first pitch: 5:10 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Woody Williams (10-5, 3.53 ERA) vs Chris Carpenter (15-7, 2.93 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
buy tickets
Chris Carpenter continues his unlikely transformation from mid-rotation starter to perennial Cy Young Award contender via 1 1/2 years of inactivity due to injury. His is not the recommended career path for pitchers, but it’s hard to argue with success.
Looking for chinks in Carpenter’s armor? Good luck with that. Lefties hit him better than righties, which works in the Padres’ favor until you realize that lefties don’t hit him all that well (.254/.302/.406). His ERA since the All-Star break is a whopping 2.78. Carpenter has been remarkably consistent in 2006. In April his ERA was 1.80, and the following month 3.96. Just calibrating the instruments. In the four months that followed, Carpenter’s ERA has fluctuated mildly between 2.82 and 3.27.
Oh here, I think I found a weakness: Carpenter’s ERA on the road is 4.70. Too bad he’s pitching at home tonight, where it’s 1.46 over 117 innings. Opponents are hitting just .201/.245/.279 against Carpenter at Busch Stadium.
Incidentally, this is why you want home-field advantage in the playoffs if it comes down to Padres vs Cardinals: Carpenter’s road ERA of 4.70 is actually the best among St. Louis starters. As a team, the Cards are 34-47 away from Busch, with a 5.19 ERA. At home, they are much too comfortable, going 46-28 with a 3.86 ERA. As we learned last October, the less you have to face them in their house, the better.
Individual performances against Carpenter? Not much. Current Padres are hitting .200/.271/.369 against him. Mike Cameron (.211/.304/.579 in 19 AB) and Brian Giles (.313/.353/.500 in 16 AB) have had the most success. Russell Branyan and Mike Piazza have each homered off Carpenter and enjoyed some success in limited appearances. Todd Walker has the only other home run, but you can bet he won’t be in the lineup: his overall line against Carpenter is .063/.091/.156 in 32 at-bats. Is that even legal?
On the Padres’ side, Woody Williams hasn’t fared quite as well against his old uniform. Current Cardinals are batting .268/.322/.514 against the veteran. Damage is coming from the weirdest places, too. Williams has manhandled the likes of Scott Rolen (.118/.158/.118 in 17 AB) and Jim Edmonds (.158/.200/.158 in 19 AB) but is getting pummeled by Scott Spiezio (.273/.333/1.091 in 11 AB), Preston Wilson (.353/.450/.882 in 17 AB), Ronnie Belliard (.385/.471/.846 in 13 AB), and Juan Encarnacion (.417/.417/.667 in 13 AB). Williams has faced Albert Pujols just three times, allowing one hit — yes, a home run.
It’s scoreboard watching time, too. Other games of note today include the Phillies at Nationals, Astros at Pirates, and Dodgers at Rockies. I’ve highlighted all of those matchups over at Knuckle Curve for those interested.
Good to take that first one in St. Louis. Good to see Scott Linebrink close out the game while Trevor Hoffman got the night off after his record-setting performance on Sunday.
Today is another day. I know in this division, a 2-game lead seems huge, but the Dodgers aren’t going to go away quietly, so it’s back to taking care of business. Today’s matchup doesn’t necessarily work in the Padres’ favor, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned about the club from San Diego this season, it’s that they battle. If Williams can keep the game close for six innings or so and give his bullpen a shot against the Cardinals’ bullpen, the Padres have a chance.
And right now, a chance is all we need. Go Padres!
272 Comments
Scary match-up today…good breakdown Geoff.
Carpenter is the reason I am worried about facing the Cardinals in teh 1st round of the playoffs.
But when we break it down, if we end up making it, the Cardinals record is very mediocre. Pick your poison, right?!
Anyway, it was good to see the Phils lose yesterday. With us having a 2-game lead, we are in a good spot, but as we found out 8 days ago, anything can happen.
I would rather face Carpenter and 2 other cards pitchers in the playoffs then Osalt, Pettitte and the rocket!
Can the Twins really be 30 games above 500 and only a wildcard contender? I guess the Tigers are up to their old tricks of 84.
The way we are playing now, we can beat any team and be in any game, no matter the pitcher. So step up Mr. Carpender, lets see what you got.
Happy to see the Doctor warmup a bit, that will be a big help.
My fear is the Rockies rolling over as the golf course beckens, while we are battling teams hungry for the playoffs.
PM, Re #3 the Rockies are a young team who have yet to hit the big paycheck. They are still playing for roster spots next year as well as arbitration #’s, SF is the team I’m worried about hitting the golf courses and rolling over for the dodgers in the last series of the year.
Giants rolling over for Dodgers? With their rivalry predating both clubs’ moves to California, I don’t see that happening. I honestly can’t think of a team I’d rather see the Dodgers face in the final series of the year. And I’m hoping that their bullpen will be exhausted from three games at Coors Field leading up to that series.
Agreed. I think if you read comments from teams out-of-contention this time of year, the universal sentiment is that they like being spoilers, and they don’t want to see anybody clinch on their turf. See ESPN.com’s game recap of last nights SEA-OAK game for just one of many examples.
These are professionals, playing for money. I don’t think anyone rolls over any time of year. Okay, maybe the 1919 White Sox….but I digress.
And the bitterness of the Giants-Dodgers rivalry is so intense that there’s no way they’re not pulling out everything in that series.
Concur GY, my sister lives in SF and has season tickets. She was explaining that the Giants and thier fans are looking to wack the Dodgers the last weekend as a way to salvage something from the season. We can only hope.
Whassup with Hoffy’s shoulder? 2 articles at foxsports.com mention it … for example …
Third baseman Russ Branyan is day-to-day with a hand injury, but the Padres have plenty of depth at the position. Closer Trevor Hoffman has a sore shoulder, but he hasn’t allowed a hit since that blowup in Los Angeles last week.
