IGD: Padres @ Braves (10 May 07)
Thu, May 10, 2007
by Geoff Young
first pitch: 10:05 a.m. PT
television: none TBS
matchup: David Wells (1-1, 6.03 ERA) vs Tim Hudson (3-1, 1.70 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
I’m supposed to talk everyone down from the ledge today. Hard to do when the team is playing like crap (with apologies to any crap that may be offended), but if we take a step back from the ledge, a larger picture emerges:
| Year | W | L | RS | RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference. | ||||
| 1984 | 18 | 16 | 152 | 153 |
| 1996 | 21 | 13 | 183 | 132 |
| 1998 | 23 | 11 | 178 | 134 |
| 2005 | 18 | 16 | 153 | 159 |
| 2006 | 18 | 16 | 141 | 139 |
| 2007 | 18 | 16 | 147 | 129 |
See? It’s not so bad. I mean, it is, but it isn’t; you know?
Now fire up some coffee and sit by the Internet; we’ve got a game to play. Go Padres!
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.
May 10, 2007 at 7:07 am
But that same formula isn’t going to win the NL West this year. We need to hit better just to stay close this year. What’s with Green, back to being a statue. Just one time I’d like to see him knock over the water cooler. Not sure, but I suspect baseball requires a little hostility to play.
May 10, 2007 at 7:10 am
Geoff, your virtual blackboard should probably be more focused:
I will hit a fly ball with a man on third and less than 2 outs
I will hit a fly ball with a man on third and less than 2 outs
I will hit a fly ball with a man on third and less than 2 outs
I will hit a fly ball with a man on third and less than 2 outs
I will hit a fly ball with a man on third and less than 2 outs
Mike Cameron, grab some chalk
May 10, 2007 at 7:33 am
#1: True, but the point is that we’ve got 128 games left to play. Anything can happen. Also, I don’t know about the hostility thing. Tony Gwynn never struck me as particularly hostile, and he did okay. As for Khalil, I’d rather see him play well on a consistent basis. Knocking over a water cooler doesn’t take much talent and it doesn’t get the runner in from third.
May 10, 2007 at 7:33 am
Can Adrian hit twice in the order? I think may be the only way to get some more O
May 10, 2007 at 7:35 am
Re: 1 & 3 if hostility wins games then Milton Bradly should be making A-Rod type money.
May 10, 2007 at 7:58 am
Guess I’d just like to see a little fire in Greene. Hate when he strikes out and just walks away like like no big deal. Show me you care big guy. Sure he does. If green ever did knock over the watercooler, it would be front page news in the UT.
May 10, 2007 at 8:02 am
1: …And it certainly isn’t going to get us past the first round of playoffs again.
Not sure if anyone else feels the same way, but I find myself rationalizing what I’m seeing this year, using cliched expressions like “We’re not firing on all cylinders”, “Things will fall into place”, etc, all presupposing that we’re a dominant team, but we just don’t know it yet.
The other thing it presupposes is that we’re sticking with what we’ve got for a while - that those players who have gotten off to a slow start will come around. Aside from needing a right-handed bat off the bench, I haven’t heard much comment on the personnel changes that would make this team stronger. Of course, we don’t want our ballplayers to worry about their jobs, but it would be nice to hear what’s going on in that deal-making brain of Towers, if anything.
May 10, 2007 at 8:12 am
6: Khalil has been able to get runs in via sac fly this year. Cameron and Kouz have certainly struggled at this.
Khalil is struggling mightily on this road trip (I personally wonder if it’s because he doesn’t have his own cage to warm up in), but his K rates appear to be down from last year. He’s walking a lot more and he’s putting the ball in play.
Cameron is probably the last person on our team I’d want to see in a sac fly situation. He just cannot get it done.
