first pitch: 7:15 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Clay Hensley (11-12, 3.71 ERA) vs Matt Morris (10-15, 4.98 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
Sweep? Sure, that’d be nice.
. . .
Marcus Giles has swung at 58% of the pitches he’s seen over the Padres’ first two games this year. It’s a small sample, but for his career, he’s at 49%. He draws his share of walks, but that’s an extremely aggressive approach for a leadoff batter. Nineteen players registered 500 or more plate appearances in the #1 spot last year. The only guy who hacked at a higher percentage of pitches seen than Giles also knocked 46 home runs:
| Name | SwgA% | P/PA | OBP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfonso Soriano | 50 | 3.90 | .351 |
| Marcus Giles | 48 | 3.88 | .341 |
| Jose Reyes | 48 | 3.61 | .354 |
| Randy Winn | 48 | 3.49 | .324 |
| Brian Roberts | 46 | 3.84 | .347 |
| Juan Pierre | 46 | 3.48 | .330 |
| Ichiro Suzuki | 44 | 3.73 | .370 |
| Gary Matthews Jr. | 44 | 3.71 | .371 |
| Curtis Granderson | 43 | 4.08 | .335 |
| Grady Sizemore | 43 | 4.01 | .375 |
| Hanley Ramirez | 43 | 4.00 | .353 |
| David Eckstein | 43 | 3.75 | .350 |
| Johnny Damon | 42 | 4.09 | .359 |
| Chone Figgins | 42 | 3.88 | .336 |
| Rafael Furcal | 41 | 3.84 | .369 |
| Jimmy Rollins | 41 | 3.70 | .334 |
| Dave Roberts | 40 | 3.95 | .360 |
| David DeJesus | 40 | 3.67 | .364 |
| Scott Podsednik | 38 | 4.08 | .330 | Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com |
If it works for Giles, then who am I to argue? Still, this is a fascinating approach to batting leadoff and something that bears watching throughout the season.
155 Comments
Good work, Geoff. I am worried about Giles’ approach leading off, though it certainly worked out last night. I wonder if Rettenmund saw something in Cain’s method of pitching that would be best attacked by going after those first pitch fastballs.
On a completely separate side note that has nothing to do with Padres baseball but really infuriated me: Jeter just slapped a single into the 5.5 hole that Zobrist (the Rays’ SS) fielded but had no chance to throw and get Jeter at first. Yankees announcer says, “Only one man in baseball can make that play, and he’s the one that hit it.” So it’s not just San Francisco announcers that are ridiculously biased cheerleaders for their star players.
I don’t see any reason to worry about Marcus’ approach being as his brother follows him in the lineup and regularly works deep into counts.
1: Wow. Jeter’s one of the worst fielding shortstops in baseball. That’s just ridiculous.
Woohoo! I have Jon Miller as the announcer on the MLB feed.
Great discipline by Giles.
Question for everyone – Hensley is starting tonight in the 3rd spot in the rotation, and Maddux tomorrow night in the 4th spot for the home opener. A buddy of mine asked why. I wasn’t sure, but I guessed it was because Black wanted to give Maddux the glory of the home opener start, and maybe because Hensley had earned the #3 spot over Maddux.
Does anyone know differently?
4: Are you serious? Jon Miller is one of my absolute least favorite announcers ever ever ever.
I’ve put the Giants announcers on mute and opened up another window with gameday audio for Ted to do the announcing.
There’s a ten second delay but that’s not nearly as annoying as having to listen to Jon Miller explain in agonizing detail every single insignificant thing.
DR battling here…exact opposite of NOG. Not saying better or whatever, but exact opposite…
pesky doc
7: I enjoy how professional Miller is. He’s got a great voice and calls the action.
Boooooooooo!!!!
Channel 4 just ran a graphic listing the Padre pitchers off of whom Bonds has homered. All *fifty* of them. I had to laugh.
That ball is out if it’s ten feet to the left. I didn’t even think Bonds put a good swing on it…the wind is blowing out to right, indeed.
You think Barry’s helmet is the only one personalized because it’s the only one he can squueze that melon of a head into?
Man, Hensley’s got the problem of finishing guys off now too.
well, that was, what, 60 pitches?
Did Hombre bat third yesterday too?
Doc killing us tonight. Nice catch
thought that one was gone…damn wind
Is Klesko just trying to fit in with the Giants?
Hensley with 29 pitches in the first? Yikes.
Storm opener broadcast:
http://www.cash1700.com/index.php?option=com_lineup&Itemid=4
Antonelli is playing second base.
