I don’t know where to start. Last night’s is a game that not only could have been won, but should have been won. Tough pill to swallow but there it is.
He’s a Rookie? You’re Joshin’ Me
It’s a credit to Josh Barfield’s level of play so far that you go for weeks at a time without remembering he’s a rookie. When he makes a few critical miscues in a game, as he did Monday night in Phoenix, it’s shocking because he’s been that good.
And it’s a credit to Barfield’s character that he accepts responsibility for the loss: “My defense let the team down and cost us the game.” It’s impossible to know what’s going on inside someone else’s head, but I get the sense that Barfield isn’t so much getting down on himself as he is just being honest and not making excuses. As manager Bruce Bochy said, “He’s a tough kid. He’ll bounce back and be ready.”
If anything, Barfield’s response to his poor game jarred us back into a state of some disbelief that he’s a rookie. He didn’t try to avoid the media, he didn’t pin his miscues on some external forces (such as Arizona’s fast infield or Tony Clark’s broken bat entering his sight line), he just stepped up and said what actually happened.
How, as a fan, can you even stay mad about that? The guy made a mistake, he knows it, and now he’ll go back to doing what he’s been doing. It’s not like he’s some washed-up catcher claiming that a return to Boston felt like being “called back up to the majors.” I can get mad about that because it’s a tale told by an idiot. But I can’t get mad at Barfield. The kid made a few mistakes on the field last night — it stinks, but it happens.
There’s Something About Scotty
What is starting to concern me a bit is the performance of Scott Linebrink. The Padres right-hander has been automatic over the past two seasons, but so far this year he’s been one of San Diego’s least reliable relievers.
Last night, after retiring Luis Gonzalez on a hard hit ball to center, Linebrink missed badly on his first two pitches to Clark. The third pitch was right in Clark’s wheelhouse, and Clark crushed it for a game-tying homer. Clark, it should be noted, was hitting .132 at the time and mired in an 0-for-26 slump.
Linebrink’s stuff looks as good as ever, but his command isn’t quite what it has been in the past. Honestly, his performance this year reminds me of Akinori Otuska’s last year. I’m hoping this is just temporary and something he and pitching coach Darren Balsley can straighten out before too long.
Aside from That, Mrs. Lincoln…
Positives? Sure, plenty of those:
- Chan Ho Park pitched another brilliant game. His ERA is down to 3.27. It should be even lower, but for a blown call at first base in his previous start against Brandon Webb and the Snakes (good band name, BTW). And Park also should have one less wild pitch than shows up in his stat line thanks to a blown call by plate umpire Mark Carlson on Monday. Anyway, those guys are human, too; the point is, Park is pitching great. He struck out eight and walked just two (both intentional) against Arizona.
- Josh Bard can play. Inserted into the cleanup spot, the switch-hitting catcher collected three hits, including a two-run homer, in his first three at-bats. Unlike the guy he was traded for, Bard isn’t completely useless and in fact is a very capable big-league ballplayer.
- Adrian Gonzalez, not abandoning the approach that worked for him earlier in the season, is starting to hit the ball again. Monday night he drew a walk and took Webb out of the yard on a sinker down and away. Gonzalez went with the pitch, driving it hard to the opposite field and over the fence in left.
- The Padres scored 5 runs on 10 hits against Webb, one of the toughest pitchers in the NL this year. Webb hadn’t allowed that many runs in a game since last September, when the Giants scored 6 against him.
- The Padres haven’t lost a nine-inning contest since April 29, when the Dodgers beat them, 4-2, at Petco Park. Since then, the Pads are 15-2, with both losses being extra-innings affairs decided by one run. Even when they’re losing, they’re not going down easy.
Tough loss. Irritating loss. Avoidable loss. But it’s in the books, and now we move on. Jake Peavy, coming off his 13-strikeout perfomance against the Brewers, gets the call tonight.
Sounds like as good a time as any to start a new winning streak.
Snakes Just .5 games behind Pads!
Tonight: The National League West Statement Game Smack Down!!
Are we pretenders or contenders?
Luckily, out best pitcher takes the bump to show we are the real deal despite lasts night embarrassment.
Another look at the legal gunk going on over the value of baseball stats for fantasy baseball businesses … http://tinyurl.com/zg66o.
Brian @ pdxbeavers.com writes up Ben Johnson’s return to Portland … http://www.pdxbeavers.com/comments.php?category=1&id=642 … and notes that Leone also had a pair of solo shots!
Mo @ pdxbeavers.com reports this …
According to today’s Beavers game notes, outfielder Eric Valent exercised an out clause in his contract, and was released by the team.
After spending most of the season hovering below the Interstate, Valent’s recent batting surge pushed him over the Mendoza Line, as he finished his brief Beavers career with a .209 average with 4 RBIs in 30 games. He did exhibit an above-average arm in the outfield.
… I saw Valent in spring training, and he looked decent … so I suspect he’ll get a shot in another organization. I think it’s a positive indication of some depth at the top of the farm system that Valent & Bozied got squeezed out …
BP’s STAT OF THE DAY
Top 5 2006 NL Catchers, by VORP
Player, Team, EqA, VORP
Damian Miller, MIL, .309, 14.0
Brian McCann, ATL, .305, 12.4
Brad Ausmus, HOU, .309, 9.6
Michael Barrett, CHN, .288, 7.7
Rob Bowen, SDN, .398, 6.7
… we miss ya, Rob!
I totally agree on Barfield. He’s going to make mistakes; frustrating when they happen, but I am hopeful they he can bounce back. The real onus is on the clubhouse to counsel him, and help him focus on the next game. Towers has been gushing about the clubhouse, so my guess is he is getting support. It would be very bad if Bochy sat him tonight.
Vinny is starting to drive me crazy, in case you have not noticed. I can accept things you cannot control (Linebrink’s control problems, Barfield’s fielding, etc), but pretending Vinny is an everyday 3B is stupid roster management. Thing that bugs me #1; #2, is his positioning. He cannot control his reflexes on making plays (very good, actually) but he can control, and Bochy & co can control, where he positions himself. Again, I count two runs that arbuably could have been avoided. It’s a 1-2 count on Byrnes in 2nd and Vinny is playing way, way off the line. I don’t know if the book on Byrnes is an opposite field kind of hitter, but Vinny was nowhere near the ball when it got pulled down the line. It is not clear if he could have made the play even if correctly positioned, but I don’t get his position against a right handed batter. It was appropriate for a left-handed pull hitter, but short of a Bondsian shift.
The other was on Byrnes in the 10th. He is playing close to protect the bunt. The AZ announcers (watching on MLB Extra Innings) said “He is not much of a bunting threat…”; I tried to find stats on the number of bunt singles or attempts, but could not. But if it was low, he should not have been in. If he is in normal position, simple play and the Pads live for another inning.
Yes, we are playing well. Yes, our defense is a big part of that. Yes, Vinny has pretty good D. But his D is not so good to offset a meaningful offensive position. I would give some starts to Bellhorn and Blum (the latter if he stays hot and lets him bat from right side, seemingly his much stronger side); I have not been tracking Leone outside what I read here, but that seems like it could be worth a shot. So, improve Vinny’s positioning, and give some AB’s to other players.
So, someone looking at the line score yesterday sees Vinny 2-4. But one of his hits was a miserable grounder that Webb deflected and the other was off a reliever. My gripe was that Vinny had 11 PA’s against Webb and was 0-10 with a BB going into the game. At one point we had 2nd and 3rd and no outs with Vinny at the plate; Vinny K’s. CHP bailed him and Barfield out with a two out knock, but we cannot give away outs like this.