… also didn’t know Branyan was day-to-day … ah, that was from the HBP the other day? Now I remember …
I agree with Geoff. I believe a lot of the Giants’ team is up for free agency next year: Bonds, Schmidt, Durham, Alou (?), etc, so, especially with Bonds, this could be the last year in SF for some of their core players, so I think there will be some emotion. And the Giants fans hate the Dodgers, almost as much as I hate the Giants. Though, it would be in keeping with the Giants’ conspiracy to defeat the Padres by sticking it to the Padres in close games and crazy BA with RISP vs. the Padres and rolling over for the Dodgers, as they have done all season. I am hoping the emotion of the last games of the season are enough to stir some fire.
This is going to come down to the last few games. I would love to see the Padres pull away via some wins and Dodgers faltering, but my gut, which is used to being in knots this season, tells me that would be too easy. Like the feeling of a 9-5 lead, with a chance to win 3 of 4 and take a 1.5 game lead; it seems like it is right there, within our grasp only to have it vanish. That said, after the vanishing, this team has shown resilience and come back to play tough. That seems to be the path: Padres falter and Dodgers surge over the next four games, but then play tight, solid games the last couple and hopefully that gets us in.
Go Pads!
Great news about Kahlil:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20060926-9999-1s26padnotes.html
we may not be able to beat Carpenter, but if we can outlast him, that ‘pen is hittable.
Nick, thanks for the note. I admire Blum doing what he can, and have come to appreciate his arm. His joke about being a one tool guy is dead-on. He can throw, and is doing a good job of playing within himself instead of trying to do too much (on the field).
Some have said on this site that Blum for KG is not that big of deal. I disagree, even from an offensive standpoint (KG obviously way ahead on D)
Player: OPS/Home/Away
Blum: 657/575/736
Greene: 750/628/873
These splits bring up an interesting trend with KG. OPS over the last few years:
Year: OPS/Home/Away
2005: 727/684/772
2004: 795/683/895
So KG’s “drop” from earlier years (from ‘04, improved on ‘05) is driven by his home numbers. KG is exactly the type of hitter that gets hurt by Petco. Solid RH power, but not overwhelming power. Reminds me a bit of Barfield: 756/640/876.
Both these guys have roughly 230-240 OPS penalty from Petco; roughly 70 points is from OBP and the rest from slugging.
I don’t want to keep ranting, but that kind of power drop, consistent across players and years, shows one of the defining factors of Petco. I have ranted enough, but I like KG and Barfield a lot, but we are crushing their usefulness with Petco’s dimensions and thick air. Tell them to hit different at home? I think an unrealistic solution. Hitting well seems to involve having a consistent approach, not trying to do too much. Telling players to do one thing at home and another on the road seems like disaster. Get rid of them to get the “line-drive” hitters we need? KG and Barfield are rare players: young, athletic, cheap, good D and good pop. These do not come by often. OK, started to rant again, but it is great news that KG may be back.
Anyone else get the feeling the that every other game the Padres play goes extra innings? Well I just checked the standings, and the Padres have the most extra-inning wins, and the most extra-inning losses in the majors…So I guess I wasn’t that off.
And how about facing the Phillies in the first round? It’s looking more likely by the day…
Re 9: Thanks for the reminder, you are precisely right. I keep hoping to pull away from the dodgers so this last week will be easy, but that is not the way the Padres way this year. Thier motto should be “Never the easy way.” They make things tough and then battle through, so we can expect this to go through the weekend. Not sure my heart or finger nails can take it, but it beats being a Rocky fan.
Blum has done a very good job filling in. And it’s great the Pads are winning without KG, but . . .
KG’s bat in the lineup gives us another weapon. His defense is very good. He’s got cajones when it comes to clutch situations. Up until the time he got hurt, he was having a very good year.
With KG back at full strength . . . WE COULD DO SOME DAMAGE. Think about that for a minute. That’s what I’m talkin’ bout right there . . .
RE 13:
I don’t know about everyone else here, but as much as I am DYING to talk playoffs (matchups, roster, etc) — I just can’t bring myself to do it until the Pads clinch.
I’m with you Nick; I am afraid of jinxing the team by talking about the playoffs. Let’s get lots and lots and lots of pitches off of Carpenter early and get to the bullpen. I assume that has to be a strategy today when you have such a discrepancy between starting and relief pitching?
Edmonds back in the line up; bad, bad, though let’s hope GY’s research holds up and we see performance consistent with a lifetime of 358 OPS vs Williams. Let’s NOT see Spezio, Encarnacion and Wilson live up to lifetime stats.
Two things…
1. Jay, KG’s defense is overrated. While there are very few reliable numbers to rank D, almost all of them show that he is not much better with the glove than Chris Gomez was. Sure he is flashy and has surfer hair (both leading to a SD love affair), but the reality is his defense is average at best. Oh yea, he is older than Sean Burroughs.
2. Saw this quote in the paper today…“It’s fun. It’s nerveracking, too,†said Linebrink, whose domain is usually the eighth inning. “I don’t know how Hoffy has done it almost 500 times. I think I’d have a few more gray hairs. That’s a little different, to go out there and not have the safety net.†Do you think this potentially punches his ticket out of town in the off-season? Can’t imagine a guy with that attitude being our closer any time soon.
“The Claw” is the closer of the future, methinks.
I keep saying it and I’ll reiterate here: this team should come with a American Heart Association warning label! A volatile cocktail of: barely adequate offense, good starting pitching and good defense to keep you in games, and a great bullpen. This equation leads to lots of games that are close in the late innings. Add to that the accelerator of PENNANT CHASE BASEBALL, and you start losing years off of your life just watching this stuff.
