IGD: Padres @ Cubs (16 Apr 07)
Mon, Apr 16, 2007
by Geoff Young
first pitch: 5:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Clay Hensley (0-2, 9.00 ERA) vs Jason Marquis (0-1, 3.27 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
After suffering their first series loss of 2007, the Padres head to Chicago for two with the Cubs. Clay Hensley starts for the Pads in the opener. Pay no attention to his poor numbers to date; assuming he has a plate umpire that knows the strike zone and a defense that can make plays behind him, Hensley will be fine.
The Cubs, meanwhile, have started the season 4-7. Probably not what the Tribune Company had in mind after throwing $300 million at players over the winter and putting the team up for sale, but oh well. Mark DeRosa has more homers than Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano combined. Yeah, that’s totally bogus, but it’s probably the only chance I’ll ever get to say it, so there you go.
Speaking of power numbers and small samples, have you noticed that the Padres are outhomering the opposition, 12-4, so far? The Padres haven’t done that over a full season since 1998. Again, it’s way early, but this bears watching.
I feel like I should say something else here — something really motivational to pick us up after Sunday night’s debacle. All I can come up with is, “Please don’t send Dwight”; does that qualify?
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
April 16, 2007 at 4:32 pm
dprat - thanks for the link/pointer to BP article which says Padres ‘07 payroll = $58,235,567 … I was driving late last night and caught some of “Coach John” on the radio … a caller called in pissed about this, giving this specific number … to which Coach said he truely believed the Padres exec (KT?) who told him the number is $70 million … perhaps the difference includes Todd Walker’s salary and stuff like that …
April 16, 2007 at 4:42 pm
It was Sandy Alderson who quoted $70 million. He said that included incentives that the club expects will be met. Maybe I’m too trusting but I don’t think Sandy would flat out lie and give a hard number like that. I expected him to answer the question vaguely, say something like “We project it will be 5 to 10 million higher” or something to that effect. He threw out the $70 million figure on his own. He did qualify it by saying that’s what they expect it will be by the ned of the year, not opening day payroll. Maybe he’s factoring in the money they expect to spend on a deadline deal for Ichiro?
$12 million seems like a lot of incentives. How many guys are on incentive-laden contracts? I believe Wells is, maybe Trevor has some. I think Maddux is all guaranteed money.
April 16, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Call it a sign of limited imagination, but I’m a little dumbfounded by Blum playing SS and batting 2nd…
April 16, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Looks like some big changes in the lineup tonight.. No KG, no Cameron, no Bowen. In their place: Blum (batting 2nd), Cruz (batting 7th), and LaForest (batting 8th). I like getting Cameron a day’s rest and I can see getting KG a day off too. Surprising to bat Blum so early in the lineup (why not Cruz in the 2-hole?) and clearly Bud doesn’t see much of a drop-off between Bowen and LaForest… should be interesting tonight.
April 16, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Whoops, forgot to mention Kouz gets the night off too. Branyan hitting 6th behind Sledge…
April 16, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Where’s Randy Johnson when you need him?
April 16, 2007 at 5:22 pm
This is not a good start.
April 16, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Our bats better be big tonight.
April 16, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Well that was fortunate. Clay is not looking good at all.
April 16, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Wow, great grab by OG.
April 16, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Dayam!
April 16, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Looked like Tony G. climbing that wall.
April 16, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Very close to being interference there as well..
April 16, 2007 at 5:44 pm
two games in a row that Hensley has failed to get the bunt down…. very surprising considering he usually appears to have a pretty good approach at the plate (for a pitcher)… still, Clay - how ’bout a little bunting practice!
April 16, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Riddle me this Batman: Why can’t most pitchers bat? When I played in H.S. and pitched, I and my fellow teamates could bat. WTF?
April 16, 2007 at 5:45 pm
ok .. 24hrs and I am back … got booted off last night and could not get this blog to come back on ….. hoping this game is batter … GO PADRES
April 16, 2007 at 5:46 pm
because they don’t bat in the minors .. most of our minor leages us the DH
April 16, 2007 at 5:47 pm
15: lack of practice. seriously, it is just that. most pitchers in the majors were actually good hitters in high school, but as they began to “specialize” as pitchers, they stopped getting regular at-bats, both in practice and, of course, games. it’s pretty silly, though, as some of my college teammates were unceremoniously dumped into the “pitcher” side of practice despite being REALLY good hitters.
April 16, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Not a fun start, though Clay looked a bit sharper in the second. I like our players, love them at times, but I doubt few contending teams can be so collectively cold so often.
April 16, 2007 at 5:48 pm
17: That’s why I hate the American League. I feel if you are gonna play the game, then get with the game.