It’s frustrating to see Giles swinging when he takes hacks like he has this at bat, at pitches he can’t drive.
Yup. Making Morris look like it’s his glory days so far. Need to start making him work.
Sledge looks shaky out there.
Great inning. That’ll solve some pitch count woes.
Very nice quick inning. Time to do some damage now guys.
I have to say I’m impressed by the caliber of tunes Ch. 4 is using as they go to commercial. Some quality rock n’ roll during the last couple of games – U2’s “I Will Follow” being the most recent example.
OG is lookin especially orange-y tonight
Aflac question for you outta towners: Who did Flannery get his first career hit off of?
Bartolo Colon is pitching against the Storm tonight. Jered Weaver gets the start tomorrow.
LaForest with a homer for Portland.
There’s a base knock. Thank you Hombre.
Sledge has to take charge on that ball.
How is Sledge such a bad fielder? The guy doesn’t appear to be terribly slow and he’s always been an outfielder
Boy that was ugly. The Sledge-Kouz-Greene bermuda triangle.
and to think most of the Giants fans I know were very excited to have Molina, that guy looks beat up already
Anybody else yelling at Sledge not to injure Greene or Kouzmanof? I mean anything goes down out there and suddenly we have Blum as an everyday player again
there it is KG!!!
33: Seeming like bad instincts/jumps thus far. LF in SF might be a tough place to get a good read on a ball, but it seems Barry “no knees” bonds was able to get to OG’s ball last night, so Sledge should be able to the same…
Kouz has got to get him to 3B there
We’re going to waste KG’s double, aren’t we?
kouz is struggling a wee bit… hate to see him swing early in the count and end up grounding out to SS.. rule of thumb there is unless you can drive it, then hit it to the right side to advance the runner… given that he was probably thinking that he was going to drive that ball, you have to think that he is going to start having confidence issues…
39: He gets him to third, though, and they pitch around Sledge to get to Hensley. Hensley makes the second out, and we still need a hit to get him home.
Hey Hensley said that he was going to out hit Peavy this year
he ripped that!
Hensley’s like, screw you, I’ll do it myself. Nice.
hensley has such a nice swing!
Hensley, help yo’self out brutha!
WHAT THE HECK? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? That was awesome.
re 42: that is a lot of “if’s”
hahaha NOG goes up there to hack there’s no doubt about that
“I’ll tell you what, Barry Bonds has the worst arm of anyone in the National League and he just proved it again.” -Jerry Coleman
Coleman and Leittner hate Bonds with a passion
I think Leitner, if he were Tony Soprano, would have Bonds killed before he breaks Aaron’s record
52: Yes. I’m definitely a lot happier listening to Ted and Jerry on the delayed audio and watching the game on mute.
Hmmm…weak grounder to 2nd in an important situation from OG. Boy is that unusual. Unusual like the sun rising in the east. Bleh.
53: It’s funny about Leitner… I was invited to my first Bruins game a few weeks ago and I kept thinking, “nono, I hate hockey.” Then I started thinking do I really hate hockey? Or have I just heard Ted Leitner say fifty billion times that he hates hockey?
51: Um, I’d propose that Doc has the worst arm in the No-Cal padres outfield, but I might be wrong…
55: you got that right my brother (literally); but, i hate that we’re already bagging on Superglow like that!
re 57: It’s the continuation of a theme with me
Kouz!! Nice play rook!
58: you’re forgetting that I started that theme last year during the penant race when we were playing the giants at phoneco park. remember, it was the game Seanez blew, and I was making fun of (1) superglow’s hair and (2) superglows propensity to ground out to second in clutch situations… ?
re 61: you’re right. And when you’re right, you’re right. Especially about OG and the 4 hole
Hensley, I would suggest not walking the two hitters in front of Bonds on 8 pitches.
What’s up with Bard’s throwing? It’s like he watched Piazza a little too closely last year.
egad, this is not good!
i kinda think you put bonds on in this situation…
62: pitchers are not helping him….
The ump is squeezing Hensley.
67: agreed. looks like Black is letting him know it, too
This is ridiculous.
crapburgers!
The home plate umpire is responsible for that. Durham saw no less than six strikes on that at bat.
“First, I’m going to soil myself. Then, I’ll regroup and come up with a new plan”
How bad are these calls? Gamecast hasn’t shown a pitch out of the zone yet, but I don’t know how accurate that is.
WTF? Guys can’t talk out there?
That’s Greene’s ball!!!!! Check his digits…
Yeah, the plate umpire has been brutal. This is pretty much all on him.