Glad to hear KG’s almost back to healthy, though I hope he takes a few “pinch hit and late inning D” appearances before returning to the starting lineup. I don’t like messing with Karma, and despite Blum’s much-noted inadequacies, you can’t argue much with the team’s record since Greene officially went down on Aug 17 (24-10 by my count). Good to know the MySpace crowd will be tuning in to the broadcasts again though.
Houston is playing like a team possessed, and they scare me a ton with their starting pitching. Wish we could just ’sic’ them on the Dodgers or some more games vs the Phils.
Any update on Woody this morning? Did he catch Bubonic Plague overnight or anything?
CM
I’m the one that said KG’s defense is very good. I guess I don’t care about his range factor (which is actually lower than Blummer’s) — he’s fun to watch. He’s like a flashy Cal Ripken out there.
The Claw kicks major ass, but his splits are so lopsided, he is better for situations.
Claw: WHIP / ERA /BAA / BB /K
RHB: 0.39 / 1.03 / .103 / 2 / 27
LHB: 1.30 / 0.00 / .267 / 4 / 8
Those numbers against RHB are surreal.
CM
I totally disagree with you on KG’s defense. I don’t know what numbers or whatever you are talking about and I honestly can’t remember back to the days of Chris Gomez to give a real comparison but coming from someone who played baseball all his life into high school KG is definitely above average in my mind. I am not claiming to be some MLB advanced scout or anything but I played a lot of SS and mostly 3rd base but watching what that guy does on some plays is RETARDED! I am not a KG fanatic by any stretch in fact I am just about done with him based on his offense but I love his defense. When I watch other teams rarely am I impressed by their SS anymore. KG makes plays most guys couldn’t make look easy. Like I said I don’t have any numbers or anything to compare his fielding to anyone but from someone who has played that position (at a much less advanced level of course) I think KG is great in the field.
I love that these are his “bad” numbers:
LHB: 1.30 / 0.00 / .267 / 4 / 8
As someone who owns a Chris Gomez replica jersey, let me tell you just from a casual fan standpoint, KG dives for and picks balls that Chris Gomez wouldn’t give “phony hustle” for. (for those that don’t remember, phony hustle was the term he gave to shortstops who would dive for balls they couldn’t get to). Although I guess I’m biased cuz I just smoked Khalil’s Greenes.
I cannot say KG is gold glove or not, but he sure seems good. I just want JB/KG back up the middle again soon.
Scott Linebrink — Only 477 saves to go to pass Trevor.
Why would you own a Chris Gomez replica jersey? Is it supposed to be ironic?
I think that Greene is an average defensive shortstop at best. All the numbers that matter bear this out. He seems to dive a lot for stops, but that’s either a)an illusion based on TV highlights or B) a very real phenomenon based on his substandard range and speed. Offensively, since he hits everything in the air Petco hurts him a lot, but if he could learn a little better plate discipline he could be like Mike Cameron. But I think San Diego should kill two birds with one stone and move Greene to Third. His lack of range won’t hurt him there as much, he hopefully won’t get injured as often, and there’s no “heir apparent” at third base in the Pads immediate fututre (although I think they will bring back Branyan for another season). Considering that Barfield might develop into a 20 HR/80 RBI guy with speed and defense, Greenes offensive shortcomings as a third baseman would be offset. And the Padres could focus on developing a defensive whiz at short, or moving Antonelli there.
I think they should find another SS and trade KG while his perceived value is higher than his actual value…
agree w/ pf.
centerpiece in a deal for tejada?
RE: 28
yeah…kind of a joke gift from my brother (and not quite a real jersey…a t-shirt with Gomez and #10 on the back)
One thing to remember about Cla, if he were a closer he’d see more lefties. One nice thing about the role he’s in now is he’s often in the game when it’s too early to start pinch hitting. In the 9th inning managers will be more apt to throw every lefty they have against him until he proves he can get them out. However, I think he’s actually better against lefties than those numbers. It seems like he’s learned how to pitch to them over the course of the year.
Greene might dive for more balls than the average shortstop, maybe it’s because of his 3B background. I don’t think he dives excessively though. Personally I think he’s slightly above average defensively. Range isn’t the whole story; he’s good on the DP, has a strong arm, usually makes the right play.
Regardless of his perceived shortcomings it’s great news that his finger is getting better. Even if he’s limited to pinch hitting it gives us another bat with some pop off the bench.
Khalil Greene is a very solid shortsop, but he lacks range.
Peter, I am with you…I think we need to revisit a conversation with the Astros centered around KG/Liney and Ensberg/Everett…but that is just me. I actually would even be all for him being moved to 3b if we can’t pull off a trade for an Ensberg or Crede.
KG is fun to watch. I root for the guy and enjoy seeing Padres on highlight reels, but the reality is thatPads need to find another SS that has a better OBP, higher AVE, and the ability to hit 15 bombs. Oh yea, their defense would be better. Yes they exist…yes, they are available. As Padres fans we just need to realize that KG is not as good as the hype.
Now, do I get extra credit b/c I played Baseball beyond HS and still play baseball (not softball) today?
Greene makes the right first move which makes up for range. There are less then a handfull of SS in MLB that are the hitter and defender that KG is. Give him some love, I hope to see him back on the field soon!
I think 87-75 punches a ticket to the postseason in the NL. Assuming the Dodgers and the Phillies each win their next to series 2-1, they would each finish with a record of 86-76. If the Padres split their remaining in St. Louis and in Arizona, they would finish 87-75. The loser of the NL Central race is not a factor in the NL Wild Card.
