5-0 at Seattle May 22 and 5-0 vs. the Chicago Cubs on June 2.
Overall, the Padres have scored just 19 runs in Stauffer’s six outings (3.17 runs per game). Look further into the 19 runs the Padres scored in Stauffer’s six starts, and you’ll find that only eight runs came with Stauffer on the hill. San Diego scored the other 11 runs after Stauffer was removed from the game.
San Diego’s offense helped Stauffer win his major league debut, 7-2, over Cincinnati on May 11. In that game, the Padres scored five runs in the six innings Stauffer was on the hill and two afterward.
The San Diego offense has not scored with Stauffer on the mound in his last 13 innings and only once in his last 24-2/3 innings.
Here’s the numbers:
Cincinnati, May 11
Total San Diego runs-7
SD runs w/ Stauffer-5
SD runs w/o Stauffer-2
Atlanta, May 16
Total San Diego runs-5
SD runs w/ Stauffer-2
SD runs w/o Stauffer-3
Seattle, May 22
Total San Diego runs-0
SD runs w/ Stauffer-0
SD runs w/o Stauffer-0
San Francisco, May 28
Total San Diego runs-5
SD runs w/ Stauffer-1
SD runs w/o Stauffer-4
Chicago Cubs, June 2
Total San Diego runs-0
SD runs w/ Stauffer-0
SD runs w/o Stauffer-0
Chicago White Sox, June 11
Total San Diego runs-2
SD runs w/ Stauffer-0
SD runs w/o Stauffer-2
Overall, Stauffer is 1-2 with a 3.93 ERA. In 36-2/3 innings, he’s allowed 34 hits and 16 runs, all of them earned, with 24 strikeouts and 12 walks.
Stauffer has allowed 8.34 hits per nine innings pitched, with a 1.31 WHIP (including two hit batsmen in his debut against Cincinnati.)
He’s thrown an average of 96.7 pitches per outing, and 63.3 percent of those pitches have been for strikes.
And Baseball America did not list this kid as one of its Top 100 Minor League prospects. Further evidence of BA’s renowned bias against baseball players from the Northeast.
I saw the post last night. Stauffer has been good. Maybe the guy was not talking about Stauffer when he spoke of the need of a fifth starter.
Nevin: 3-run homer! Padres, 3-1.
I saw Nevin’s body-lean, I saw the extention, and before the camera even changed views, I’m yellin’ “get out! get out! get out!”
Yeah, Nevin probably threw his helmet and said, that’s an upper deck shot in any other park.
Ted Williams, I mean Robert Fick, is batting .400.
Nice triple by Greene. It went right under the left fielder’s glove, but Greene needs something to get him going.
The announcers say it’s a single + an error.
Two base error charged to Timo Perez. Podsednik robbed B-Law…
Runner on third, no outs and we may not score.
It’s up to Bob, now.
Rich, the White Sox announcers say Greene should have scored on that pop fly. I’m not so sure.
Wow.
I thought he should of scored, anyone else have thoughts on that? – Ugh! how do we leave so many 2nd & 3rd base runners stranded?
Fick is down to .385. That just shows how hard it is, kids.
.385 – he sucks. Those a Derrek Lee numbers.
not bad enough you have to speculate that nevin should be benched, he hits a 3 run homer and you take the opportunity to throw in an undeserved helmet throwing dig..
all the guy does is come to the park every day and play if he can walk. give you everything he has every day and still he gets bashed.
i will be damned if I can understand it..
.385 – he sucks. Those are Derrek Lee numbers.
I think Nevin had his wrong foot planted on the bag, so that’s why he had an awkward reach.
Nevin plays hard. I like Nevin. He was the only good player on the team for years. This year, he has not been himself. As such, others should be getting more playing time.
I have never said Nevin should be benched. I give him some ribbing because he is always pissed about something.
The first base umpire wants to call people safe.
That was not a patented Brian Giles at-bat.
“He’s an honest, no-guff-taking cheerleader.” – Grant on Ozzie
That’s a paraphrase, not a direct quote. Pay no attention to the quotation marks…
I don’t know if Ozzie would like the cheerleader part.
Trivia Question: Which White Sox player proposed while deer-hunting?
I don’t know. What was the deer’s answer?
B-Law gave up another home run. At least he’s making them solo shots.
IC: Yeah, Stauffer is looking great right now. I’m really glad we have him in the fold, and not Kyle Sleeth.
Hank, the trouble with Nevin is that he isn’t really getting the job done. Nice to see him hit a homer this afternoon; hopefully that gets him started. Regardless of how hard he’s trying, it’s very frustrating to watch rallies die with him.
Jay: Konerko is extremely slow. He is a former catcher.
It’s about time you got here, Geoff.
14.25 pitches per inning for B-Law thus far.
Rich, are you going to give us the deer answer?
Thanks, Kevin. It’s nice to be missed.
Khalil has another hit.
Podsednik isn’t a guy you want on second here…
So does that Harris guy do anything but bunt?
That didn’t work particularly well for them.
You’d think if it’s all he does, he’d be better at it. Lawrence needs to throw at Everett…
The Hawk said something about execution, but I don’t Harris should be killed.
Hernandez had the ball and tagged him too high.
Great throw by Fick, great effort by Ramon, great slide by Podsednik. Anybody else is out at home on that play. We’re tied.
That’s why I didn’t like seeing Podsednik on second in case anyone was wondering.
C’mon, toss Everett.
You can’t run onto the grass, Carl. Jeff’s son can play some third base.
How can they even argue that Everett wasn’t out of the baseline? He’s running on the grass, for crying out loud.