first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Greg Maddux (3-3, 4.14 ERA) vs Dave Bush (3-4, 5.56 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
Here come the Brewers. Anthony Gwynn makes his San Diego professional debut. Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy are tied for the league lead with 14 homers. Rickie Weeks has committed only two errors at second base (after 20+ each of the past two seasons). Closer Francisco Cordero has notched 17 saves and allowed just five hits.
Cordero’s numbers this year are plain goofy. Opponents are batting .083/.179/.133 against him. He’s struck out 13.26 per nine or, if you prefer, 41.8% of batters he’s faced (Jake Peavy is at 29.5% for comparison). The obvious strategy would be to keep Cordero out of the game at all costs.
The club from Milwaukee has a better record than the Padres, but the two teams should be fairly well matched:
| Padres | Brewers | |
|---|---|---|
| Stats are through May 24, 2007, and courtesy of Baseball-Reference. | ||
| W-L | 26-21 | 28-19 |
| Pythag | 28-19 | 26-21 |
| RS | 193 | 221 |
| RA | 158 | 200 |
| HR | 41 | 61 |
| Bullpen ERA | 2.21 | 3.45 |
Greg Maddux seeks win number 337 on Friday night. Go Padres!
184 Comments
OK, so last night was another Blummer (the L is silent).
Tony Jr. is in town. To bad Tony Sr. can’t be here to call the color on 4SD. That would probably be a first.
Maddux on the mound. Maybe he can redeem himself after his last outing.
Go Padres!
Well, looks like Jr. is not in the line-up tonight. This may be intentional to allow Sr. to be here to see his kid play his first MLB game at Petco (the house that Tony built).
LM & TD,
No reason why #19 shouldn’t be there tonight. The Aztecs season ended yesterday as they unfortunatley made a fairly early exit from the Mountain West conference tournament.
3: Thanks for the update. I wasn’t following the Aztecs trip. So, I’m sure #19 and family are at the game.
Nice DP to open up this series.
2 men on early, not an encouraging sign.
Hey Prince, thanks for being so slow.
Cruz! Missed him by that much.
I think Cruz should steal home. What the hell?
Thank you Adrian.
Going back to the Brewers, how does JJ Hardy have 14 HRs? His pro baseball career high is 12 from Double-A in 2003. I think MLB should have a Brady Anderson Award for the year’s most improbable home run hitter.
Anybody catch the Jane Mitchell interview with T. Gwynn Jr.? He sounds exactly like his dad. The clip I saw of his swing looks pretty familiar too. I think it’s good he doesn’t play here, the expectations would be too high.
12: Yes! That was great. It was like watching his Dad 20 some odd years ago. He *does* sound just like Sr. Has the same attitude as well.
Sr. is in the booth right now!
Ugh, it’s a home game and I get the Brewers broadcast for MLB.TV.
However, they haven’t been too annoying as an announce team, so it’s not like I’m stuck here listening to Arizona.
Kouz! Scored as a double. Right on. That pitch was up and in.
It’s great to see those finally fall in for Kouz
Kouz with another line drive. Here’s hoping we can get a fly ball from Secret Pop.
That’ll work. Even with Josh “Slowest in the Bigs” Bard on third, that worked well.
For those of you who can’t hear the 4SD booth, Sr. sounds like a brand new pappa. But, can you blame him? He said it was more exciting to him when Jr. made the “Bigs” than when he did.
Boy howdy that was close!
Where are all the ‘Ducksnorters’ tonight? At the game?
See, guys? Other teams have bad situational hitting and inexplicably strike out against a non-strikeout pitcher with a runner on third base and less than two outs, too.
I thought that was gone.
Ha ha ha Brewers. Adrian Gonzalez just bunted for a hit against you. Way to take what they’re giving you, Adrian.
25: Yeah, but with 2 outs and Adrian is no Corvette when it comes to running…
OH! Double him off!
Prince Fielder, DP machine.
I’d call that a good half.
I’d call that a fantastic half frame.
Man, I really really want Khalil to catch fire. I’m not bitching because other people are hitting, but I’d like Khalil to join the fun.
31: I agree. He needs to get out of whatever funk he is in.
Probably a good move by Bush considering Maddux swings the bat like my wife.
Damn, Greene is awsome on defense.