April 16, 2007 at 5:49 pm
From what I have seen pitchers do not hit for themselves in the Padres Minor Leagues until they hit AAA …
April 16, 2007 at 5:49 pm
15: and batting is hard in the major leagues, you have to practice it every day. That said, I raised the question last season of whether it would be a strategic advantage to have pitchers work more on hitting. I think the consensus was the amount of time it takes to improve would cut into their other duties.
No reason they can’t improve bunting though. That’s like shooting free throws, it just takes practice.
April 16, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Clay looks like he may be in a groove … now the Padres need to find bats that can hit
April 16, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I knew this might be a rough game as soon as I saw the unis…seriously, the sand-on-sand set is arguably the worst in the majors right now.
April 16, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Nice job Clay
April 16, 2007 at 5:52 pm
I’m contentious in thinking that the catcher and pitcher have the best eye for a pitch. Ergo, they should have the best slugging percentage.
April 16, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Think hit the ball ……………. Think hit the ball ………………………….
April 16, 2007 at 5:53 pm
27: I’m with Sue on that.
April 16, 2007 at 5:54 pm
26: They also have the most to think about outside of hitting. Like Yogi says, 90% of hitting is half mental.
April 16, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Clay got a call in the Theriot AB, but so far a very tight zone, but seemingly consistently called between the teams.
April 16, 2007 at 5:56 pm
ok … third walk …. rumor has it lead off walks score most at least 75% of the time ….. taking bets on where Giles ends up ……
April 16, 2007 at 5:56 pm
At least they are showing some plate discipline up there…
April 16, 2007 at 5:57 pm
The score line isn’t in our favor, but you have to like the pitch counts through three:
Pitches-strikes: Hensley 33-22, Marquis 50-30.
Keep going Clay, the bats will come around….
April 16, 2007 at 5:57 pm
In case anyone is wondering, here’s what Mark Grant did at Wrigley Field during his career:
http://tinyurl.com/3588c8
April 16, 2007 at 5:58 pm
29: Oh please. My 20 year old daughter can do her college class work, talk on the phone, text message, and IM, without missing a beat. And you are talking about throwing a ball and swining a piece of wood.
April 16, 2007 at 6:00 pm
35: swinging
April 16, 2007 at 6:00 pm
hmmmmm Giles still on first ……..
April 16, 2007 at 6:00 pm
No hit through 4. This can be so frustrating…
April 16, 2007 at 6:01 pm
31: So what odds were you offering? Sigh
April 16, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Yet another mediocre starter shutting down our lineup. The roster of tomato cans who have done that this year is alarming…Cook, Morris, now Marquis.
April 16, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Hey Geoff
Do we need to have a IGC (in game contest) - what inning will the Padres get their 1st hit??
I’ll pick the 6th
April 16, 2007 at 6:07 pm
41: I’ll take the 8th after we sing take me out to the ball game they might figure out they are at a ball game …
not pretty but we gor the double play
April 16, 2007 at 6:10 pm
OK i AM FEELING TO NEGATIVE … need to get back to basics
Lets Go Padres Lets Go (clap) (clap)
April 16, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Nicely done … now lets get the bats going
April 16, 2007 at 6:13 pm
We are now 44 runs Padres, 44 runs opponents.
April 16, 2007 at 6:14 pm
#40: Cook is a good pitcher. Getting shut down by Marquis is a bit embarrassing.
April 16, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Clay’s pitches just don’t have the usual movement tonight. His control isn’t there either. He’s lucky the damage hasn’t been worse.
April 16, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Clay is off, putting guys on with BB’s, but the Cubs BA with RISP is pretty damns good, also somewhat fortunate for them. Hopefully some of the hits will come around for us.
A HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 16, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Finally!
April 16, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Crudge rocks
April 16, 2007 at 6:15 pm
That’s the way Cruz
April 16, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Cruz looking like a great pick up…
April 16, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Cruz seems like a great diversification within our portfolio of hitters… seems like everytime the rest of our lineup is “down”, he’s “up”…
April 16, 2007 at 6:17 pm
OK, let’s go Pepe LePue!
April 16, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Pierre looks a little like Klesko up there. All he needs is the crooked soul patch and to wear his helmet cocked at a jaunty angle. And the helicopter swing.
April 16, 2007 at 6:17 pm
53 - it’s the stirrups
April 16, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Mark just said ‘Ducksnort’
April 16, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Thank goodness the Cubs don’t have a big-league center fielder out there.
April 16, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Nice Clay …… hmmm .ot sure on the call
April 16, 2007 at 6:18 pm
that definitely bounced
April 16, 2007 at 6:19 pm
It bounced into his glove.
April 16, 2007 at 6:19 pm
The locals don’t like it, but most of them are too sauced to know what inning it is
April 16, 2007 at 6:20 pm
definitely bounced….and we got a run..
April 16, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Being a former Chicagoan, I have to agree with Clayton!
