first pitch: 12:35 p.m., PT
television: none
matchup: Jake Peavy (6-11, 4.58 ERA) vs Matt Cain (8-9, 4.89 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | ESPN
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I don’t know which is worse, the apparent lack of focus on the field (where did Mike Cameron’s mind wander off to in the eighth inning as 40-year-old Moises Alou scampered around the bases?) or the apparent clubhouse discontent. In the linked article, GM Kevin Towers says some things I can’t get behind — really, what is the point of giving Geoff Blum and Mark Bellhorn an opportunity? — but he has two solid quotes:
We’re all in this thing together. We dress differently and our responsibilities are different, but our one common goal is to win the NL West championship again.
When times get tough, people start pointing fingers and looking to blame people.
I’m pretty sure nobody on this team should be pointing fingers. The Padres are in third place in the NL West and the wild card standings. They’re a loss away from a four-game sweep at home and a dip below .500.
The Padres are sinking fast, and they’re all doing it together. Unfortunately, they’re dragging the fans down with them.
On the bright side, Jake Peavy has been pitching well of late. Also, he can see again, so he’s got that going for him.
C’mon guys, don’t get swept at home again. A lot of us out here are looking for reasons to keep the faith. Give us one.
How gut wrenching are those runs in the 8th and 9th now!? Great job bullpen!
Well didn’t the dodgers lose like 11 in a row, then they turned it around right, after they, oh wait, that’s right. They aquired 2 good players and HOF pticher at the trading deadline, now they are winning and in first place. And who did we get…never mind.
Man, Vinny must have been a HOF clubhouse guy because since his release, we suck.
A friend of mine whose a Giants fan was worried that Benitez might be brought in … then we’d have had a shot!
you know unless the apdres wright the ship in a big way 90 losses does not look that far fetched when you look at the schedule.
All teams look like they’re “going through the motions” when they’re losing.
I think they’re losing because they’re just not playing well.
What do you want to see? clubhouse walls punched? water coolers mauled?
None of us really knows what they’re feeling, or that they don’t care, or that they’re going through the motions. Psychobabble.
I’m pretty sure they’re frustrated by losing. They just need to play better.
I think Boch needs to throw some bats and force the players in the showers a la Bull Durham. You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Lollygaggers!
Let’s face it. This is .500 team just like last year. It is easy to get down on them now, but, even when they are playing better, they are just an average team. The Dodgers have more talent even with cripples like Drew and Garciaparra.
The Padres have gotten very little production from right field and third base. And as far as SS, I don’t know what is goin on with KG. Has he plateaued? You don’t seem him making a lot of great plays in the field like he did the last 2 years.
And the starting pitching is average. They seem to have trouble putting hitters away–they throw lots of pitches, which eventually tires out their bullpen.
I don’t think the Giants are too good but I was watching them on TV Saturday against the Dodgers–a game the Giants lost-but they never gave up, kept coming back–I was impressed.
When the Padres get in these funks it is like it will never end. What can I say?
Good for Josh Barfield. At least he has some pride.
What’s with the rest of the team? Taking the week off or something?
Jake is looking good. Not throwing too many pitches either.
Stay positive, guys!
Now go and win the rest of the home games, Padres.
Jack Brickhouse used to say after the Cubs lost: The Cubs are snakebit. Or, they were a day late or a dollar short. The fact of the matter was that the Cubs were not very good. You know what I mean?
Look on the bright side, at least (1) it wasn’t the typical solo HR; and (2) they got two hits with runners in scoring position this series, and one of them even scored some runs.
I’m now officially in love with SD Padres Gal. I’m not young like Josh Barfield, but I have me a set of eyebrows to rival anyone.
In this sweep, the Giants’ pitchers gave up
26 hits, 17 walks to the Padres while striking out 34 batters in 36 innings. Not exactly dominant.
