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.
A little.
Hammond has some sort of pact with Satan. He’s amazing.
I’m gonna shut up now. Go ahead run on first.
Hammond is our best reliever. We are playing the best team in baseball in a tight game. And we wait until now to use him.
5 R, 10 H, 1 E, 8 L
5 R, 10 H, 1 E, 8 L
That’s kinda cool.
Made Everrett look silly on that one.
Change is good.
Fick, Klesko & Giles in the bottom of the 9th if we get out of the top of the 9th.
Two on, one away. The lefthanded hitting catcher is up. DP?
That would be the best result. Yeah one DP to go please.
Hey, Bruce. Do you walk Crede to get to Perez?
Instead we got the Willie Mayes Hayes. Two runners now in scoring position.
Not sure there is all that much difference between the two, Crede’s HR notwithstanding.
Crede bats from the right side and Perez the left.
That was almost on the black.
Well we won’t get a chance to find out. Dye subbing for Timo Supremo.
Trevor is coming in.
Not sure about bringing Hoffy in here. Dye is just gonna sit on his fastball.
Trevor absolutely must get this out.
Really. Wow. Bochy just went “all in.”
Hammond threw 22 pitches which is quite a few for him.
Oh yeah, this is the ballgame right here. Beware of the first pitch fastball.
Nice start.
0-2 count. 2 swinging strikes…
He’s going to have to sit on the change.
He went!
69mph on that second one.
GRAB SOME BENCH!
Oh yeah, down 0-2 in the count he should have not and did not see anything but the parachute.
That was vintage Hoffman. Let’s win it with a walk off.
Rally bells, shillelagh, rally unicorn, rally caps… let’s go!
I am afraid of letting this game go any farther for the simple fact that we will have to use May.
Trevor would pitch the tenth, no?
Bob’s got the 3-0 count, now.
He would I would think.
That was a strike, but Aki’s pitch wasn’t, huh?
Umpire gave the Sox a gift, there.
Ryno’s looking to put one in the seats there.
That first pitch to Ryno was more of a strike than “ball four” to Fick.
Farm Report: Ben Johnson with #13 today … Jesse Barfield with #6 yesterday …
Klesko tried to end it there.
Giles is 0 for 4 today.
Homeplate ump stealing a baserunner and gifting an out certainly played a role in that inning.
Uribe, Iguchi and Podsednik for Hoffy. I am not sure I can watch.
The difference between having a runner on first with no outs and have none on with one out is so large, I just…
The umpires have been a factor in all three games, now.
Farm Report: Kottaras (DH’ing) hit #5 yesterday …
Bullpen has not been good today.
On an 0-2 pitch there. Why wasn’t a change bounced up there?
UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG! UG!
