IGD: Padres vs Braves (23 May 06)

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Mike Thompson (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs Jorge Sosa (1-5, 5.55 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

Rookie Mike Thompson makes his second big-league start, after leveraging 14 Padres runs into a win his first time out against Arizona. The Braves counter with Jorge Sosa, who has been abused by left-handed hitters this year (.368/.449/.596 in 57 AB) and in the past (.281/.371/.487 in 690 AB over 2003-2005). He’s also been king of the long ball, serving up 9 taters so far in 36 2/3 innings.

Here’s hoping the suddenly last-place Padres, in the suddenly strong NL West, can stop the bleeding tonight.

38 Responses »

  1. I’d like to nominate Paul McAnulty to get a start at 3B tonight! Anyone with a direct line to Bruch Bochy, please forward this request :-)

  2. How does someone make these smilies faces work in comments?

  3. this Padre offense has a knack to hit balls…. right at defenders recently.

  4. IR … I just type in the ascii-equivalent …

    :-) is just a : – ) … without the spaces ….

    :-( is just a : – (

    :) is : )

    :( is : (

    … others?

  5. Camy with RBI single … we’re on the board!

  6. Is there a rationale for Castilla being in the lineup? And if he has to be in the lineup, is there a rationale for him hitting ahead of Barfield? Just checking …

  7. Oops, Johnson gives up HR to Sosa … bleh … otherwise, it’s been a fantastic outing for him … here’s details …

    IP H R ER BB K HR Season ERA
    M. Thompson 6.0 4 1 1 0 2 1 3.27

    Pitches-strikes – J Sosa 66-44; M Thompson 68-44.

    Ground balls-fly balls – J Sosa 7-7; M Thompson 10-6.

    Batters faced – J Sosa 18; M Thompson 21.

    (note: Sosa’s #s are thru 5 IP)

  8. Ben Johnson with 2 doubles tonight for Portland … http://tinyurl.com/ms78l … hmmm, looks from the box that Sledge came out of the game after 1 AB … Knott with HR #11 …

  9. Johnson thru 7 IP …

    Pitches-strikes – J Sosa 81-53; M Thompson 78-48.

    Ground balls-fly balls – J Sosa 8-9; M Thompson 13-6.

    Batters faced – J Sosa 21; M Thompson 24.

    … hmmm, that’s A LOT fewer pitches than Peavy last night! Nice …

  10. Piazza walks to lead off bottom of 7th … rally time!

    (ps. then he was PR’d for … so he’s done for the night … which might be a good thing given how Bard’s been putting bat on ball!)

  11. How about sending The Hammer (aka Paul McAnulty) in to PH for Vinny right here (men on 1st & 2nd, 1 out, bottom of 7th, 1-1 tie)?

  12. Wow, Sosa walks Vinny … that’s not good (for Sosa) …

    RALLY TIME!

  13. In comes Paronto for the Braves … check out the neck on this guy … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6703 … is it possible he’s the best pitcher for this spot on the Braves roster? Or did Cox call Bochy for an idea on who to bring in?

  14. J. Barfield safe at first on third baseman C. Jones’ fielding error, E. Young scored, A. Gonzalez to third, V. Castilla to second

    … so Padres now up 2-1 … Bard PH’ing … that guy looked great in the games @ Seattle … putting *MAJOR* wood on ball several times!

  15. didn’t look as good tonight.

  16. Fizzle …

    - M. Remlinger relieved C. Paronto
    - J. Bard struck out swinging
    - D. Roberts struck out looking

  17. Linebrink with a thing of beauty … a clean top o’ 8th … good for a “HOLD” :-) Odd that he threw 19 pitches … he only face 3 hitters … only 1 K … but 15 of the 19 were strikes … nice!

  18. Hoffy with save … I think that last AB to Andrew was 9 pitches!

    Well done, boys … especially our starting pitcher, Mike Thompson!

  19. Wow, haven’t heard the term ascii in a while. But its all DOS at some level.

    Padres win, Thompson pitched well again, Padres still are not hitting but hey:

    : )

  20. without spaces

    :)

  21. hmmm, not working.
    :-)

  22. Hmmm, hey IR, how’d you break it! :-(

  23. Who knows … probably something about May … :) :-) :( :-(

    :-O

  24. Here’s 2 notes from USA Today that match what I saw vs Seattle over the weekend …

    - CF Mike Cameron has struck out at least once in eight straight games. He is 9-for-41 during the run.

    —RF Brian Giles is 2-for-15 during the Padres’ four-game losing streak.

  25. Wow, whoda thunk it. Mike Thompson: the Padres new stopper…

    extremely well pitched game, thanks to the courtesy of Braves tv I was able to observe it.

    Whats an old vet like Castilla doing hustling down the line on a routine grounder to short?

    I thought Vinnie broke his neck when the ump called that chin high fastball a strike… his head snapped back like a broken rubber band. I think the next one was actually a strike but the ump did a makeup..

  26. I was down at the park last night; great game. Some comments:

    –Sosa can really hit. The swing on his homer was as good as I’ve seen from a pitcher. Also, as I should have guessed from his splits, he doesn’t change speeds at all on the mound.
    –After battling back from down, 0-2, Bard swung at ball four.
    –Both pitches to Castilla were balls. Plate ump didn’t have a good game. Bochy and Cox were getting on him all night.

    Also, the catch Cameron made in the fifth was amazing. I think it was off the bat of Brian Jordan. Cameron ran forever, caught the ball, had it bounce out of his glove, then secured it on the outside of his glove with his throwing hand. Scary, but amazing.

  27. Hoffy vs. Andruw to end the game:
    9 pitches. 1 fastball. 8 changeups.

  28. Re: Jorge Sosa – he was originally an OF in the Rockies system. Saw him play in Portland when he was in short-season ball here, before the Beavers came back to town.

    He was never much of a minor league hitter, but after his first pro season, he was voted as having the best OF arm in the Rockies system. The Rockies never tried him on the mound, ended up releasing him, but enough scouts had seen him throw to know to try him at pitcher. So now you know the rest of the story, or something like that.

  29. I think the problem is that sometimes you post as “IR” and sometimes as “Irrational Fan” :)

  30. Either that or GY’s messin’ with ya :(

  31. Thanks, Jonathan, for the 411 on Sosa.

  32. first one didn’t work, but the second did. Crazy computers.
    :)

  33. BINGO, smilies like a space before them, which make sense, LM, because you have a space before yours. Problem solved. Now, on to world hunger, the Iraq situation, and Global warming.
    ;) :)

  34. Actually, I’d like to solve the Padre’s anemic offense instead :)

    Maybe this guy and help:

    http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4719/211/1600/witch_doctor.jpg