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.
God. We really suck. How’d we even win 60 games?
Allright. See you all later.
FF #43: That’s not how the story’s been reported. It goes:
Moores: Draft whoever you want.
Towers/Gayton: Yippee!
Scouting department narrows focus to Drew, Weaver, Verlander, Niemann. Eventually the last two drop off.
Moores (week before draft): So, who are we taking?
Towers: Drew.
Moores: What’ll he cost?
Towers: Asking 7 million plus.
Moores (After CPR): Would you pay him that much if he was a free agent?
Towers (feeling the wind with his finger): No.
Moores: Are we sure that’s the best way to spend money?
Towers: No. I guess we could find somebody cheaper and do something else with the money.
Moores (eyes alight): Good.
There’s room to fault Towers for poor political instincts and skills, but the larger share of the blame goes to Moores for changing the rules a week before the draft. Keep in mind, Moores has passed on multiple chances to refute that story, which has been reported in many different places.
Oh, and great inning, Jake. You’ve really got to work to walk Hillenbrand.
Screw this maternal parent screwing team.
FF & TW,
Since I started this thing about the ’04 draft, I’m willing to split the baby and lay it at the feet of both KT and Moores. After years of thinking that KT made a balance of good and bad decisions, mostly good, well, this year has shifted my thinking. Call me slow to catch on.
I think the Padres have finally succeeded in numbing my feelings. Another day of no run support for Peavy, who continues his Jeckyl and Hyde approach with the Giants B-Team. I can’t even get worked up as Khalil has another approach-less AB.
Through four innings: Matt Cain has 7 Ks and 5 fly outs. No ground ball outs.
To be honest I really dont see the padres becoming successful until the trifecta of Moores, KT, and Boch are gone, there is just so much baggage with KT and Boch that I don’t ever seeing them having real sucess in SD again and Moores wont put money into the minor leaug system or adjust the budget at the deadline to pick up a difference maker that can help put the team over the top down the stretch run and in the playoffs.
Peavy has thrwon 73 pitches through 5 innings thats not bad 14.6 Pitches/Inning
Boy, this is getting pathetic. I wish Greeny would be more proactive at the plate. He stands as if he’s catatonic or in a trance until he has two strikes, then starts swinging. I’m going to game sunday with my kids and out of town guests and they better be playing better or I’m gonna, I’m gonna, I’m gonna, drink more beer and yell stuff. Christ I hate baseball.
Mark Bellhorn update -
Slugging %: .364
Strikeout %: .365
Batting Avg.: .192
Avg. last 30 days: .155
Avg. in Aug.: .115
things do suck right now, and you guys are correct about a lot of things, but
there sure has been a lot of bad luck too.
RISP failure to THIS degree has got to be some bad luck. They are hitting decently…it’s just the distribution of baserunners across innings has been unlucky (solo homers, LOB).
And losing so many close games is largely unlucky too. Distribution of runs across games has been unlucky, same kinda thing.
Hence, I believe things will turn around. Perhaps too little, too late, though.
There are still a lot more positive things that have happened this season than negative ones.
The emergence of Josh Barfield and Adrian Gonzalez as more than legitimate major league starters.
Dave Roberts is having a career year.
Chris Young is a No. 2 starter.
Catcher was supposed to be a weak spot, but the Padres have the best catchers (when combined) in the National League.
The Padres also have the best fielding team in the league.
There have been negatives, too, yes. But the last three games are not an indication of what this team is. The last 120 games are.
cain has a no-no through 5
can opposing fans jinx a no-no?
Kevin the only problem is that its a weighted scale and if the padres are fishing instead of playing baseball in October then that negative out weighs the positive.
The Padres weren’t supposed to win the division, I don’t think.
And I don’t think the constant hand-ringing and such during every game helps anything. The journey is the thing.
In my opinion the padres are suppose to win the division every year, otherwise what’s the point of playing the season?
I think the degree of RISP failure against a Giants team that was on the ropes indicates the opposite, it’s not luck it’s failure to execute. The players themselves have admitted their psychological fragility, they’ve basically said they aren’t good enough to win without their mommy and daddy and they’ve shown that with a complete collapse against a Giants team that was all but dead coming into this series.
Most likely event to prevent a Cain no-no?
His pitch count – 95 starting the 6th.
Well, at least the no-hitter’s no longer an option.
Thank goodness for Bard. I was having AJ Burnett flashbacks.