Assuming this is how things play out, who would be the home team in the 1-game playoff between LA and Philly? If LA wins, then we get the NL Central in the first round. If Philly wins, then we get the Phillies because the team with the best record is in their division. I would rather face the Cardinals, not the Phillies (or the Astros), in the first round of the playoffs.
Guess I’m a Nationals and a Marlins fan over the next week (and a Cardinals fan starting Thursday).
I sure hope they don’t end up with someone like Adam Everett instead of KG next year. If they can move Linebrink for Ensberg that would probably work out really well.
Mark
CM,
Where do you play baseball? I have been looking for some kind of league to play in for a while. I just have not really found anything that isn’t softball and doesn’t revolve around beer. I’m also a little weary of stepping to the plate against some 35 year old dude with a 90mph heater that still thinks he can be the next ROCKET just because he goes home and watches “The Rookie” every night and is just there until he can gain some more “Control”. If you know of any let me know.
Kevin Towers Recap:
Barfield: .285/.323/.433 13HR 32doubles 57RBI
Loretta: .288/.347/.359 4HR 32doubles 58RBI
Loretta traded for Cla Meredith and Josh Bard
Todd Walker as a Padre .291/.378/.436
Russell Branyan as a Padres .291/.420/.582
Chris Young 11-5 3.55ERA 1.15WHIP (under contract thru 08)
Adrian Gonzalez .300/.357/.503 24HR 37 2B
Terrmel Sledge – has had some big hits
for
Adam Eaton (FA after this season) 12 games 7-4 4.40ERA
Aki Ohtska 32-36 saves (34yrs old)
Mike Cameron .268/.356/.482 21 HR 33 2B superior CF Defense
for
X Nady .277/.338/.439 17 HR 282B
Mike Piazza for $2mil: .278/.337/.497 22HR 66RBI
Adkins, Embree, Cassidy, Brocail – all on the cheap
Woody (as bad as last year was, stuck with him and he’s having a great year)
Acquiring Wells – morale boost
Chan Ho Park – while healthy, was pretty decent
for
Phil Nevin .242/.322/.443 22 HR 68RBI (anyone else surprised by these numbers?) – Phil’s in the post season, too w/ MINN
While I agree his defense is not as good as advertised (or as a rookie) and yes, his bat hasn’t developed quite like everyone though, let’s also remember that:
1. We have no shortstops in the system. None. Manny Alexander is next on the depth chart.
2. Khalil is going to be cheap through his age 27-29 seasons as we control him.
3. He’s been hit with some rather freak injuries. Now, maybe he’s prone…
but I think that yes, move him if there is something better, but I also think we could be sitting on three pretty good years of Khalil.
Khalil is arbitration eligible THIS offseason.
35: Where is this shortstop of which you speak? (and Khalil has hit 15 homers for 3 straight years now, so if he could avoid these freak injuries we would be talking about 20+ homer power. Oh yeah, and he hits in Petco.)
On a possible trade with Houston: Khalil for Everett is a downgrade (and Everett is older by 3 years – Greene still hasn’t hit his age 27 season when the breakout is supposed to come). As for Ensberg, his BABIP this year is significantly down from his career average, so he should bounce back there, but he has some crazy home/away splits. Losing those 81 games in Houston and having them played in Petco instead could be devastating to his stats.
tonight’s lineups
Roberts
Giles
Gonzalez
Bard
Branyan
Cameron
Blum
Barfield
Williams
Miles
Duncan
Pujols
Encarnacion
rolen
Edmonds
Belliard
Molina
Carpenter
Bard
Branyan
Blum
Barfield
The new killer bees.
For my money, I’m more comfortable chasing this season’s penant with Blum. Kalil had a nice “re-emergence” with the hiring of Merv “The Price is Right” Griffin-Rettemund, but in the topsy turvy times that he was a part of this season, he always seemed to be a pretty big rally killer. As a matter of fact, I ran into him in the parking lot the other day and he handed me his business card. No sh*t, it reads “Kalil Greene: Killing Rallies like its my job”. Seriously, I thought having a catch phrase was about as cheesy as Giles’ hair, but what do I know….
Phillies are all over Ramon Ortiz tonight in D.C. 8 hits through 2.1 innings, but only 2 runs across.
Geoff Blum is hitting .252/.287/.370 this season. He has played well recently, but I cannot wait for Khalil to be back in there. Geoff Blum is a horrible hitter.
Wierd how Khalil’s name is misspelled on his own business cards, eh?
yeah, seriously, he should get a better secretary. Truthfully, I was just shocked to know that he has business cards….
Do you guys (and girls…Tara!) realize that Ryan Howard has almost 2X the number of RBI as our team leader? 146 to 79 (Adrian Gonzalez)
Well, the bad guys are winning in both games in progress right now: Astros up 4-3 on the Pirates, and Phillies up 2-1 on the Nats. I lumped Astros in with the bad guys since no one wants to face them in the playoffs.
…and more strikeouts than RBI…
I just wrote up a recap on the Pujols strikeout from last night.
That was just sick!
Ooh, after three the Nationals go ahead 3-2 on a Zimmerman double.
Nice start. Don’t see Edmonds get a jump like that too often.
Allright! Just what the Doctor ordered.
Maybe a grounder to second now will score the run.
Walking Juan Encarnacion to get to Scott Rolen?
Just kidding. Great strategy Woody.
Barfield gives a clinic on how not to approach Carpenter.
Wow. You cannot ground into a double play like that Barfield. On the first pitch. Looking horrible on the swing. If he stays out of the double play, Woody can hit this inning, the top of the order starts the next, and Carpenter throws 5 more pitches. Horrible, horrible at bat.
Woody strikes out Edmonds twice, once looking and once swinging.
Howdy everyone….was about to say nice start so far from Woody and then something called ronnie belliard just hit a HR to left field…
When do the dojers start, 6:05?
