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:
- Phillies at Marlins — 10:20 a.m., PT
- Dodgers at Giants — 1:15 p.m., ET
Don’t bonk. Go Padres!
Greene caught a tough throw from Hoffman.
294 – wow. that description is perfect
We’re in!
Greene does it again! Post season here we come!
are they celebrating??????
Khalil!
Oh my again, KHALIL!
AND WE GO TO THE PLAYOFFS!!!! WOOO HOOOO
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
304 — yes
can someone do some picture-painting for us prisoners?
Beautiful play by Greene
Yeah, they’re celebrating!
They celebrated a little, but it was nothing like after clinching the division last year. They were much more raucous on Sunday after Trevor’s save 479.
Now we need to win the division tomorrow.
I have four seats throughout the postseason. It cost about four-grand to lock them up, but I’m hoping I don’t get a refund.
KG makes a play that could not be made by Blum…Wooohooo. Way to go boys!!!
Nice picture to see the players celebrate…
And the respect shown by the manager and coaches sitting on the sideline and letting the players jump up and down a bit.
310: ditto! is this the serious celebration? are they going to be popping champagne? do we get to see trevor hoffman in eye goggles and some oversized grey t-shirt???
Lots of smiles and high fives on the field…
The coaches are all standing on the foul line, letting the players celebrate in the middle of the field.
Didn’t someone say Hoffman isn’t automatic in this IGD? Hoffman is now 45 for 50 in save situations this season, which is 90 percent. Are there players who are more automatic than that?
Vasgersian is interviewing Wells.
Lots of hugging and smiling. Doesn’t look like there’ll be champagne. Maybe it is in the locker room — they haven’t shown any shots of the clubhouse.
Smiles all around…
Now, we need to lock up home field on Sunday…I will be in Texas from Thursday until the following Friday…I want to see my game on Tuesday or Wednesday night!!!
I have no idea what either play by Greene looked like from within these prison walls!!
OK, now they’re in the locker room, Woody’s wearing goggles and the lockers are tarped up.
The Dodgers definitely had the champagne going after they won..
NICE!!!
Uh oh, they just showed Peavy in the clubhouse with a bottle…can we please get him a flak jacket just to be safe?
I have no idea what either play by Greene looked like from within these prison walls!! (hint hint)
323– The first was a nice turn on a 163 DP. The second was deep in the hole, whirled and threw a bullet to first.
The first play by Greene was just handling a tough throw and making the turn for the double play.
The second one was deep in the whole and a tough throw across the field to get the runner by a step or so.
whole = hole
The first was beautiful because Trevor threw low to 2nd…great dig by Greene and then a grea throw to first..
Eric…he did a good job…maybe only plays Jeter and KG could make.
No happy to see Peavy in the middle of the jumping…
And now Fox is talking about Trevor getting the Cy Young.
haha, thanks…sorry for my whining today. go pads
Ok…now lets get out there tomorrow and pound on the snakes to win the division..
Brad Penny has 2 herniated disks? Wow.
say we end up with the Wild Card…does that assure us of non-home-field advantage throughout the playoffs?
I don’t think it’s assured…but it’s probably the case..
I guess if we play the Mets in the first round, then we (those of us who work during the day) will get to see the games. Otherwise, I suppose the network will stick the games in the daytime.
Never a doubt in my mind…
Congratulations to the Pads and their devoted fans!
(And thanks to Geoff and Al Gore for letting us celebrate together.)
And now it only gets better.
I want the West crown, but wow, we are in. Sorry to be such a worrying humbug, but the Phillies and Dodgers are/were driving me crazy. A win tomorrow and we get St. Louis; if not, a Padro-less Mets (unfortunately, still a very tough team).
I should have thought about the switch over and could have watched the end of the game (hate those national black out rules when you don’t get the game in your market).
Savor this. This is the first time in the 40+ years that Padres have gone to the post-season in consecutive years. And only the 5th time ever.
Of course, they will still talk over our games going on about Ryan Howard or David Ortiz or other great sluggers watching from home. But who cares? We are in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like our chances against either team..but I would prefer to have the extra home games against St. Louis..
Now we can hopefully get some audio of the division title win tomorrow to play on the show next week…
we can also win Trevor a CY tomorrow
Wish I could have been here with you, my brothers (and sisters, if any). But this has been a terrific day all around for Mr. Tom Waits, and the game was the perfect capper.
Any team that can overcome Vinny Castilla and Eric Young can do some damage in the postseason.
Oswalt: 15-8, 2.88 ERA, 166 Ks, 220.2ip
Carpenter: 15-8, 3.09 ERA, 184Ks, 221.2ip
Webb: 16-7, 2.88 ERA, 173Ks, 231ip, ONE MORE START
Even 17 wins isn’t very impressive to voters
re: 343
The Padres have not been around 40+ years. They are in their 38th season.
YES!!!
Great day today . . . now let’s lock up home field tomorrow!
ESPN coverage:
Dodgers: highlights, then coverage of the lockeroom celebration, with interviews of Lowe, Maddux, Colletti and Little.
Padres: highlights.
Did the Pads not celebrate or something?
Anyway great win, good for Boomer to give us some strong innings.