Where’s LynchMob tonight?
Cruz got hurt on that.
I know everyone says BAVG is over-rated, but when you look down our lineup and there are 6 guys under .240 and none over .290, there has to be a strong correlation to our inability to score runs…
It would be nice if our hitters could exploit the shifts the Brewers are using by hitting the ball the other way.
Sweet. NOG was almost over to 3rd by the time the ball ducksnorted by him.
Another one! Thanks again A-Gone.
Greene 0-13. Needs to get hot now.
35 … better late than never?
37: Even with our low run scoring ability, we rank second or third in run differential in the NL.
Damn, another bad AB by Khalil.
Lean night down on the Farm … hey, McAnulty is not in the Beaver lineup tonight … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_05_25_poraaa_lvgaaa_1 … did I miss some news?
Hmmm, the guy that stole a base scored a run … that 17% figure doesn’t sound right to me …
A K-Bomb!!
Are you shaving me?
If this kid doesn’t get player of the month it’s a joke
KOOOOOOUUUUUUZ!!!!!
GRAND FUCKING SLAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KOUUUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Uh oh! KK!!!
The Grand Salami of all Crushin’ Russian Kouz Missles
I apologize to anyone I may have offended by using the *F* word. I just got a little too excited. Please forgive me.
Thru 5 …
Pitches-strikes – D Bush 95-60; G Maddux 50-35.
Ground balls-fly balls – D Bush 8-3; G Maddux 9-3.
Batters faced – D Bush 27; G Maddux 18.
… now *that* is a pitch count!!!
Man I’m getting a BP jersey tomorrow and I’m seriously considering putting number 5 on it.
Kouz is amazing.
OK, somebody give me details about the GS …
I went looking for a FA hitter in the Ducksnorts roto league this morning … and low and behold, to my amazement, KK was on the FA list … BINGO … now he’s a member of the LynchMob … welcome to the team KK! We wanted RsBI … and we GOT ‘em!
http://games.espn.go.com/flb/standings?leagueId=16639
53: I wish I could, but I was in the kitchen when he nailed it and just saw it sail out.
There goes the shutout … that woulda been sweet …
Prince had a Tony Sr. swing on that one.
Maddux going for the cycle in the sixth. Just needs the single now.
I’m thinking we need to rethink our lead here, lets get Maddux out.
58: He just got it, me thinks.
OK – he’s got his place in history – get him out…..
NOW!!!!!!!
Um, lets get Maddux out now.
Will he make it out of the 6th?
I just don’t want to see Silent L tonight-at all. I don’t even want them to show him sitting in the dugout.
I don’t mind that Maddux can only throw 60 pitches a game, as long as he’s efficient as he was tonight, but the two old guys obviously hit the wall quickly…..
Wow, Maddux lost it fast. I think he felt like he was just going to throw strikes with the big league and the Brewers are full of young aggressive hitters who are going to swing the bat to try to get back in it.
Anybody know why Kevin Cameron hasn’t pitched in two weeks?
That works. Now, some more bats!
I think that 17% number on scoring on a stolen base doesn’t really mean that the runner who steals only scores 1 out of 6 times as that seems too low. I think that it must mean that the SB base directly leads to a run only 17% of time. For example, 2 out, runner on first steals second, the batter singles and the runner scores. Next batter flies out. In that case, the steal leads to run. That’s the only way it makes sense to me. A runner stealing a base only scoring 17% of the time, regardless of situation, just seems way too low.
67: When you have a former pitcher as a Manager, he’s gonna go with his favorites, I suppose. Just a thought.
NOG, first pitch! Seee Ya……….
Wow, did the air dry out down there or what? All of a sudden balls are flying out.
I LOVE YOU BASEBALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!
67: Just coincidence, I think. If he is in the doghouse with Black it’s because he’s walking almost a batter per IP.
I talked to GY this afternoon and he said he was going to the game. He’s gotta be loving this.
TGjr into the game …
TGjr due to lead off top of 7th … you guys watch and describe the scene for me!!!
It looks odd to see Gwynn in rightfield while we’re batting….
76: And Pappa there to see it. Too cool. Of course I want us to win, but I’m wishing the best of luck to TGjr.
Tony at bat.
Great time for the wave, guys.
OG=Orange Giles
NOG=Not Orange Giles
YG=Young Gwynn
How’s that?
