first pitch: 6:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Mike Thompson (2-0, 3.00 ERA) vs Jason Jennings (2-5, 5.18 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN
Greetings from the family farm on Kaua’i. I have been a bit under the weather since arriving, but there is no better place to escape the bustle of everyday life than here among the pineapples, geckos, and chickens.
Unfortunately, one of the other things I’ve managed to escape is any coverage whatsoever of the Padres. I don’t know how you out-of-market folks can stand it.
The Pads beat the Cardinals, 10-8, on Sunday and the only highlight ESPN chose to show was a home run by Albert Pujols. Since when does a homer by a guy on the losing team trump a victory? Well, I guess that’s why this is the steroid era. More glory in home runs than in winning.
But hey, I still love the big fly. I understand from comments in the IGDs that Mark Bellhorn’s homer on Sunday went 438 feet, the longest in Petco Park history. Also, one of Josh Bard’s homers went upper tank in the Western Metal Supply Co. building. Upper tank? Whoa.
Speaking of Bard, reader Ryguy points out how well that deal has been working out for the Padres:
| Player | PA | BA | OBP | SLG | R | HR | RBI | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Bard | 44 | .395 | .400 | .860 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 0 |
| Doug Mirabelli | 25 | .130 | .200 | .174 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Mike Thompson goes for three wins in three starts tonight for the Padres. He’ll be countered by veteran sinkerballer Jason Jennings. For his career Jennings has an ERA of 5.04. However, he has been tough at San Diego over the years, compiling a 3.24 ERA in 58 1/3 innings at the Q and Petco Park.
Talk it up, y’all. I’m sure ESPN will let me know if Todd Helton hits a homer, but I need you to tell me what’s really happening out there. Go Pads!
A look at the future of baseball on the Internet … http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5128
GY – if you’ve got a broadband connection, you can see some good highlights at mlb.com … http://tinyurl.com/s7yqo … bomb’s away!
Geoff –
I just got done posting a rather long account. The whole series against the Cards may have been the best baseball we have played all year when you consider the quality of the opposition.
Ben Johnson with a pair of HRs today for Portland … http://tinyurl.com/qlbk8 … and HRs for Cust and Knott and others! Not Stauffer’s best start, but he’s in line for a W (5 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 3K, 3 ER).
Jared Wells lower’d his ERA to 1.70 today for Mobile … http://tinyurl.com/qqr52
Lynch,
Nice draw for the Beavers this morning. GY-USD unfortunately ended up in Fullerton with CSF and Fresno St. Ouch.
Cesar Carrillo was placed on Portland’s DL this morning. Strained right forearm.
BG – yes, in Regional bracket with Kansas + Hawaii + Wright St … I’ll try to get to 1 or 2 of those games next weekend, but the tickets have been tough to get since this time last year … they want $60 per seat to sit in temp bleachers beyond the LF wall for the Regional this weekend! That’s for all the games, but still pricey, basically for 3 Beaver’s games … then if Texas wins their regional, it’s off to Austin to try to win the Super to advance to the CWS … it’s a fun time to be following college baseball … and many folks here in Corvallis are doing just that.
hank – got any buzz on the Rainbows? … lemme know if you’ve got an inside connection for good seats with the UH fans
Best link for bracket and other CWS news is http://www.ncaasports.com/baseball/mens
Not good about Carillo. The UT this morning had Towers as unconcerned and labeled his injury as forearm tenderness, and now he goes on the DL with strained right forearm. I smell TJ. The Padres have been less than forthcoming with TJ in the past.
Man, that is crushing news about Carrillo. I am suspicious as well. The Padres have been less than forthcoming about things like this in the past. Geeeeesh.. I am with you Bruce, hope its not serious, but not optomistic.
The Hawaii team is very solid, good to excellent starting pitching and some very good hitters. I dont have any in’s for some good seats, sorry.
Looks like Jennings is on his game. We seem to always have trouble with him.
looks like the ball is going to fly again today. Thought that Holliday ball was routine…ha…
Let’s hope that Carrillo thing is minor, like KT says. That would not be good.
I wrote to Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus about Carrillo. He says the Padres are usually straight-up about injuries. Not that they couldn’t find out its worse than a forearm strain, but he doesn’t seem to think they’re misleading anybody.
What is Brower still doing on this team?
Carrillo should have stayed in Mobile.
But hey, we’re playing well and Wells is playing even better.
Today’s AP game story had this news about Estes …
Padres LHP Shawn Estes said he’s “98 percent” certain he’s going to have reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow next week. Estes strained his left elbow during his Padres’ debut on April 5 and was put on the DL two days later. Estes plans to get a third opinion, then will likely have Tommy John surgery next week. He got a second opinion last week from Dr. Lewis Yocum.
Nice game at Lake Elsinore’s Diamond today … http://tinyurl.com/j3p34 … Ekstrom with 8 shutout innings (3 H, 1 BB, 5 K) … Jamison with save #11 (ERA now @ 1.45) … and Headley hit HR #4 …
new message board address for fanstop padres
http://69.94.76.234/public/mlbboards/padres/index.cgi
BAAAAD news on Estes. Man, that’s not good.
Looks like Timmy Stauffer’s doing a bit better in PDX . . . ERA is under 5.00 now.
Brower has to go. If you’re going to have a reliever on the team that gives up runs every time, might as well bring Brazelton back up.
I read in the U-T yesterday that the Pads have until 6/15 to do something with Sikorski, otherwise he becomes a free agent.
It’s not good for Estes, but it’s not that bad for us. Estes hasn’t been even an average pitcher for years.
Yeah — I was kind of thinking he would turn it around a bit this year. He had a decent spring — although that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.
Guess we’ll never know now.
Anyway, if this Thompson kid is serviceable, he kind of cushions the blow. I didn’t see the game last night, but from the box, it looked like he only had one bad inning. We’ll have to see how he does the second and third time around the league.
rotoworld.com reported this …
Vinny Castilla is considered day-to-day due to swelling in his left elbow.
Castilla was hit by a pitch in the elbow during Sunday’s game against St. Louis. Mark Bellhorn could see get some starts at third while Castilla sits.
One of the few useful things Castilla has done in May could turn out even more useful.
I’d platoon Bellhorn and Blum. Bellhorn claims its hard to maintain his swing from both sides. He starts vs RHP, Blum vs LHP.
VERY interesting names on the board
Huffman (2B @ TCU), hmmm, don’t know much about him..