first pitch: 10:05 a.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Dewon Brazelton (0-1, 34.71 ERA) vs Jason Vargas (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN.com
The Padres look for the sweep on Thursday against a Marlins team that fields a lot of players that probably don’t belong in the big leagues yet. With a 2006 salary lower than that of 12 major leaguers (including San Diego’s Chan Ho Park), the club that MLB franchise-wrecker Jeffrey Loria is trying to move to San Antonio doesn’t figure to be competitive this season.
I caught most of Wednesday’s game on TiVo last night, and here are a few observations:
- If Loria’s intent is to kill the value of his franchise in its current market, he’s doing a great job; in just their second home game of the season, attendance was listed at 8,994. That might be generous — you could actually hear individual voices in the crowd on the telecast, very reminiscent of a spring training contest.
- Terrmel Sledge showed surprising (to me) opposite field power, lining a ground rule double into the left field corner in the first inning.
- Brian Giles, Khalil Greene, and Adrian Gonzalez all hit balls that very well could’ve been homers at Petco. Giles hit one to the wall in dead center, about 430 feet from home plate, that was caught by center fielder Eric Reed. Greene and Gonzalez both knocked shots off the scoreboard in left field; Greene’s went for a double, but Gonzalez’ was hit so hard that he was held to a single. So when you see that Gonzalez had four singles in the game, understand that one of them almost left the yard.
- Except for the second inning, Chris Young looked sharp. In the second, with a 2-0 lead, he walked the first two batters and then served up fly balls to deep left field off the bats of Dan Uggla and Chris Aguila that stayed in the park. I really thought Aguila’s was gone off the bat (well, not really because I already knew the outcome — but he put a charge into that one). That was pretty much the only trouble Young was in all day. The only “hit” he allowed was a grounder down the third base line that Vinny Castilla waved at and deflected. It wasn’t an easy play but it’s one that a big-league third baseman should make (and I expect Castilla would be the first to tell you so).
- Although Greene hasn’t drawn a walk yet this season, he is working counts, pacing the club at 4.21 pitches per plate appearance through the Padres’ first seven games. Josh Barfield is second, at 4.17. Miniscule sample, but encouraging nonetheless.
Another early start today, as Dewon Brazelton tries to prove that his Padres debut was a fluke. He’s also looking for his first road victory as a big leaguer, having started his career 0-15 with an 8.22 ERA in just under 100 innings. Youngster Ben Johnson is expected to make his first start of the season against southpaw Jason Vargas. Let’s get the sweep!
Why do we need to call up anyone to replace Brazelton? Estes will be coming off the DL soon, right?
Peavy
Young
Woody
Estes
Park
JS – were you being facetious, refering to his 7.61 ERA … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6786 … or did he have some minor league numbers that would suggest something “good”?
No, checked on Braves.com. The braves have Turner Sports network or something like that now. So usually only 1 out of every 3 braves games is on TBS.
It’s really annoying. I would love to see all three games this weekend.
Too bad Loretta isn’t still around — he’s got a nice pitching record. One game with the Brewers, 0.00 ERA.
Blum could probably pitch.
dprat – always good to grab a rox if/when available … i’ve got ‘em both (jacobs & hawpe)
No, LM that was sly humor for the stat junkie…
JS – I like it!
Do Padre players have a propensity to hit fly balls just for fun? I mean how many flyouts do they have today?
JS — I appreciated that joke.
An 8 something ERA for Dewon actually sounds appealing right about now.
I agree with jesse … probably not a good idea to callup Stauffer yet … I’m a big Stauffer fan … but he ain’t ready!
Crap. Bellhorn’s in.
Game over.
For those of you keeping score at home:
Bellhorn has 6 ABs this year. He’s Kd 4 times.
Here’s the pitching stats thru 6 full …
Pitches-strikes – D Brazelton 76-43; S Cassidy 21-14; C Hensley 26-13; J Vargas 100-54.
Ground balls-fly balls – D Brazelton 6-6; S Cassidy 1-0; C Hensley 0-1; J Vargas 2-13.
Batters faced – D Brazelton 22; S Cassidy 4; C Hensley 5; J Vargas 25.
… which says that Florida pitchers have induced Padres hitters into 13 fly outs thru 6 … plus Johnson to open the 7th … fyi.
One of each major kind of out in the 7th … a flyout + a K + a groundout … I see no trend here
if you’re the Padres you won the series: 2 of three.. pretty convincingly in the 2wins.. so I guess this is just the let it go kinda loss…
better than losing by one?
It wouldn’t matter. Any games on TBS would have been blacked out in San Diego anyway. Only FOX, ESPN, and Ch4 can broadcast Padres games in the San Diego market.
What the hell is EY doing on this team? Can anyone tell me? Is he a better right handed option in left than Ben Johnson? He’s a thousand years old!
Jesse, that is a valid question.. I have no idea why EY is there.. and I wonder what will happen when Cameron comes back:
A. Send Ben Johnson down
B. Release Eric Young
C. Release Bellhorn
D. Send down a pitcher
Heads-up … Hoffy’s gettin’ another IP …
Ryguy – I’d say you’ve got ‘em listed in order of probability …
I think they would release Bellhorn first. Young can “play” LF and serve as that 5th OF if BJ goes back to Portland.
Somoene needs to inform Bochy that pinch hitters don’t have to come in alphabetical order.
Young has hit LHP his whole career, including last year. I don’t know why he’s been used as a starter over Johnson this season.
He’s like a habanero chili. Used appropriately, very good. Used too much, trip to emergency room.
Again, why EY in LF? Termel must be hurting.
What’s the thinking behind letting Andrade go and keeping Cassidy?
Anybody?
The Padres may see Sledge as a platoon player, and they might be right. Doesn’t explain why EY got so many at-bats against RHP.
Not sure there was much “thinking” about Andrade. He was the more valuable part of the Burroughs trade, he was better than Cassidy or Sweeney, probably going to be better than Brocail even before Doug’s heart situation, and we tossed him out like a used kleenex.
dprat – Hawpe justified your move tonight
Yes, indeed he did. And a great day for your team, no doubt, with both of those guys.
Nats option’d Wiki Gonzalez to Class AAA New Orleans today.
I’m hearing Steve Tracshel might be available. Apparently, he’s in Willie Randolph’s doghouse for some reason . . .