Belliard. See, it’s the craziest guys doing the damage against Woody.
#65: They just started — here’s the link.
Hmm. Call me crazy but I think it would be bad if Woody keeps giving up a long extra base hit every inning.
BTW, does anybody sit with barfield and talk to him about that lousy AB? I thought the strategy was to make Carpender work, so we get his pitch count up and get him out the game. Yet Barfield is doing his wn thing to the detriment of the team. If it were a football team, he’d be sitting down.
Carpenter at 47 pitches through 3.
Good positioning by Roberts on both Miles’ hits. Perfect depth.
Rough night for Barfield…but nice to see us take the lead…
we’re off the 800+ posts-pace, but more than 70 for 2.5 innings… nice
Barfield killing us tonight. Thats at least 3 runner personally in all his athletic glory has stradded. Why does Josh hate America?
And then Barfield takes the same approach the next AB, only he survives a few more pitches. One of his strengths is supposed to be in-game adjustments.
He’s come up big recently, but the book on him has to be get it there in the air first pitch and he’ll hack.
Now a bad flip to short right? That should have been 2?
Ok..let me ask the question…who in the hell is Ronnie Belliard?
Sigh. Guess turning the DP would’ve helped.
Belliard killing us. Who woulda thunk?
Maybe Woody should try something other then fastball down the middle
#77: He’s a guy who now has 3 homers in 15 at-bats against Woody.
Come on Ben, way to jinx us w/ #68…
#81 I really don’t like him…
Friar Fan,
Even in arbitration, Khalil is going to be affordable. What is he going to get this off-season? Like $1.5MM?
who the f’ is Ronny Belliard? didn’t he use to play 2nd base for the Braves??? ugh.
Yeah on KG, you can’t have it both ways….he can’t be too expensive his 1st year in arbitration….after having a bad year.
If they trade KG and his age 27-29 seasons which only will cost them around 12M on the high end, they better get something better then Everett to play ss in the near term.
The Cardinals feed on extra innings has gotten progressively louder and louder as the game has gone on…. really annoying
Yikes, Carpenter only at 74 pitches through 5. He’ll go at least 2 more now.
What were the ump and Woody talking about?
I had forgotten how small the strike zone gets when Pujols hits
Damn, Bard’s got to make a better throw there.
Or Blum’s gotta scoop that.
Looks like the defense wanted the night off
This is a brutal defensive inning…. jeepers..
Yeah, it’d be nice but Blum isn’t a first baseman. Now Branyan plays kickball. How many outs is that this inning, about five?
wow – bad vibes w/ Edmonds batting here
Great. Now it’s 5-2 and Belliard is up with two guys in scoring position. Woody deserves better.
Looks like it is time to start rooting for the Rockies
that’s going to leave a mark
Bard needed to go to first with that squib hit…..now we’re in some trouble…Bochy is going to bring noodle arm in here I’m guessing and then it could get ugly. Woody has pitched better than the score is going to indicate…
On the bright side, Atkins just homered to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.
And they score on an easy ground ball. Way to use your clutch vibes to ensure that the ball didn’t go five feet to the left to be an easy double play.
Five outs later they’re finally out of the inning.
Well…at least we got out of the bases loaded without any further damage…We can still come back…
Need to have made Carpenter throw more pitches earlier in the game. If he can go 7+, going to be really hard to get back in this thing.
Against Carpenter? I am skeptical. And their bullpen dominated the Padres’ lineup last night.
All right, got some speed on first now.
#106 Keep the Faith!
I don’t know, they start doing better when I’m doubting. So, for the record, I’m still doubting.
Everybody’s safe… Here we go Padres….
Wow, great play by Rolen. I thought he got Branyan at second.
The only way he’s safe is if he’s off the base….the throw was there before him..
looks like he did. chalk that one up to good fortune
Another quality at-bat by Blum. And now we get to watch Barfield hack at the first pitch again.
Some great AB’s by Barfield and Blum tonight with runners on base
At least he didn’t ground out on the first pitch.
I would probably PH Walker for Barfield here, with the night he’s having
It’s a shame Todd Walker has such a miserable track record against Carpenter. Sitting Walker probably is the right move but I have a hard time imagining him having worse at-bats than Barfield’s tonight.
How is Blum allowed to hit in a spot like that?
so much for the killer B’s…..
Nats have extended their lead over Philly to 4-2 in the eighth. Washington is still threatening.
Bochy is close to conceeding. Seanez is the pitcher up in the bullpen.
Did you notice that 3-0 pitch to Pujols? He’s not used to having strikes called strikes.
Where are these pitches missing?
Dodgers up 5-1 with nobody out in the fifth.
I think it is to the point where Mr. Pujols will tell the pitcher when it is a strike…at least we only have to see this 6 times a year instead of 18 with Bonds
f’n phillies… utley with a 2 strike, 2 out single to score a run.. now down 1 with Utley on base and howard up…
And now Pujols robs Ryno. Nice swing by Klesko there.
this is my problem when Bochy is giving Klesko his 2nd official plate appearance in the middle of a pennant race against one of the NLs best starters. Let the best players play, not the most loyal. Somoene else could be pinch hitting here.
Howard flies out! Phillies lose!!! M – V – Poor!
In Bochy’s defense, I don’t know that anyone could have hit the ball any harder than Klesko just did.
Phillies lose.
If Pujols doesn’t rob Klesko, that scores a run.
At the least this rally has likely ensured that we won’t see Carpenter next inning.
couldn’t see it – how was Klesko’s at bat?
nevermind, hadn’t refreshed in time to see GYs comments… crapbaggerrs..
Klesko smoked the ball, Pujols made a leaping grab.
