first pitch: 10:35 a.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Brian Lawrence (5-9, 4.13 ERA) vs Brett Myers (7-5, 3.32 ERA)
preview: Padres.com
Padres have lost six straight, including all five on their current road trip. Still no news on the rumored Phil Nevin for Sidney Ponson deal. I’ll open a new thread if and when something happens.
This is a really weird time for the Padres. And it appears to be spreading throughout the system. Saturday night at Elsinore, I saw a guy trotting to first on a walk get nailed by a throw from the catcher.
Anyway, I guess the Joe Randa era begins today. Hooray, Joe Randa.
I guess you can add that to the “weird things I’ve seen at a Cal League game” to go along with seeing a pitcher get hit by the catcher’s throw to second on a steal attempt, and a game’s winning run scoring from first on a pass ball. Oh, and lest I forget, a game being delayed because the grounds crew (all one of him) turned the homeplate area into a swamp.
Yes, there have been some serious “Twilight Zone” moments in the Cal League. I had forgotten about the overzealous groundskeeper. I love minor league baseball.
Ponson to the Yanks via the Pads? This came to me in a dream last night.
Bal can’t deal with NY because they are in the same league, but the Padres and the Yanks are basically trading partners. We aquire Ponson then trade him to the Yanks for….
Thats when the dream ended, but maybe Geoff of somebody can fill in the blank.
Ponson to the Yanks via us? I would think that Towers would do it in a heartbeat, even for fringe prospects, just to clear up money for another starter and to resign free agents. But I can not thnk of anyone they would trade to us that we want…and I don’t know that the Yanks want Ponson. At least, I don’t see that from Cashman…now, if George is getting involved? We can hope…
No Randa in lineup, no Nevin either:
1. Roberts, cf
2. Loretta, 2b
3. Giles, rf
4. Klesko, lf
5. Sweeney, 1b
6. Blum, 3b
7. Hernandez, c
8. Jackson, ss
9. Lawrence, p
Why take Nevin out of the lineup, if you aren’t going to put Nady in? I thought that’s what this whole exercise was about.
I think you don’t/can’t play Nevin if he’s being traded because you don’t want him to get hurt and kill the deal.
I realize, though, that you’re asking more because of Nady than Nevin.
From TV pregame: Randa is expected in uni today, right around game time. Nothing on Nevin.
They’re saying that Nevin is in uni and that he has until Tuesday to decide.
Announcers: Nevin has until Tuesday to make a decision.
Despite (a) The company picnic being held in 110 degree heat yesterday, (b) my Aug. 5-7 Yosemite trip in danger of being cancelled due to the late snow melt at the high elevations, (c) my credit card being maxed out, preventing me from buying a $17 birthday gift and (d) facing all day with the in-laws (ALL the in-laws), I’m in an inexplicably yet unmistakably good mood today. Maybe it’s the Dwight Yoakum and sangria combo I have going right now.
Anyway, the Padres did not overpay for Randa and Nevin will veto the trade (unless somebody does something to make it worth him moving) AND he’ll snap out of his funk. Sorry to disappoint you, Richard, but Nevin stays.
Somebody has to be the voice of pie-eyed optimism around here, especially now that Geoff has been replaced by Mr. Cranky Pants.
4 1/2 game lead in mid-July and the Dodgers and Giants both REALLY stink. I wish you could have witnessed the Giants last night – a comedy of errors. Life is good despite a, b, c and d mentioned above.
Alt-country is powerful good.
Geoff, is Randa available? Didn’t we bring up that pitcher to replace Burroughs?
Ramon boxes the strikeout pitch and then doesn’t chase down the ball. He’s not right.
Kevin, ESPN has Breslow optioned back to Mobile:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/transactions
You go, Brian! Pass the sangria…
designated pitcher Luis Mendoza for assignment. — who is this?
Forgot to mention said visit from the in-laws prevents me from going to the Caesars/The Sights show tonight. But it is an excuse to tryout a couple of sangria recipes. Excuse my typing if it gets a little bit hjdf09836)(yehsfdb…
Luis Mendoza:
http://www.soxprospects.com/players/mendoza-luis.htm
Don’t know where he was pitching for us.
Mendoza was at Elsinore, very briefly:
http://tinyurl.com/9rkgk
So Randa has arrived…
Joe Randa is in the building.
Do you immediately insert him and burn Blum for the day? Or do you use him later, let him get used to the change?
Bochy will wait for the all-important double switch.
Let’s go, Blummer. Triple scores Ramon.
Oops, it’s B-Law at-bat. Never mind.
Did I miss something..i just turned the game on and Ramon is on 2nd and Lawrence is up.
Ramon doubled to lead off the inning. We left him stranded. No, you didn’t miss anything.
Roberts in July (including 2 AB today): 43 AB, .093 BA, .245 OBP, .093 SLG.
I can see that getting rid of Burroughs and Nevin has jump started our offense. I guess those two were the problem all along. Why couldnt I see that?
Well, Nady and Randa are on the bench. That’s why they don’t have any hits.
Randa did not get there until almost game time…I guess Nady is sitting to get Sweeney in, obvious why Phil is not playing…if I was there I would be watching the dugout…if Randa disappears for an inning or so, it may be to the cage to get warmed up . But they have to burn a player to insert him, and with Khalil sitting, it may be all Randa does today is pinch hit.
The Padres ability to make any pitcher look like a Cy Young candidate is never fails to amaze me.
its pretty bad when the announcers get excited about a pop up that might fall in…geeesh
Nice way to give up a 2b to the pitcher hitting .083 on the year.
second passed ball of the day…distracted any, Ramon?
Yo Brian, where’s that sangria?
There’ll be plenty to drink on the plane flight home at this rate….
Ramon is looking a lot better at the plate the last few days.
Geoff,,,
Plenty of shangriaaa. nflkkkkkkhfdls!
What are the odds of B-Law getting a hit here?
5 innings, two hits, no runs and 5k’s…
both hits are by ramon..RIGHT handed hitter..
loading the lineup with all lefties or all rightys just doesnt work. we have to put our BEST hitters in there and let them play.
bench players are bench players for a reason!
Don’t tell Bochy that, he’d have to play X every day.
Padres finally score. They’re stopping the game to celebrate the moment.
my goodness, two hits in one inning…all the hits are by regulars, btw
blum strikes out…nady or nevin could have done that…
Just me…but I would have felt that was a good place to “get a feel” for Randa.
I was thinking the same thing, Rich.
oh no! goodness you cant expect Bochy to put in a right handed batter to pinch hit against a right handed pitcher…even tho he has 100 pts better ops and 50 pts of batting average better than blum.
Randa is on deck.
Joe Randa is God.
Base knock to left for Randa.