Not only is KK’s GS not on MLB.com picture parade, the game doesn’t even make it there now….
Bloody east coast content managers….
K-Cam only pitches in low leverage situations. If the Pads put up another run, we’ll probably see him.
As you might have noticed, we haven’t had many low leverage situations in the past two weeks, save for the Cardinals game two weeks ago.
YG has some good speed.
Folks, this game ain’t over by any means.
Man, these guys can swing the bat.
Umm, what the fuck happened to our pitching?
WHY IS BROCAIL STILL PITCHING!
3 runs and 1 out isn’t enough? Jesus tap-dancing Christ!
Brocail seems to have decided to emulate where Maddux left off, rather then where he started…
Things are never easy are they? Why couldn’t this be a nice comfortable 7-0, 7-1, or 7-2 type game? I keep crossing my fingers that our fascination with the Brocails and Blums of the world will end one day.
Fielder steal a base… Right.
So much for nobody hitting jacks at Petco and our pitchers low ERs here.
Jebus, I could crush a ball if you groove a fastball or hang a slider. It’s not like the Brewers are not an offensively minded team.
91: Brocail has actually been good this season, with solid peripheral numbers to sort of back it up (he was getting lucky, but still should be a good reliever).
92: Fielder actually stole 7 bases last year.
91: Why are you picking on Brocail for one bad outing?
With one out and the tying run at the plate, why would Fielder be stealing?
This could fire up their team or let them fall apart. We’ll have to see.
Jenkins did go berserk right away.
That ump should be suspended at the very least. Go Matty V!
And Alderson was contemplating moving the fence in?
Jenkins should not have been ejected. I want us to win, but fair is fair.
Who does Jerry Lang think he is? Joe West? And then Yost? What the hell?
I think Jenkins went overboard there. It’s one thing to say one line. He instantly snapped and started chatting and then he glanced over at him as he was walking away as he continued to yap.
If Jenkins had left it at his display before he started walking, he’s probably not run.
Brocail has been fine this year but once again Buddy’s slow hook cost them again.
That was ridiculous. Jenkins didn’t do anything to show up the umpire, he was walking away when he got tossed. And he had a legitimate point too.
I hate when umpires pull this ‘holier than thou’ attitude and seem to think the game is all about them.
95: It’s not so much what he’s done this year, which I admit has been better than expected, but he’s more of a symbol for me. I wasn’t in favor of resigning him, and still think there are at least two better relievers in Portland than Doug Brocail. So when he blows up like tonight, I am not surprised, because it is only a matter of time before he starts trending toward his career norms.
101: It’s probably a function of the fact that I’m young (and I see asshole umpires in softball on a weekly basis), but I completely thought Jenkins deserved to get tossed for that display. Had he walked away without saying anything else, he’s in the game.
But even watching the replay, he instantly spins and barks at the umpire. He keeps it up, starts walking, and says something else.
I’d be pissed if a Padre got tossed for that, but I think it was the right call regardless. Yost got himself tossed to try to fire up his team.
Joe West is one of the worse with that attitude.
Man, Khalil has got to get it going.
Greene and Kouz now have the same BAVG. Somehow I have more belief that Kouz will have better numbers by the end of the year.
Why are the Padres giving up runs?
When I left the bar, it was 8-3.
AP story about Gwynn Jr.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-brewers-gwynnjr&prov=ap&type=lgns
104: I’m ‘old school’, as my 20 year old daughter calls me and I can remember Billy Martin kicking dirt on an ump and sometimes still not getting 86′d.
104: Umpires used to try to be totally objective and let managers and umpires have their say. But now everyone takes everything too personal.
104: We saw it differently. That’s what batters do when they vehemently disagree with a called strike 3: they chirp instantly. It wasn’t even clear that he was spitting expletives. (Where’s the “Bull Durham” handbook?) And he isn’t run until he’s walking away. When Matty V and Mark Grant think an opponent got unfairly ejected …
103: His K rate may not be great; his BABIP is probably on the lucky side, but I wouldn’t release Brocail in favor of a Portland reliever. You might be the only one.
Linebrink is coming into a save situation.
Linebrink to close this out. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I’m not getting a warm fuzzy feeling. I wish we had a bigger lead.