May 10, 2007 at 8:20 am
Although I completely agree with 3&5 I think I know exactly what you mean PM. It would definitely be nice to see Khalil show some sort of emotion after he swings and misses horribly on a pitch way out of the zone. I guess when I watch him hit his lack of “visible” enthusiasm just makes me feel like he’s content with what he’s doing. His whole changing stances and swings at this point is freaking annoying as all hell. I mean it’s cool when your name is Cal and you rack up well over 3,000 hits and do it. But when you have going on 4 years of underwhelming mediocrity at the plate maybe it’s time to take some advice from your hitting coach and try to learn something. I was watching that channel 4 “one on one” special with him a while back and he just seemed so cocky and content with doing things “HIS” way. He talked about proscouts wanting to make him a catcher and how “he would never play catcher” and how it was so insulting they suggested that. I guess his attitude just rubbed me the wrong way after watching that. If he was hitting like Ryan Howard or Joe Mauer then I could care less if he didn’t know who the hell Merv *Retunmund* even was but I have a hard time believing that anybody in the bigs let alone Merv would advise him to aproach his at bats the way he does. He’s been swing at the same horrible pitches for over 3 years and he’s still not hitting them. Sorry to go on another rant but KG pisses me off a lot more than he doesn’t piss me off.
Here is a little story. I watch pretty much all the games on channel 4 when they are on. Over the past 2 seasons I have turned my fiance into a Padres fan and she starting to become an actual baseball fan. Well every once in a while she asks me why players or coaches do certain things or what certain pitches do or what the hell a balk is and “why would Chris Young Balk to 3rd base when nobody was standing there?”. She’s learing and it’s pretty freaking awesome. Anyways, the other day KG was up and of course struck out on a low and away slider and she turns to me and says “Why does he always swing at those? Man if I was on the other team that’s the only pitch I would throw him because he always swings at them. So the moral of the story is that when my new to baseball fiance notices that KG swings at the same bad pitches every at bat there is an issue!!!
Wow that was a lot!!!! Sorry guys
May 10, 2007 at 8:25 am
Re Cameron: I started longing for Magadan as hitting coach. When Cameron struggles, he tries to pull everything, and he becomes an easy out. He did it during the worst of his slump, but, in an occasional at bat or a couple of games, start using all of the field. Last night it was back. I don’t get that. I wanted the suicide last night when he was up there.
It feels like the team can get into a collective funk pretty easily, swinging early and making quick outs. It seems to me that if the pitcher is cruising, take a few pitches. If he is throwing a meatball that begs a swing, OK, but if he is, how come we don’t hit them like meatballs?
We got a bit unlucky in this series: given the bulk of runs have come from solo HR’s, our BA with men on base and with RISP is horrid. That is bad luck.
Also, both base running outs last night were not bad decisions by the runners. Giles was safe but came off the bag. Blum’s was a bit more questionable, but you can see the value of man at 3rd with 1 out with the 8 and 9 guys coming up vs. second base. And it was a reasonably close play.
May 10, 2007 at 8:33 am
#6: Didn’t John Olerud receive the same criticism throughout his career?
True story: Last March, I almost broke my hand hitting a chair in frustration at something I’ve long since forgotten. Over a year later, my hand still isn’t quite right. I don’t know if I showed that I cared, but I wish like hell I hadn’t hit that chair.
#7: Totally. This isn’t 2003; these guys have talent, they’re just not showing it.
May 10, 2007 at 8:45 am
Also, it is frustrating to lose 1-run games (we are 6-9 this year after being 30-22 last year), but that does come down to luck, often. Heath Bell and Meredith both gave up 2 runs in late innings, something I doubt they are going to do too often in the season, but are going to do it at some point in the season.
We are still in this race and have a good team. The one thing that does bug me is that given our offense is based on balance (solid 1-8 vs. stars), is that when a couple of players are consistently putting up poor AB’s (not results, but bad swings, pitch recognition, trying to pull everything, etc) it often seems to go on and on, without adjustments. Our offense cannot support that. We need all 8 producing decently. I am not sure what the coaches can do about it, but I would love see more consistent discipline in the approach to the hitting, and let the results fall where the fall.
