first pitch: 6:40 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Jake Peavy (3-0, 2.13 ERA) vs Brandon Webb (1-1, 4.00 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
What am I supposed to do with four games worth of data from Jake Peavy? I want to analyze something, but it’s hard to tell which of these numbers are real. The closer I look, the more emphatic the message bcomes: ask again later.
I will note that Peavy has enjoyed a great deal of success against the current Diamondbacks roster. He’s held them to a .179/.228/.327 line over 168 career at-bats. The only guys who have done any real damage are Eric Byrnes (.333/.333/.583 in 12 AB) and Conor Jackson (.375/.444/.438 in 16 AB).
On the other side, Brandon Webb has been fairly effective (.252/.313/.380 in 242 AB) against current Padres. Adrian Gonzalez (.412/.474/.706 in 17 AB), Russell Branyan (.294/.381/.529 in 17 AB), and Jose Cruz Jr. (.333/.360/.458 in 24 AB) are the exceptions. Figure on Branyan and Cruz getting starts tonight.
Odd stat of the moment: Five players are tied for the team lead in walks. Branyan, Gonzalez, Rob Bowen, Mike Cameron, and Terrmel Sledge all have drawn eight free passes so far.
On the injury front, Josh Bard is due to come off the disabled list on Friday and there’s talk of whose spot he’ll take on the roster. Because Pete LaForest can be claimed on waivers if the Padres attempt to send him back to Triple-A, they may end up keeping three catchers.
This raises the question of who else might be moved to make room for Bard. The two most obvious choices would seem to be left-hander Justin Hampson and infielder Geoff Blum. The Padres, though, appear committed to both a 12-man pitching staff and the out machine that is Blum. My gut tells me that Oscar Robles is the odd man out, but we’ll see.
Meanwhile, there’s a game to be played. Go Padres!
Note: The site was down during this game, so discussion is over here. At some point, I hope to reintegrate those comments into this post. It’s kind of a pain in the rear, though, and I’ve already had enough of those for one day. 
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