Bruce Bochy is throwing stuff at the TV.
Showcasing Linebrink for a possible trade? Or just another night off for Trevor?
What rhymes with stink?
I love the plate umpire according to gameday – called strike inches outside, ball 1 at the belt down the middle. Suppose he was evening the score?
Should we worry that Hoffy is not pitching here?
117: Off night for Trevor. He’s pitched in a bunch of games in a row, thanks to the ridiculous decision to bring him to the 5-1 win on Tuesday when Brocail created a save for him.
120: I don’t think so. Scott may pull this off.
Oh, wait, I just realized Trevor didn’t pitch last night. Hmm. I do not know what this means then. He had pitched in a bunch before then, so maybe just two days off.
117.
That was the first thought that popped into my head!
AND HE DID!
Both Andrew Brown and Royce Ring are better now and for the future than Doug Brocail. Not to mention Leo Rosales.
Trevor has only had 18 appearances in 47 games.
Cubs sporting the comeback – tying run at 2nd in the top of the 7th….
Cubs are mounting a rally against the Dodgers. It’s now 5-4 Dodgers, with the tying run on second in the top of the 7th, one out, but Broxton just came in.
I had the Brewers announcers on DirecTV. They said Linebrink came out to “Enter Sandman,” which is Trevor’s song.
Nice research, idiots!
Cubs tied it….
Enter Sandman is actually Mariano Rivera’s song, I think. Of course, the whole closer entrance music thing was popularized by Hoffman.
130: That’s too funny.
RE: 122. I didn’t mean to express a lack of faith in Linebrink, I was more worried that Trevor might be hurt.
Here is another possibility. Perhaps Bud Black is so cagey (and confident) that he is keeping the surprisingly good Brewers (and their 6 game lead) from seeing too much of Hoffy before the playoffs….
I was at the game that they first played Hells’ Bells and it really suprised everyone. In fact, it was against the Brewers at the Q, I believe (it’s been awhile).
Everyone may know this.
From AP: RF Brian Giles could go on the DL due to a bone bruise in his right knee. Giles was available to pinch-hit if necessary Friday night. “There is a chance we’ll make a move,” manager Bud Black said.
maybe thats why p-mac did not play tonight.
He was available to pinch-hit. Does that mean before Blum?
Cubs are up 6-5!
7-5 Cubs… We could be in first place by the time the night is over….
Word from 1090 is Hoffman was just a little sore and taking it easy tonight. Should apparently be ready tomorrow.
Cubs up 7-5 on a Jacque Jones double.
134: I’m starting to agree with you about Black being ‘cagey’ about his pitchers. But, I don’t believe it’s for your stated reasons. I think it has something to do with him being a former pitcher and pitching coach.
Here’s something else to consider:
A starter can realistically go about 100-120 pitches before his arm turns to rubber. Why is it a middle relief or a closer can only handle one or two innings before they go to shit?
Broxton’s only out is Lee picked off 2nd. Otherwise it’s 8-5, one out. Still 2 out with runners on 2nd and 3rd….
re: 140
I nominate this to be the title of a country song:
“We could be in first place by the time the night is over. …”
These numbers will go up after tonight, but here are Kouzmanoff’s numbers in May:
.356 batting, .421 on-base, .644 slugging
145: Kouz is the man for May.
Barfield is hitting .232 and slugging .329.
And let’s address the issue of the Petco fence. Nobody says that they should remove the Green Monster. So wtf?
Cubbies with the touchdown in the seventh – lead 8-5.
Let’s go Cubbies!
If the Cubs solve their bullpen issues, they’re a fine team.
147 … but Barfield started out slow like KK and has done much better lately … over last 15 day he’s hitting .280 in 50 ABs with 11 RsBI …
How many of you are going to the June 9th DH with us to Petco? We need a few more for the 25 or more discount.
Rox beat Gi’nts … not a big deal … but a good thing …
Yeah, he is playing well in May, just not Kouzmanoff well.
From tonights AP game story …
KK has … an eight-game hitting streak, during which he’s gone 13-for-25 (.520), with three homers, four doubles and 12 RBIs. His slam was his third homer in four games.
I just switched channel to WGN. This is looking good for the Cubs and us.