May 10, 2007 at 8:49 am
11: The chair wins every time. It’s much better to throw things when you’re upset, you still get the gratifying effect of destruction while minimizing bodily injury.
That is, of course, assuming you don’t throw said object at someone else. That would probably increase the likliehood of bodily injury.
May 10, 2007 at 8:56 am
I don’t understand hitters who get into slumps and try to pull their way out. Camy must know that he should go with pitches, yet sometimes he refuses to do that. We are on the outside looking in, these breath hitting every single day, yet the approach taken is little league at best. Maybe they know something we don’t. Anyway, we will not win the West hitting this way, no way. The West is better this year, just look at the standings.
May 10, 2007 at 9:50 am
Minus Adrian, OG and NOG the rest of the team is hitting .209 ????
Figure in walks, that is about 2 hits every 3 days out of 6 positions.
May 10, 2007 at 10:06 am
15: Ugh, I hate listening to other teams radio broadcasters. I have such a hard time following what the hell is going on.
May 10, 2007 at 10:08 am
Speaking of Adrian, I’m working now on a piece about him for THT. He turned 25 on Tuesday. Here’s his age 24 line: .316/.376/.543 with 33 HR.
May 10, 2007 at 10:08 am
3 broken bats thus far, that does not bode well for the boys.
May 10, 2007 at 10:10 am
C’mon Khalil. We need a run here.
May 10, 2007 at 10:12 am
Damnit. Hard hit ball right at Jones.
May 10, 2007 at 10:12 am
Blech.
May 10, 2007 at 10:18 am
nice play by OG to hold Chipper to a single
May 10, 2007 at 10:19 am
And the Braves convert.
May 10, 2007 at 10:21 am
23 - imagine that
May 10, 2007 at 10:22 am
Geez, Wells has nothing today
May 10, 2007 at 10:23 am
Awesome. Up 2-0 in the first with one out. Wonderful.
May 10, 2007 at 10:23 am
Boomer throwin BP, eh?
May 10, 2007 at 10:28 am
I hate to be negative, but that 2 spot the braves put up looks insurmountable the way the O has been going of late.
May 10, 2007 at 10:31 am
28: Especially when Cameron flies out harmlessly on the first pitch.
Cameron, if you’re going to make an out, at least K so that Hudson has to throw some pitches.
May 10, 2007 at 10:31 am
Also, I hate Andruw Jones.
May 10, 2007 at 10:33 am
It’s hard to see a lot of hope in this team right now. I guess the positive is that the Cardinals are coming to town tomorrow. Of course, Pujols has raked in the past at Petco, so I’m not sure how much comfort that will be.
May 10, 2007 at 10:40 am
Back-to-back walks to get to Chipper Jones, great.
May 10, 2007 at 10:51 am
Apparently we just like to put men on so we can stare at them and wonder why they don’t score.
May 10, 2007 at 10:59 am
Argh Khalil, you couldn’t have done that with a man on third?!
May 10, 2007 at 11:01 am
34 - Phantom, you don’t hit the ball with men on base! You might hit one of them and cause an injury! Much safer to wait until no one is on base, then hit away.
May 10, 2007 at 11:03 am
30 … be careful … i’m actually hoping he’s a padre next year!
May 10, 2007 at 11:03 am
HOLY FREAKING CRAP! CAMERON GOT A HIT WITH A MAN ON!!!
May 10, 2007 at 11:03 am
After 3 …
Pitches-strikes - D Wells 56-36; T Hudson 37-24.
Ground balls-fly balls - D Wells 3-4; T Hudson 5-2.
Batters faced - D Wells 15; T Hudson 13.
May 10, 2007 at 11:03 am
#36: I will hate him less if he’s a Padre.
Did Cameron just drive in a run?!?
May 10, 2007 at 11:04 am
39: I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that my little radio transmitter just informed me that he did.
But who knows, it is satelite radio. It’s probably run by the Martians.