Dude, Carpenter might not make it out of this inning. Attaboy, Bard.
SHAKESPEARE!!!!!
Nice Bard. Oh no, not Barfield.
Beautiful at-bat by Branyan ruined by home plate umpire calling a pitch up out of the zone strike three.
that was ball 4
Barfield needs to have our back right now
Geez, this umpire is a joke. He hasn’t been calling that pitch a strike all night before Branyan’s and Cameron’s at-bats this inning.
Yeah, screw you plate umpire. We’ve got Cameron.
When Cameron was in Egypt’s land……
And now the plate umpire says Blum didn’t check his swing. This guy is an absolute clown behind the plate.
And if you spoke at all, you just said Hi to Big Mike.
never mind me, first padre game
Umpiring behind the plate has been an absolute joke tonight
Traveling for work, just got to the hotel in NYC and the Pads rally to take the lead. Love MLB Radio! Cmon bullpen!
I hope we’re able to hang on to this one; it’d be a shame to have runs that matter taken away by the plate umpire.
CLA! CLA! CLA! CLA!! CLA!! CLA!!!
Glad to see Bochy trying to win the game despite Meredith needing a night off
Spectacular effort by Blummer. Base hit for Edmonds. Need a DP.
“He couldn’t have placed that ball any perfectly…” – Mark Grant
Meredith is just nasty.
*Yawn*. Another easy, 12 pitch inning for Meredith. Nothing out of the infield.
Is Meredith eligible for the ROY?
Meredith needs to be in a coma tomorrow. Even then Bochy would look for a voodoo witch doctor to animate his unconscious body.
Not complaining, just saying, a little rest would be in order.
Yes, Meredith is eligible. Matt and Mud were just talking about that.
Why is Linebrink up in the bullpen? Is Hoffman unavailable again?
158: I’m sure he is, he didn’t throw near enough innings with Boston last year.
161: What about time on the roster?
160: Because it’s only the 8th?
How about like 8 or 9 insurance runs tonight?
Meredith is 13th in the Majors in WXRL. He’s 5th in the National League. And that’s with 10-30 fewer innings pitched than everyone else near the top of the list.
Dodgers up 9-1…
Oh, crap. Getting ahead of myself. Thanks, Richard.
And Terrmel Sledge shows us why Klesko was used earlier. Just saving Sledge for ducks on the pond.
I could definitely get behind 8 or 9 insurance runs.
162: If you’re asking if he’s been with the Padres long enough, I don’t know that there is a minimum.
If you’re asking if he was with the Red Sox too long last year, 45 days is the cutoff.
11th and 4th in WXL…
169: I was asking about the latter. And thanks.
Roberts has to be able to put the ball in play here.
172: He did and the result was ugly.
Tired of that fake to third crap…
Sending Roberts to avoid the Giles grounder to second?
I’d be happy with a 3 run shot
Waiting on Gamecast, I thought it would be uglier than that. Not a great AB, apparently, but better than a DP.
175: He gets thrown out and a fly ball doesn’t score Sledge. I’d keep him at 1st to open up the hole.
Crap.
But if he makes it, of course, great play.
Play at the plate was pretty close.
Sledge is safe at home on that play….the tag is way up on his leg…
Uh, ahead in the count, maybe look for a ball you can elevate?
Not scoring here is going to hurt.
Oh, man, he was definitely safe at home.
Have they scored anybody from 3rd with less then 2 outs all nights? Seems like at least 4 runs have been left out there
Solid AB by Gonzalez.
AGON!
Very nice. Of course, if Giles had stolen 2nd base, which they were giving him (not holding him), that likely scores 2.
Super Gonzo!
Still pretty depressing that two of the most experienced hitters on the team rolled over on balls like that. Guess it’s all in the placement, Piazza’s kangaroo ball last night was a 6-3 putout with no RBI if the infield was back.
Wow, Johnson for Giles.
Nice job by Gonzo. Hope Giles is okay.
Giles is hurt.
I missed it…what happened to Giles?
How did he get hurt going from first to second?
What happened with Giles? I completely missed it.
One thing that is impressive about this team is that it just doesn’t give up…reminds me a lot of the ‘98 team. You never count them out….
Manny Alexander getting Ab’s with the bases loaded….guys I think one of us could be the backup 3B next season
Giles was on his way to third and “went down” — just barely getting back to second base. I don’t know what happened, and they’re not speculating at this point.
We must have a better hitter than Manny on the bench…
On another note, I don’t mean to complain about scoring five runs in two innings, but we had a chance to completely bury these guys.
#201: Probably, but then it’s Walker at third.
With Bellhorn available to play 3rd, how hard did Bochy think about pinch-hitting for Manny there? Bellhorn, Knott, even Linebrink.
Scotty……no 2-0 counts to Gary Bennett.
Don’t tell me Gary Bennett is going to get on base
203: Walker, Bellhorn, or even Blum at 3rd and Khalil at SS. Not saying it would have worked out, but.
Scotty….no 3-2 counts to Bennett.
There we go. That should be the inevitable end to every Gary Bennet at bat.
203: I’m not seeing the problem.
Bellhorn is still on this team?
Thankfully Bennett is back to his old tricks and bails out Linebrink.
Alexander isn’t that great at third anyway.
#208: Well, in light of the fact that Alexander couldn’t make that play, it’s looking less obvious. I still don’t like Walker at 3B late in a tight game.
Here we go again…down the middle isn’t going to count
I don’t like interesting games.
I love the selective memory of the Cardinals announcers. They are talking about how the pitches to Pujols in the ninth inning were a foot off the plate. Actually, the first two pitches probably should have been strikes, and when those missed he went ahead and walked him.
Linebrink’s trade value just went up. big time.
