IGD: Padres @ Diamondbacks (30 Sep 06)

first pitch: 1:10 p.m., PT
television: FOX
matchup: David Wells (2-5, 4.80 ERA) vs Juan Cruz (5-6, 4.27 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN
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Despite every outcome working against the Padres on Friday night, Baseball Prospectus has their odds of reaching the post-season at 95.8% with two games remaining. Clay Hensley made one bad pitch Friday (and upon further review, it wasn’t that bad of a pitch — Eric Byrnes went down and got it) and Livan Hernandez did what he does, which is throw a lot of junk and leave the opposition frustrated when he’s on. I’m not making excuses, just noting that sometimes you have to give the other team credit for coming out and competing when there isn’t necessarily anything in it for them beyond pride.

It’d be nice to see the Giants do the same against the Dodgers, but that is neither here nor there.

David Wells gets the start Saturday night for the Padres. I’d like to say something positive here, but I’m not feeling terribly inspired, so we’ll leave it at that. On a brighter note, the only members of the bullpen Bruce Bochy seems to trust have had two straight days off and should be good to go for these final two regular-season games.

Current Diamondbacks have had a fair amount of success against Wells, hitting .299/.322/.502 against him in 221 at-bats. The main culprits have been Luis Gonzalez (.409/.435/.773 in 22 AB), Eric Byrnes (.467/.529/.733 in 15 AB), and Robby Hammock (.500/.500/1.100 in 10 AB).

On the flip side, Juan Cruz gets the start for the Snakes. Matt Vasgersian and Tony Gwynn mentioned during Friday night’s telecast that Arizona manager Bob Melvin plans to give Cruz two innings before turning the game over to originally scheduled starter, Enrique Edgar Gonzalez. Both throw right-handed, although Cruz (801 OPS vs LHB, 626 OPS vs RHB) has much more pronounced lefty/righty splits than does Gonzalez (747 821 OPS vs LHB, 781 797 OPS vs RHB).

Scoreboard watching? Yeah, a little:

Don’t bonk. Go Padres!

361 Responses »

  1. Bottom of 9 in San Francisco….i’m betting the Giants go down in order…

  2. What I don’t like about Tejada is his infantile consecutive games streak. That’s why he’s gradually going downhill and his second halves are not as good as his first halves.

  3. don’t sleep on Bush – he is AMAZINGLY talented from a physical standpoint – but he basically needs to start over w/ the bat… and his GLOVE was NEVER a question

  4. Giants used to play tough against the Dodgers in situations like this. I guess they don’t have character anymore.

  5. What are the odds that Fox switches to the Padres game when the Giants finish bending over for the Dodgers?

  6. Wow, nobody got on base against Linebrink. When was the last time that happened?

  7. 253: really? you’re suggesting there’s not time for a quick three year or more hibernation before we see Bush’s name on the back of a Pads uniform??

  8. Dodgers win…

  9. re: 257 – Hopefully we see Bush’s name on the back of a Padres jersey sometime in January in the White House Rose Garden…

  10. Okay, now let’s get Blum home here.

  11. So the Giants well probably roll over for the Dodgers again tomorrow. We’ve got to win today and tomorrow for the western crown. If that matters.

    Geoff Blum gets a double. More runs. Let’s get more runs.

  12. I like the idea of tejada cuz we have money to spend and might as well spend it on real improvement, rather than saving more money on young hopefuls.

  13. yeah..the Giants haven’t done a damn thing in the first 2 games…they’ll be worse tomorrow…

  14. Didn’t we establish, like six months ago, that Barfield cannot lay down a sacrifice bunt? Are we even trying here?

  15. If we score at least 2 runs here, that’ll really help my fantasy team. As much as I love Trevor, another save from him could really sink my team.

  16. tejada’s had a real bad attitude since getting to baltimore – I’d hate to see that kind of attitude hit the pads clubhouse

  17. 257: stranger things have happened….

    Bush was a CONCENSUS 5-tool talent and top 10 pick. His problems were character, trying to show off his power (ending up K’ing), not taking walks, and yanking routine throws (what minor league SS doesn’t do that?)… If he stops swinging for the fence, he may figure things out.

    He’s a longshot to get things right, but now that the spotlight is off him, he may actually figure things out…

  18. did barfield try to bunt?

  19. Yes! Fox actually gets something right! Bonus Coverage for those of us not in SD

  20. but Tejada was KNOWN as a GREAT clubhouse presense in Oakland… He probably hates losing…

  21. attitude schmattitude. go sign EY and Castilla if you want attitude

  22. 268: Yup, his locker will be right next to Ruben Rivera’s…

  23. LOL @ Fox announcers – I wonder if the end up correcting that comment

  24. re 270 – sadly, not everywhere…

  25. Brilliant idea to bunt with nobody out and a runner on 2nd, wouldn’t want to screw up Hoffman’s save opportunity.

  26. #269: Yes, he bunted a 2-0 pitch about six inches in front of the plate and Montero threw out Blum at third by about 10 feet.

  27. LOL @ 273 – he’s a long-shot…

  28. bonus coverage? not here

  29. 275: yup. ditto – not even a game on TV right now. Still, watching the Hoakies get crushed by Georgia Tech….

  30. gonzalez, byrnes, jackson…gonna make trevor earn it

  31. LA & SD will not play eachother in a tie if both teams are in the playoffs

  32. Here comes Hoffman.

  33. (playing my Hells Bells ringtone)

  34. shameful showing by the offense tonight

  35. Listen to all the Padre fans there in attendance!

  36. 288 – that’s great

  37. That pitch couldn’t have more than a foot off the ground…

  38. more nervous now than with linebrink

  39. this is killing me… watching on gamecast is like being captive in a secret CIA prison..

  40. Wow, great play by Khalil there.

  41. Oh my, Khalil!

  42. Thank god for Khalil Greene…

  43. Why the hell would Bochy have Barfield bunt with a runner on second and no outs?!?!?

    Does he think it impossible that Barfield might manage a run-scoring hit against a pitcher who just surrendered an extra-base hit to a lesser hitter than Barfield??? Or that he might draw a walk, giving the Padres TWO baserunners with nobody out??? Or maybe, in an effort to reach base safely, Barfield might hit the ball to the right side, accomplishing as much as a sacrafice bunt would have???

    I’ll shut up, as Greene does a nice job of salvaging that DP…