Every team is always trying to win. Every team is trying to go 162-0. But objectively speaking, those are unrealistic expectations. The Dodgers are a better team, no matter how you want to frame it.
Amen to that, Kevin. However, the goal of every team in the MLB is to make it to October. I can’t imagine the Padres having a different goal, although, from ASB on, I think the team might really be trying to make this season very dramatic in very bad ways.
This is just a ploy to frustrate the fans as much as they can. Just so the turnaround in the next month or so is going to be so great and we’ll all be elated going into October.
Be quiet! Let me sleep and have my dreams.
re: #61
If you told anyone at the beginning of the season that all those things were going to happen, they’d say the Padres will run away with the division.
It just makes the other underperformers (Giles, Peavy, third baseman) more frustrating.
Right, I agree, Eric, almost every team has a number of unexpected good things and unexpected bad things happen every year. The Padres may be stretching that theory to new lengths, but I thought we should be reminded of the good.
Three more cracks against the Giants bullpen… that at least suggests a reason for hope.
Kevin, The dodgers were not the better team at the beginning of the year and if the padres would have closed the door on them in the first 15 games after the ASB when they went 1-13 then they would have never made the moves they did at the deadline and the padres would only be worried about AZ at this point.
peavy ahs pitched well today to bad the padres cant help him out a little.
at this point I cant wait untill sept when the padres can bring up some guys who want to play every day.
Poor Jake. Second verse same as the first. A little bit louder and a little bit worse. Come on guys! Give him some run support!
The Dodgers became a different team the first time when they called up all their kids a month or so into the season. They were quite talented before the trades.
they were falling apart when the “kids” went through the leauge a 2nd time 1-13, you cant make a run with rookies.
Roberts’ grounder to 2nd was the first ground ball the Pads have hit all day. Not sure what that means, but the Giants’ announcers felt compelled to point it out.
The Dodgers were not a better team entering the season…
Losing 5-0 to the Giants is painful…made more so b/c it looks like a 4 game sweep. Not the way I envisioned this homestand to go…I was thinking a 6-4 homestand…
Maybe we can sweep the Diamondbacks and Dodgers…right?
That would help mike
If it makes it any better the Giants were the best team in the division to get swept by, from a standings point of view.
Oh, someone, please shoot me! This is more painful than a Brazilian waxing.
Oye ves mia!!! We re crashing and buring big time. I think they call this the old second half fade.
SDPG – I have never tired that but I would imagine it would hurt.
The chest waxing scene from The 40 Year Old Virgin only alludes to how painful it is. But this game is getting close. I wonder if they’re are any Padres fans left in Petco. Oh, the boos I can hear over Ted and Flan tell me, that yes, there are a few still there.
Are they even trying?!?! I wasn’t around in the earlier days of Padre history but it’s hard to imagine a time more disappointing, frustrating and agravating than it is now.
Brian
This is more aggravating then past years because the last 2 seasons and the first half of this season gave us hope, where between 85 and 95 as well as between 99 and 2003 the padres would already be 20 games back at this point and the fans would have come to accept it. Any win was icing on the cake.
well in the old days we where just a no talent team so matter how hard you tried, you got beat. This team has talent, was leading the NL West, won it last year, is a better team this year I think, so we must conclude that this is one bad FMing mojo evil curse of a slump they are going through. Anybody got a phone number for Mark Grace or know any goats farmers?
Should I even bother sending in my payment for post-season tickets? Maybe all the accrued interest they will earn will put the ledgers in the black.
This is just totally depressing. Someone needs to knock some heads in the clubhouse, and shake something loose. You can only blame so much on one-run losses and tough luck. I can’t believe this is the same team that was 8 games over .500 and about to put the division to bed. I know they don’t like losing, but the vast majority of them just appear to be going through the motions. There is a lot to be said for not getting caught up in the moment to moment, but I just wish someone would channel some of the conspiracy-minded frustration into some anger at the way they are playing. Take some responsibility instead of saying oh well, we’ll try to get them tomorrow.
Cut that lead in half.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I WANT JOSH’S BABY!!!
wow. talk about too little too late.
well at least barfield gave the team a little pride before the end of the game.
Correction. I want to HAVE Josh’s baby. So excited for his first ML grand slam that I couldn’t type fast enough. No TV, so I will have to watch for the highlight reel. This will be the only Padres highlight I’m sure.