Is Manny Alexander really that much of a defensive upgrade over Branyan that justifies that move? Well, at least it’s not Bellhorn.
And Linebrink makes Pujols pop to center. Sweet.
Okay, Scott got away with one there. And exhale.
216: Pretty sure he isn’t.
Has Pujols displayed any attitude tonight? Still trying to figure out why he was mad about the DP last night, Blum didn’t low-bridge him.
Whew. The Cardinals crowd is so conditioned to Pujols hitting home runs that even when he clearly popped it up there the crowd starting cheering loudly.
218: I could see them moving Blum to 3rd and putting Alexander at SS, but otherwise I would stick with Branyan. He has looked pretty solid defensively, even though I understand his overall defensive numbers aren’t too hot.
221: He is SO MUCH better than Alexander with the bat, that with his spot in the order still going to come up, it’s insane to remove him for a defensive replacement that isn’t considerably better.
221: Bochy gets in a pattern, he stays in a pattern. Alexander is the defensive replacement. So let it be written, so let it be done.
Due up in the 9th, and how they’ve fared against Hoffman:
Encarnacion: 0-for 4, 1 K
Rolen: .400/.455/1.400 in 10 AB
Edmonds: 1-for-5, 2 BB
223: It’s really quite remarkable that a guy getting paid what he’s getting paid gets away with stuff like that.
224: worth noting that past success/failure against a particular pitcher has virtually no predictive power.
Funny to hear Matt and Mud taking shots at the fans, it is hard to be the best fans in baseball when the team is playing terrible.
#226: You’re welcome.
9.8 Runs/Game?
228: I was just sayin’…
9.8 runs-can that be right?
Encouraging:
Jon (Providence, RI): Do you think Trevor Hoffman makes the HOF?
Rob Neyer: I have no doubt. Hoffman’s going to wind up destroying Lee Smith’s record *and* he was actually a better pitcher than Smith. I think he’ll go in, as will Rivera, and perhaps even Billy Wagner.
5.565 according to ESPN.com.
Death.
Colorado has been scoring over 7 runs/game in September. That’s kinda crazy.
I don’t like interesting games.
Tried to post it again and the crack Ducksnorts duplicate detector called me on it.
236: Spell something wrong next time.
236: Spel somethin wrong next time.
I really hate Edmonds…
bong…bong…
I don’t mind him so much right now.
Taxes.
241: You scared the excrement out of me.
243: Sorry about that.
Hoffman!
239: I’m slightly behind on the mlb.tv feed, so when I see a comment like that, I think, “oh no, Edmonds is about to homer.” The actual event was a nice surprise.
Magic Number: 4 (lousy Rockies).
Unbelievable. They know it’s coming, and they just can’t do anything about it. What a great snatch ‘em back.
246: That sort of occurred to me after I said it.
Red is dead. Cards fall off the map with the Pad’s help. I don’t ever remember seeing SD stepping up like this when they had to.
250: What about ‘96?
That’s right, beatches.
Tomorrow night we should do everything possible to rest Clay, Liney, and Hoffman. Chan Ho, Cassidy, Adkins, Embree, Seanez, there are plenty of teams who would love those 5 in the pen.
#230: It’s all good.
251…Didn’t they have it wrapped up earlier? This will go down to the last series.
Wow. I am sorry for ever doubting. What an amazing victory. They have now defeated the NL’s two best starting pitchers in the span of a week.
254: The Pads and Dodgers both clinched the playoffs on the next-to-last day in 96, when the Marlins (I think) lost. But the division came down to the final game.
In that case…do you know where they sell those home heart defibullator units? A few more of these is going to kill me.
OT – Ollie Perez now 3-13! http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=260926115
It’s way after the game, of course, but I couldn’t get this site to come up at work, but …
re: 20
… barely adequate offense, good starting pitching and good defense to keep you in games, and a great bullpen?
Good defense? The Padres have the best defense in the majors. They have passed the Tigers during the past month. Defense is the Padres strength, and I haven’t seen one article or blog entry or anything else about it all years. I may have just missed it, but good defense doesn’t begin to tell the story.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=116639
Nice win, again. My observations have been made by others:
Horrid game by Barfield. Bad approach, not just the outcomes.
Lame home plate ump on the balls and strikes and Termel’s slide.
We played sloppy, and failed to put it away, forcing us to use Cla, Linebrink and Trevor. That could come back to haunt us.
I wish the Dodgers and Astros would lose. Thankfully Philly lost, giving us a little bit of room on the WC.
You really want the dream match up in the playoffs? How about both the Cardinals AND Houston bottom out, letting Cincinnati take it and somehow we end up matched up with them.
Nice article on Trevor in the Long Beach Press Telegraph.
http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_4402500
Ugly game. Isn’t there anybody hanging around the waiver wires the Padres can snatch up for these last five games to play defense at short or third in the late innings of close games? I dread any of our 3B in the late innings of close games. Where’s Joe Randa?
any word about Giles, who looked like he might have injured himself in a slide at second? Gees, how bout TO, unstable guy? And the DEA at Chargers Park, searching Keels locker, taking him away.
#259: Kevin, I don’t think it’s any secret that pitching and defense are winning games for the Padres. In particular, Mike Cameron and Adrian Gonzalez have made a huge impact because they’ve both been upgrades at their respective positions while improving everyone around them in the process. I’m sure we’ve addressed this here before and I touched on it recently at Baseball Analysts.
Not here very often for IGD…either at the game or doing something else…so…
KRS1 — It is the SDABL league. http://www.sdabl.com I have been playing in it since the mid 90’s. Usually a lot of fun. Yes, there are the occasional guys who think they are a god, but for the most part we are just playing Baseball. I tried softball, but was not ready to give up facing a good fastball or junk just yet.