May 10, 2007 at 11:05 am
KOUZ!!!!!
May 10, 2007 at 11:05 am
A Kouz missile!
May 10, 2007 at 11:06 am
Kouz!
#31: A little more reason for hope now, eh?
May 10, 2007 at 11:06 am
Okay, who is this team, and what have they done to my Padres? 7 hits by the 4th inning, Cameron and Kouz driving in runs? Whats going on here?
May 10, 2007 at 11:07 am
42: Best call ever. Cetainly beats “an A-bomb, from A-Rod.”
May 10, 2007 at 11:12 am
45: I was saving it for a home run but an RBI double will do nicely.
May 10, 2007 at 11:13 am
42 … nice job on your blog again, Anthony, thanks!
May 10, 2007 at 11:14 am
Dogs lose … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=270510128 … Lowe pitched 8 shutout innings … then gave up a 3-run HR in bottom of 9th …
May 10, 2007 at 11:16 am
48 - can’t tell you how broken up about that I am. Poor Dodgers.
May 10, 2007 at 11:17 am
Question: if Kouz gets an RBI double, but it happens at o-dark whatever on the west coast and no one is watching, did it really happen?
May 10, 2007 at 11:20 am
50 … oh ya!
May 10, 2007 at 11:23 am
AGon up with the bases empty…cue the long ball.
May 10, 2007 at 11:23 am
After 4 …
Pitches-strikes - D Wells 70-44; T Hudson 59-41.
Ground balls-fly balls - D Wells 4-6; T Hudson 5-3.
Batters faced - D Wells 19; T Hudson 19.
May 10, 2007 at 11:25 am
Gosh I hope getting a big hit like that off a guy like Hudson can do something for Kouz to get him going. How sweet would some production from 3rd base be?
May 10, 2007 at 11:27 am
i’m a dumbass, completely didn’t realize the game was in the afternoon. just wasted an hour watching lost (again) when I could have been tuned into TBS watching the game. so, in order to catch up, let me say:
Damnit Boomer!
Nice Cammy!
KOUZ!!!!
There, I should be caught up now…
May 10, 2007 at 11:27 am
#48: I love Josh Willingham.
May 10, 2007 at 11:29 am
55: I think you’ve caught up nicely.
May 10, 2007 at 11:29 am
#55: Ack, you and me both. I had no clue this game was on TBS.
May 10, 2007 at 11:33 am
Jack Cust just hit another bomb for the A’s, his second in 12 at bats.
May 10, 2007 at 11:33 am
Hey Geoff! Saw the comment at #17, and thought I’d pass this little nugget along . . .
YEAR PLAYER AFTER 35 GAMES TOTAL
1998 GREG VAUGHN 8 50
2001 PHIL NEVIN 7 41
1996 KEN CAMINITI 5 40
Adrian has his 10 HR thru 34 games . . .
May 10, 2007 at 11:33 am
58 - great. 3 nights of Padre games not on TBS, and the one they televize is when I (and most of America) am at work!?!?!?!
May 10, 2007 at 11:34 am
I just wanted the Padres to give Cust 100 at bats before they decided to unload him.
May 10, 2007 at 11:34 am
Cust with HR #2 for A’s today … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=270510107 … he’s playing RF … note: I am *not* whining about this … I’m a Cust fan … but do not fault the Padres for not getting him onto the 25-man roster … too many questions, too much risk … I understand and agree with that … given available info …
May 10, 2007 at 11:36 am
That’s sucker’s going to swell.
May 10, 2007 at 11:37 am
65: Hopefully we can take advantage of this.
May 10, 2007 at 11:37 am
After 5 …
Pitches-strikes - D Wells 79-49; T Hudson 72-49.
Ground balls-fly balls - D Wells 5-8; T Hudson 8-3.
Batters faced - D Wells 22; T Hudson 23.
… we can PH for Wells anytime now …
May 10, 2007 at 11:38 am
Cust his a huge liability defensively but I believe he has more upside because of what he can do with the bat than Sledge.