April 16, 2007 at 6:21 pm
OK baby G … lets go …
April 16, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Clay bringing the lumber. I think in the game last year when he shut down the Cubs in a complete game, I think Clay had at least 4, maybe 5 K’s; nice to see the hit.
April 16, 2007 at 6:22 pm
im confused as hell…my tv said 2 outs when NOG was up…
April 16, 2007 at 6:22 pm
CLAY STOLE A BASE !!!!!!
April 16, 2007 at 6:23 pm
66 - and the wheels! I didn’t see that one coming baby!
April 16, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Wow, that was Rickeyesque.
April 16, 2007 at 6:23 pm
wow…that was impressive…
April 16, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Best stolen base ever.
April 16, 2007 at 6:24 pm
71: impressive and waisted
April 16, 2007 at 6:24 pm
RE #15, the great why can’t pitchers hit debate. Hitting a baseball and pitching a baseball are very different skills. Why would you expect that someone could have truly world-leading talent for both?
April 16, 2007 at 6:24 pm
….and leave it to Bellhorn, I mean Blum, to screw it up
April 16, 2007 at 6:24 pm
70: And Ricky always gets on.
April 16, 2007 at 6:25 pm
How cool is Clay’s SB? Coolest, perhaps not smartest, base running this year.
April 16, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Their pitcher can hit better than our pitcher…
April 16, 2007 at 6:28 pm
74: I think they chose to not exel. The Bambino could do both and he didn’t do steroids.
April 16, 2007 at 6:32 pm
79: no…his “supplements” were hot dogs and beer…
April 16, 2007 at 6:33 pm
That is an out 99% of the time. WTF?
April 16, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Yuck, terrible turn by NOG.
April 16, 2007 at 6:33 pm
$%#@@+%&*%&** @!!!!!!!!!!!
April 16, 2007 at 6:34 pm
wow……wow…..
April 16, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Watched the replay in slo-mo, normally called an out, but NOG’s throw was not good.
April 16, 2007 at 6:34 pm
this is getting out of controll
April 16, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Charge those last three runs to NOG.
April 16, 2007 at 6:35 pm
This is not looking good.
April 16, 2007 at 6:35 pm
damn - that reminds me a bit of the 400 foot shot he hit off of me once…. nice kid, but a bastard at the plate. couldn’t throw a thing by him!
April 16, 2007 at 6:35 pm
well…this has been fun… at what point this year do we start to think that Hensley just doesn’t have it?
April 16, 2007 at 6:36 pm
90: Um, when his defense plays well behind him and he still gives up runs.
April 16, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Also, I still think it was a bad feed by Blum.
April 16, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Other than the last 3…he still gave up 4 runs in 5 innings. And I have a hard time not blaming him for giving up a 50000 foot HR, despite the defense not turning the DP.
April 16, 2007 at 6:38 pm
A .371 BABIP against Hensley coming into today. That’s just bad fielding/luck.
April 16, 2007 at 6:39 pm
what does BABIP stand for?
April 16, 2007 at 6:40 pm
someone wanna tell OG that if it’s a strike the first time, it’ll be a strike the next time as well. Swing the Bat!
April 16, 2007 at 6:41 pm
95: Batting Average on Balls In Play.
April 16, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Even if these bad starts are his fault, we’re giving up on the guy after 3 starts?
April 16, 2007 at 6:41 pm
I am out; hopefully I was bringing some sort of curse that I am now taking away. Go Pads.
April 16, 2007 at 6:42 pm
98: No. You’d have to be an idiot to do that.
April 16, 2007 at 6:43 pm
98: I just asked the question as to how long you stick with a guy who last looked horrid in his first 3 starts.
His ERA has got to be pretty high at this point..
April 16, 2007 at 6:45 pm
hahahaha anyone above 30 probably just missed that impersonation
April 16, 2007 at 6:45 pm
80: Says something for dogs and beer!
April 16, 2007 at 6:47 pm
101: A lot longer than three starts and he hasn’t looked horrid. You have to take the play of his defense into account. Also, you have to consider that he had a blister.
April 16, 2007 at 6:48 pm
And just when does the hemoraging stop?
April 16, 2007 at 6:49 pm
His mechanics do look bad tonight, though.
April 16, 2007 at 6:49 pm
RE 101, even if we did give up on Hensley, who’s a better option? Vanilla Mike? Ted Stauffer? Maybe Wells would be better pitching two days out of five…
April 16, 2007 at 6:50 pm
he’s gettin shelled….maybe the blister is still a problem, or he’s bein too careful about throwin hard with that finger
April 16, 2007 at 6:50 pm
I agree that we’re nowhere near giving up on Hensley for the season (not even close), but, um… shouldn’t he be done for the night?!?!?
April 16, 2007 at 6:51 pm