Friarfan — I notice in your KT evaluation you leave off those moves that did not work. If you are going to keep score (even just this year) I think you have to include Bellhorn, Castilla, etc.
Richard — I am hopeful, but guys like Joe Morgan (who has a vote) say that they are on the fence and don’t think that there is a roll for “Closers” in the HOF b/c they are not important in the “history of the game”. He does talk about how important they are in today’s game, but he said in the context of baseball history their roll is very limited and not important.
Ben B. — I have to work this morning, but I will get you options that would be a good fit for SS.
And nobody said trade KG for Everett as an even swap. I made the comment a couple of months ago and repeat it now…I would sacrifice some of the offense that we get from KG for an upgrade at defense, IF we can use him as a centerpiece to get a legit major league 3B…guys like Crede or Ensberg.
For those of you who asked about Giles…from today’s paper:
The only lasting setback suffered by the visitors came when Brian Giles, rounding second base on Gonzalez’s single to right-center, stumbled and crashed to the dirt. Giles, already gimpy after fouling a ball of his knee, sprained an ankle. The club announced that Giles is unlikely to start tonight’s game but should return within a few days.
I was listening to XX this morning and Scott and Billy Ray, along with Ted, were touting KT for Exec of the Year. I think that’s pretty hard to argue against. They were talking about how KT has a knack of building a strong bullpen on a lot less money than other.
It got me to thinking, how much is Towers bringing someone into the bullpen and how much is related to the Ack and Balsley’s influence and how much is due to Trevor’s influence on the other members of the bullpen?
LaMar, good question…
Tim Kirkjian was just on 1090…said he thinks the Pads have the best chance to knock off the Mets in the playoffs…interesting.
And all this talk of Towers as Exec of the Year is just silly. Stop begging…Strangely enough, up until this season I thought Towers was “Da Man”. I was a HUGE supporter. It is this season that I got very tired of him putting together substandard hitting line-ups, giving us gaping holes in the field/lineup (think 3B this season, CF and LF the last couple of seasons), and generally putting together mediocre teams. This board is all of a sudden abuzz with these great moves that he has made and yet there is no mention of how Bellhorn has fallen flat on his face, Wells has been attrocious, and Castilla was a silly joke. We are also forgetting to mention how weak our minor league system is and how little fruit it has produced.
Don’t get me wrong, I am having a blast this year. I have been rooting for the Pads since I went to my first games in 1983. I was at the Q when there were 9000 or less fans. I have defended Towers for 10 years. I am done with him. We are going to win the West convincingly and yet I have finally broken my love for him.
When he is gone, the two things I will miss more than anything else are his candor and how he puts together decent bullpens on the cheap.
Don’t get me started on Boch.
Hidden bonus last night: by roughing up Carpenter, the Pads may have given Trevor’s CY candidacy a boost. I was listening to ESPN radio yesterday and they were interviewing Rob Neyer. The host (forget who that was) mentioned Trevor for Cy Young and wanted Neyer’s take. Neyer was lukewarm, talking about Webb and Carpenter, but noted one of those two has to finish strong this last week and get to 17 wins, and that even 17 is a REALLY low W total for a CY winner. He seemed inclined to support Hoffman if neither Carpenter or Webb steps up. Webb had a good start last night, but no decision, so still sitting on 16 W’s. We get one more crack at him Sunday. Carpenter’s case took a big blow.
I’ll be honest – I’m not used to the Padres playing this consistently well. Part of what makes these games so intense (for me anyway) is a well-founded (25+ years of living & dying with them) lack of full faith in our ability to come through again and again. But this 8 game stretch has really turned that sentiment on its head, at least for now. Fun stuff, but gut wrenching. Picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue…
#266
Have you looked at Ensberg’s road stats or, more importantly, his BABIP? He’s not the answer, and Everett is a joke – he’s like having Brad Ausmus at shortstop. I’d sacrifice a little defense for offense at short, but not that much. I think Greene should be moved to third next season and the Pads should make a push for stopgap SS like, I dunno, Kennedy or A. Gonzalez or Craig Counsell. And then the Pads can try to develop a shortstop.
And as far as Towers’ moves that “didn’t work out” like Bellhorn and Castilla – Bellhorn was a non-roster invite who was never expectd to be more than a utility guy. Castilla was a joke, of course, but considering that Lawrence was in a major decline phase (and subsequently missed the season with injury), it’s a wash – bad player for bad player. Sadly enough, right now I wish we had Castilla around just to play defense in the late innings. And I have never in my life wished for Vinny Castilla.
And another thing re:Towers. I have never been a huge fan, but he has done well with a limited budget – the Pads are 17th in the majors in payroll this season, about 1/3 of the Yanks payroll. SO they can’t realistically carry an all-star at every position like the Yankees can. They have to do the best they can with a cheap bullpen, home-grown starting pitching and role players.
Amazingly enough, do you realize that 8 of the top 10 teams in payroll might miss the playoffs?
BTW, Here’s the payroll list – top 10 and contenders – numbers are from April.
1. Yankees – 194 Million (not including Abreu and Lidle)
2. Boston – 120 (missed playoffs)
3. Anaheim – 104 (missed playoffs)
4. Whitesox – 103 (missed playoffs)
5 Mets – 101
6. Dodgers – 100
7. Cubs – 94 (missed playoffs)
8. Hou – 93 (not including Clemens, which would leapfrog the astros into 3rd)
9. Atlanta – 90 (missed playoffs; won’t finish above .500)
10. SF – 90 (ditto)
Other Contenders:
Cards -11th -89 million
Phils -12th – 88 (this includes Abreu and Lidle)
Detroit – 14th – 83 million
Padres – 17th – 70 million
Minnesota – 19th – 64m
Oakland – 21st- 62 million