May 10, 2007 at 11:39 am
61: I’m getting the feed on mlb.tv too, you?
May 10, 2007 at 11:40 am
Wells is on deck
May 10, 2007 at 11:40 am
63 - hopefully the PBTNL is getting stronger
May 10, 2007 at 11:40 am
67: Cust can’t play LF in a small park, let alone Petco. But he would have been a nice option off the bench. We don’t need both Robles and Blum.
May 10, 2007 at 11:40 am
68 - at work, have to watch Gameday…the vid feed is blocked out
May 10, 2007 at 11:41 am
Damn, if Bard isn’t running, Kouz has another hit. He smoked that ball.
May 10, 2007 at 11:42 am
Wells is coming out for another inning
May 10, 2007 at 11:42 am
Kouz has no luck.
in other news, anyone see that commercial? Can I order a “Kathy Ireland”..?
May 10, 2007 at 11:43 am
#60: Thanks, Bob. Good stuff…
May 10, 2007 at 11:43 am
64 … huh?
May 10, 2007 at 11:43 am
70: check that again.
May 10, 2007 at 11:45 am
77: Bard drilled a line drive off of Hudson’s wrist. Hit it about as hard as Kouz, who lined the ball right to the 2nd baseman who was covering on the hit & run.
GREAT CATCH CRUZ!
May 10, 2007 at 11:45 am
Nice play Crudge!
May 10, 2007 at 11:46 am
Should we get Boomer out of there, like now?
May 10, 2007 at 11:46 am
Cruz leaps and catches the ball at the wall.
Wells has three walks? That’s a ridiculous sum for him.
May 10, 2007 at 11:46 am
You think the Braves are a little frustrated right now? Wells is serving up slop today.
May 10, 2007 at 11:46 am
73 … that seems to be a more and more common comment … I guess this is what “bad luck” looks like? … I guess it’s why some folks look at component stats (ex. LD%) and project someone like KK to do better in the future than a .116 BA might otherwise suggest …
May 10, 2007 at 11:46 am
Anytime Geoff.
May 10, 2007 at 11:46 am
Yes, please, please someone text Bud Black and tell him to take Wells out…
May 10, 2007 at 11:47 am
Crap.
May 10, 2007 at 11:47 am
OK, let’s not push outr luck here. Time to get Boomer out of there.
May 10, 2007 at 11:47 am
#81: I think “before now” would be better.
May 10, 2007 at 11:47 am
Hudson is done . . . Harris to PH on deck
May 10, 2007 at 11:48 am
Behind the plate angle showed that Giles totally misread that. He took three steps in and towards his left before having to turn and sprint backwards. UGH!
May 10, 2007 at 11:49 am
great pitch Boomer!
May 10, 2007 at 11:49 am
75: Kathy Ireland has been a personal favorite since the 1986 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
May 10, 2007 at 11:50 am
by the way, anyone else get tired today reading the press reports saying that Smoltz had somehow gotten the upperhand on Maddux yesterday?? ridiculous.
May 10, 2007 at 11:50 am
75: ‘Sitting pretty’
May 10, 2007 at 11:51 am
err, make that 93
May 10, 2007 at 11:51 am
Crap, 4 walks from Boomer. Get him out of there, now.
May 10, 2007 at 11:52 am
Pitch around Willie Harris to get to Kelly Johnson? Oy.
May 10, 2007 at 11:52 am
Shit.
May 10, 2007 at 11:53 am
Oh, NOW Bud comes out to the mound.
May 10, 2007 at 11:53 am
Can’t throw the exact same pitch to a major leaguer twice. Ugh, needed to hit the target on the outside.
May 10, 2007 at 11:53 am
Yep, that was a good idea. It’s amazing the Braves didn’t get to Wells earlier. He had nothing today.
May 10, 2007 at 11:53 am
That’s on Black for not taking Boomer out
May 10, 2007 at 11:54 am
The team has been terrible to watch over the past week