Oh god, that was like a montage scene from the first half of Major League…
Walking Roberts on 4 pitches with two outs (without help from the umpire) was pretty brutal.
Well, i guess Hensley will be available on waivers in my fantasy league tomorrow.
Greene’s mouth closed the whole time in that replay. After three years of Greene always being involved in those, I think we know who needs to work on something. I love Khalil…but c’mon! If you don’t call him off, Kouz has to assume it’s his ball.
Frustration and a half. All starting with the ump squeezing Clay.
The Giants announcers are pretending that the pop up to left was a hit.
Technically, it is. By rule, you can’t call an error on a ball that isn’t touched.
79 – at least you didn’t start him tonight…
82: I’m not positive, but I thought that there was a caveat that allowed for scorekeepers discretion in the case of balls that definitely should have been caught…
That whole inning is on the home plate umpire. No way that inning should have gone past Bonds.
Khalil and Kouz need to work out a buddy system for fly-balls, whcih should basically consist of the following:
If Khalil can get to it, let him catch it.
Someone may have covered this already, but the game is not on the MLB Extra Innings package tonight. Why?
The unpire must think the plate is one from the Franklin Mint. Finally, it’s over. But nless we come back, I have my angle for tonights story. Just horrible. Absolutely ridiculous. I’d have been in trouble if I was in Shakespeare’s spot.
By the way, I’d like to add that I’m glad to see Bud chirping at the umpire about those horrendous calls.
I don’t blame Clay for putting a ball up there that got grooved, because he clearly couldn’t throw it anywhere else.
I smell a rally in the late innings…Boch has to go to that pen sometime, and it’s going to bite him in the arse.
re: 85. The only way Kouz can tell that Greene is there is to look…which requires him to take his eye off the ball. Ifyou hear nothing, you stay camped. You keep your eye on the ball. Kouz is far from the first. Dave Roberts and Khalil had issues last year… Burroughs and Khalil…see a pattern? And like I said, Greene’s mouth was shut throughout the replay. He should be yelling.
Another double for Khalil. Chance for Kouz to get his.
Good, good. Keep working Morris, get him out and let’s get to that soft pen!
86, I called and moaned, and after some investigating DirecTV tells me it’s been blacked out in California (at least, and maybe nationwide) by the Giants ownership. It makes perfect sense since I know dozens of people in the San Fernando Valley who drive the 5 1/2 hours to San Francisco on a weeknight to catch a game. Television down here is KILLING Giants ticket sales.
84: If it’s there, I’ve never heard of it being used. I’ve seen guys get a double on a sky ball that landed behind the mound untouched. But I’d have to look to be absolutely sure that it is hard-written instead of a long-standing standard interpretation.
I still think we have a shot if we can get into the ‘pen.
My fiance thinks that since we already won the series, the Padres might have to lose tonite so that they can sweep the opening series.
At either rate, I cannot wait for tomorrow nite. I’ll be making the 2 hour drive home to see us own the Rox.
re: 93
I’m in D.C.
Amazing. The Giants have some retarded policy.
96: Amazing. The Giants have some retarded policy.
ERRORS
10.13
An error shall be charged for each misplay (fumble, muff or wild throw) which prolongs the time at bat of a batter or which prolongs the life of a runner, or which permits a runner to advance one or more bases.
NOTE (1) Slow handling of the ball which does not involve mechanical misplay shall not be construed as an error.
NOTE (2) It is not necessary that the fielder touch the ball to be charged with an error. If a ground ball goes through a fielder’s legs or a pop fly falls untouched and in the scorer’s judgment the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, an error shall be charged.
NOTE (3) Mental mistakes or misjudgments are not to be scored as errors unless specifically covered in the rules.
based on notes two and three, it would seem the standard interpretation would be that those balls are mental mistakes…and certainly a collision would be so ruled.
From 0-2 to walk. Orange is in.
99: They left out the part where the scorer can blatantly ignore the rules if it favors the home team.
this ump is killing me
Good work calling that a strike consistently, blue.
Way to ring up Adrian on a pitch you wouldn’t give to Hensely. Really classy home-plate.
re: 102
That’s one of the reason fielding percentages are higher and higher. The home team scorer is not willing to give errors on borderline plays.
Forrest Gregg would have called that a ball in the NLCS, even. Wow.
Do you mean Eric Gregg?
re: errors…problem with that one being…who do you give the error to? Greene for being silent in more than interviews? Kouz for not peeling off? Sledge for not speaking up when he has the clearest angle?