As pointed before, the Padres BAs with RISP is just not good at all during this stretch. This series could have just as easily gone 3-1 in the Padres’ favor. Two one-run games, one extra inning game and a blow out before a first Grand Slam by Josh Barfield.
Staying positive here.
The Padres season changed in late July at Colorado when they blew a 6-0 lead. That game knocked the shit out them. It sure knocked the shit out of me.
Thanks, Tom!
From a comment about the humidor in Colorado:
I’m surprised I haven’t heard more Rockies batters complaining about the humidor the way Padres batters were pissing and moaning about the new Petco when it first opened.
Yeah, anybody heard anything? Or are we just out here by the coast?
That 1-0 BLaw game lost to the Rockies was painful.
Top of the 4th today the Giants telecast posted the hitting w/ RISP stat for the series:
Giants 8 for 26
Padres 0 for 23
Can’t expect to win many that way. Unfortunately, I don’t see things improving. EY and Vinny may have been clubhouse leaders, which is actually bizarre considering neither of them had much tenure in the organization, and without them nobody seems to be stepping up. I don’t see camaraderie or chemistry at all. I’m no fair weather fan but I’m ready to blow it all up.
I loved dprat’s post. I’ve been a Padres fan since I was old enough to comprehend what I was hearing on my transistor radio and I think I’ve finally seen enough. I’d love to see the nucleus of Gonzalez, Barfield, and Greene retained along with Peavy and Young. Other than that, nobody on this team looks like a long-term solution. Unless traded, Giles will become the Nevin/Klesko of 2007 or 2008; one more big contract and diminishing production that they can’t unload. Evryone is high on Johnson but until yesterday I couldn’t see why. Maybe he just needs more time.
I’m just a very frustrated fan right now. We have an outfield and catching crew that can’t throw out runners. We have hitters who can’t hit consistently. And we have a front office that is reluctant to make bold moves. I don’t blame Moores, you have to run an organization like any other business; you can only spend what’s left after paying the bills and their debt to value ration is one the worst in baseball. Sometimes I don’t blame KT; you can only do so much with limited payroll. Sometimes I don’t blame Bochy but then he makes moves that are questionable to the everyday fan. Overall, they brough us 3 pennants over the past 10 years and only the Giants can top that. It would seem “good enough” but I feel like we’re at a point where maybe a shakeup and change of scenery is best for everybody.
If we’re really mad and want to try to make a positive impact, I say we go to work on rid’ing the world of what ESPN’s Page 2 calls the 2nd “worst retired number” … http://espn.go.com/page2/s/numbers/030303.html … amen!
Ben Johnson
Total: .242/.321/.432
Since 6/20: .281/.328/.526
August: .294/.333/.647
Last 7 Days: .417/.462/.917
Somebody get a live chicken for sacrifice – stat.
Philosophical question: would it be better or worse if we just sucked from the get-go? Projecting our post-ASB record to a full season you get around a 58-104 record. This is what it feels like to be Royals fans, what we’ve been going through the last month, so be thankful we haven’t had 4 months of it already.
To “right the ship” and get back to the trajectory we were on at the ASB (88 wins), we must go 28-13 the rest of the way. Basically that may be the minimum to catch the Dodgers unless they start regressing to the mean again (which assumes their true potential is low and that they aren’t actually making up the delta against a high potential right now after months of under-achieving). Anyone care to place a wager on 28-13 (.682)? Have to wonder if the “brain trust” in the exec suite isn’t doing the same math and wondering what can be gotten for Giles, Piazza, Linebrink here in August from the likes of Minnesota, Boston, Toronto, Cincinnati, etc.
Forget about going 28-13 the rest of the way.
Let’s worry about winning the series against the Dbacks and sweeping the Dodgers. That’ll put the Padres 2 back by next Thursday, assuming that the Giants lay down and play dead against the Dodgers again.
Are the padres going to blow up the roster at the end of the year similar to last off season? or do they really have faith in this team?