first pitch: 7:15 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Chan Ho Park (6-5, 4.49 ERA) vs Noah Lowry (4-6, 4.58 ERA)
preview: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN
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The Padres fell three outs shy of the sweep against the Phillies on Wednesday, dropping the contest, 5-4, and the homestand. The good news is, the Friars now get to leave Petco Park, where they are 25-28, and head out on the road, where they are 25-16, for the rest of the month.
Most teams have a home-field advantage. The Padres have a home-field conundrum. From a fan’s perspective, it goes a little like this:
- I enjoy watching games at Petco Park.
- I enjoy watching my team win.
- My team is the Padres.
Pick two.
The Pads begin the road trip Thursday evening with four in San Francisco. Barry Bonds hasn’t been indicted yet, so bust out the flaxseed oil, snap open a cold beverage, and enjoy the game.
Go Padres!
Anyone else see the Rosenthal comments that the Padres have moved Adrian Beltre to the top of their wish list at third base?
Peter and I spoke earlier about this. I’d love to here opinions on the deal that we came up with: Headly and Jared Wells for Beltre and enough money to make him a 7-8 million per year player instead of a 12 million/year guy until ’09
I also spoke with my landlord for a while. He thought that the Mariners might be more interested in Dave Roberts or in Ben Johnson. I hope that we don’t have to give up Johnson in this deal–the Pads have got to have some power in their OF.
I’m pretty intrigued by Beltre’s potential–he’s only hitting .256/.321/.403, but in June his OPS was .998. I think that he’s a great risk for the Padres to explore. Those 48 HR that he hit for the Dodgers were only two years ago and he is only 27 (he’ll still only be thirty or thirty-one when the contract expries). I say that we go for it and include Wells and Headly (and maybe Bellhorn or Blum) and maybe a Mike Thompson type. I think that the M’s really want out of that contract and we could end up with a steal.
Keep in mind too that even if we took on all his money (which if the trade went through I doubt would ever happen) the entire infield cost over the next 3 seasons probably wouldn’t exceed 14 or 15 million depending on the kind of contract Khalil may or may not get. Barfield and Gonzalez will be making basically nothing for a few more seasons. That would seem to be a really great defensive and a pretty freaking offense too. I still think that the report is BS and sounds nNOTHING like anyone in the Padres front office would ever do!
It would be quite a deal if the Padres could pull it off.
I just covered myself in flaxseed oil. I’m ready for the game.
Beltre has potential, but this is his 8th season and 2004 was his only good one. No, 2000 was good and 2004 was great. Don’t see the plate discipline or the power that makes him worth 5 million a year, let alone 7 or 8.
8 million a year buys us a better SP this winter than Beltre is a 3b.
Some good pitching to get out of that inning by Chan Ho..
Rivera took a Loss for the Yanks tonight … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=260720114 … it happens to the best of ‘em … but, man, those BS’s sure seem to have a lingering impact …
Hey, it’d be nice to get Josh Bard another AB this inning
Eh, it was nice that we got into their pen … Correia/Accardo might be less effective tomorrow because of it …
Mobile’s cleanup hitter, DH Stephen Smitherman, hit a 1st inning Grand Slam … http://tinyurl.com/pxo9b … you don’t see that too often! I remember seeing Dave Winfield do it at Candlestick … I’ll take a look thru retrosheet and see if I can find that boxscore …
Bingo … http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B07040SFN1978.htm … I was one of 26,219 that saw this sequence of John “The Count” Montefusco, to start the game …
PADRES 1ST: Richards walked; Smith reached on an error on a
sacrifice bunt by McCovey [Richards to third, Smith to first];
Gonzalez walked [Smith to second]; Winfield homered [Richards
scored, Smith scored (unearned), Gonzalez scored];
… yup, that was a fun one!
Ya, well, the mini-Padres handed it big-time to the mini-Giants in the AZL today … http://tinyurl.com/qsjq2 … whuppin’!
I think we should have open tryouts at 3b.
Ryguy … good idea … but then what you’d learn is how good VinnyC really is … ie. the *worst* major leaguer is soo much better than 99.99% of folks that’d show up for an open tryout … it’s amazing! … I know you were jk … but it’s still a point many often forget
I was at this game, living in the Bay Area as I do. The back to back to back were tough to take. It may not have made a difference, but why leave Piazza in after his out in 8th? Give either Bard or Bowen the spot, and guaranteed either catch Bonds pop. Then you have 1 out, Alou at first on a weak single, Bonds out, so who knows? Maybe Sweeney gets out of the inning only giving up 1 or 2.
Also, it sure seemed a lot of line outs for the Padres and not many for the Giants. Well, any game you give up 4 bombs and you only have one extra base hit, you are going to lose.
Also guys:
I wouldn’t be surprised Beltre to SD:
Beltre and cash in 07 and/or 08 for Klesko and some low prospect
cause you guys also remember the Padres could be very payroll flexible (Chan Ho, Klesko come off) after this season.
that or
Mike Lowell for some Padre arm
depending on the arm, that isn’t bad. Sox might be selling high on Lowell and moving Youkilis to 3B and giving Hee Seop Choi another chance.
I dont think bostion will mess with thier infield in the middle of a playoff run.
Why was thompson not sent down? The padres need more than 4 bench players when 2 are catchers and the other 2 are Blum and Young.
Lowell will not hit at petco, if you look at his hit chart at fenway he really like playing off the green monster.
We can’t want Lowell (despite what Buster Olney said today on ESPN.com)…Beltre is interesting if we are not paying 12mm per year…
Buy the media keeps saying that IF Ensberg can show a healthy shoulder, he may land in SD.
I really hate spending this much time sitting here and talking about a trade that I really think has ZERO validity but I’m a retard and I can’t help it. Just looked at some numbers this morning that I thought might interest some people.
I decided to compare Adrian Beltre to Scott Rolen because I think Rolen is pretty much considered the best vetran 3rd baseman around and he makes about the same money as Beltre. I just took all their numbers and averaged them out to one per year line.
Rolen = BA .286 Slg% .518 OB% .377 Field% .967 HR. 20 RBI. 76
Beltre= BA .270 Slg% .451 OB% .327 Field% .954 HR. 20 RBI. 70
So I obviously Rolen holds an edge but it’s not as big as I would have thought. Beltre does however play and avg. of 135 games per year over his career while only plays in 111.
I’m still not saying I’m for or against that trade but I thought the numbers were interesting to look at because I don’t think many people (Including me) would be mad about paying that kind of money to a guy like Rolen.