Cameron is dealing right now. Nice cover on that ball to Marcus.
108. Eric then…ooopppsss. Well, I betcha Livan Hernandez remembers his first name, even if I forgot.
I didn’t see it. But if the ball hit someone’s glove and popped out, it would certainly go to him.
111:
I didn’t know if you were joking or not. Forrest Gregg was a Hall of Fame lineman for the Packers.
109: Whomever. The important thing is to make the following two runs unearned. I’d probably give it to Kouzmanoff, but is pretty arbitrary.
kick save an a beauty
That was a high strike.
K-Cam looks decent…got some movement.
Anyone else think Bud stuck with Hensley too long?
I wasn’t watching … and so didn’t know about all the “bad calls” / squeezing by the home plate up … but I did catch a few mins of radio … and even Jerry was commenting that Henley had thrown x number of balls in a row and that that wasn’t a good sign …
Uh oh. Geoff Blum warning.
I don’t think Black left Clay in too long, because I don’t think Brocail was ready yet. Black really didn’t expect Clay to all of a sudden have to throw nothing but easy cheese down the plate to get a strike.
2 down…
All right, how about we never let Geoff Blum hit again unless Khalil gets injured?
Oh yeah. Blum is still on our team.
I conveniently forgot.
NOG padding his stats with the double
wow the FCC is gonna fine Steve Kline for that one
Bochy: managing “by the book.”
2-out rally.
Let’s see some of the same ole Benitez from last year, eh.
Geoff Blum is just there because fans love to say they could do a better job than the manager/general manager. Take away Blum, and suddenly there’s nobody left on the team for the fans to hate, and they lose all interest.
At least Giants fans will get pissed off at Benitez again after this game.
Bases juiced. C’mon Cammy.
I meant Bard, I was thinking positive.
Shakespeare with the bloop. I love the Giants pen.
Nice.
keep thinking positive
It works better for me to think negative.
Cammy missed it. That was the one.
that second one was the one too.
Wait, and the third one too. He got his pitches. He just missed ‘em.
Way to battle. Give this one to plate umpire Paul Emmel and the Giants. Hey, we took the series and now it’s time for baseball at Petco.
I like the fight from the boys…no give. But the ump won that game for the Gigantes or lost it for the Pads, your choice…that was about the worst 20 pitch stretch I have ever seen from an umpire at this level.
Down on the farm … AAA Portland going down in flames …
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_04_05_poraaa_freaaa_1
AA San Antonio’s game was postponed due to *snow* … in Tulsa??
At A level, Lake Elsinore got skunk’d … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_04_05_lesafa_rcqafa_1
There goes the 162-0 season.
Low-A level Ft Wayne opens on the 9th … here’s a preview that makes me excited to follow this team …
http://www.wizardsbaseball.com/news/news.asp?newsId=936
Tonite was tough, but tomorrow should be amazing. Can’t wait to see the unveiling of the new Western division flag, and can’t wait to see th ovation some of our boys get (I’m especially introduced in seeing what P-Mac gets.)
Check that … Ft Wayne’s opener was scheduled for today but it got rained out … it’s the home opener that’s on the 9th …
Roll call … who’s going to be at Petco tomorrow?
I’ll be making the drive from lovely, remote Beaumont, CA to Petco for all three games this weekend. Thankfully my parents live in Santee, so I’ll only have to drive down Friday and come home Sunday.
I’ll be there, of course…looking forward to seeing Maddux. And what a day for the Giles family! Sure, brothers have been on teams together many times…but at home? This is a dream come true for their family, believe it.
I’ll be there Saturday night, watching David Wells try to score from second on a single.
Piazza gets on the board for the A’s … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=270405103 … clutch!
90 … you called it Rich … right on!
“You still have to remember it’s early in the season,” Greene said. “There are some things you need to get used to — one of those being the range of the guy over there and what he does on certain plays. Typically when I go back like that, I don’t factor in the third baseman. Looking back on it, I wish I would have called it.”
Hombre just doesn’t get it done for me. He’s not plain Man, he’s The Man! El Hombre!
This series had some of the worst umpiring I have ever seen. It’s really a disgrace.
Re: 152
Awful rationalization by Khalil. That is something that should be worked out by ST, not “early” in the season. Also, as others have pointed out, Khalil has done a generally crummy job acting as a general in charge of the 3B and LF on pop flys. It is on him to take charge and be more vocal on calling plays. He should start by loudly calling every pop up he is going to catch – practicing the right tactics can only help him in close situations.