Kevin Cameron sounds ready to go … http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070524&content_id=1983988&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd … just not getting the call … seems like tonight, up 8-3, mighta been an opportunity …
Hensley with a *very* rough outing for Portland (in Vegas) tonight … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2007_05_25_poraaa_lvgaaa_1&t=g_box&did=milb … 4 ER on 8 H and 4 BB over only 4 IP … ug …
Good news from the Beaver game … Stansberry PH’d and hit his 5th HR of the season … 2 solo-shots from LaForest …
There’s no excuse for not getting a guy an inning of work over two weeks, like LynchMob noted we were up 8-3 one point tonight. Despite the high BB/IP number, I’m not sure I’d want to send a guy down with a 0.00 ERA, but there’s no reason to have a guy that hasn’t played in 2 weeks on your 25 man in the NL. I haven’t made up by mind on Buddy by any means, but so far he’s unfortunately had me scratching my head more often than nodding it.
Wow, what a game. Kouz to the rescue again! And a great job by Bell and Liney to stop the bleeding. That Milwaukee lineup is something.
#81: There is never a good time for the wave.
#130: I learned today that Trevor and Rob Dibble once attended a Metallica concert together.
One final thought about Kouz: I think Bud Black deserves a ton of credit for sticking with him through tough times. It’s very refreshing to have a manager who apparently is willing to give his younger players a chance.
The Cubs may be a decent team … but it’s not clear that they don’t have a managerial problem … Lou ain’t bein’ sweet … Cubs lose 9-8 … bleh …
160, 161 … GY, good point about Bud’s sticking with KK … but other than that, I gotta agree with Danial and say that his moves often leave me confused … especially his choice of PH’ers …
161, 163: Agreed, he deserves credit for sticking with Kouz
BTW, the Dodgers game was painful
160, 161, 163: Also have to agree with Daniel. There’s no justification for carrying 12 pitchers when two of them have extended streaks of not playing (Cla, K-Cam). Especially when you happen to be stringing along a starter who should be on the DL. I’d love to see PMac get some time in the ML and hopefully light a fire under Crudge.
Between those decisions and Bud’s slow hook, I’m definitely not sold on him yet. It all reinforces my off-season fear that hiring a pitching coach as a manager for a team that was already over-focused on pitching might not be the best idea. Our pitching is obviously a huge part of our success over the last few years, but as we saw during the NLDS last season, pitching can’t do it all.
I agree with those who think Black has done a suspect job handling the pitching staff overall . . . never mind that majors leading 3.08 ERA. He also has done a suspect job with the relievers . . . never mind that majors leading 2.34 relief ERA.
No, on second thought, I am very happy with Black – he actually employs the hit and run on occasion, you know; I am particularly happy that he didn’t bury Kouzmanoff. Of course, all managers have their achilles’ heel – for some unknowable reason Black’s is Silent L.
I like Bud’s slow-hook. I like that it’s not necessarily the same pitcher in the 8th. But I don’t like 12 men pitching staffs and having Geoff Blum as my made PHer.
#166: Blum is more of an organizational achilles heel. Black is using him pretty much the same way Bochy did. The fact that Cameron isn’t getting into games bothers me because it presumably defeats whatever purpose there might be in carrying 12 pitchers. Robles also seems to be buried right now, and I suspect that P-Mac would be more useful on the bench.
And P-Mac is back:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20070526-9999-1s26padnotes.html
168: and Bochy would have used him that way regardless of performance. Boch just happened to get extremely lucky that Blum had a miraculous PH season.
Black could bury B(l)um on the bench, and he could force KT’s hand. He chooses not to do so, even though it detrimentally affects on field performance. Unless Black is the mythical moneyball puppet of Alderson, and if he was he wouldn’t be playing B(l)um, his use of B(l)um is primarly on him, IMO.
On the other hand, given the way Khalil Greene has been suckling hind teat lately, it might not hurt to give B(l)um or Robles a start or two in his place.
Yes, KT wants to trade for a hitter … but only whatever can be gotten for minor league players, presumably AAA relief pitchers …
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20070524-9999-1s24padnotes.html
169 … I sure hope they give McAnulty a few starts …
Sledge is at .243 .369 .443 vs RHP (his 0-for-15 vs LHP is amazingly anemic) …
Cruz is at .264 .337 .425 vs RHP (.295 .380 .523 vs LHP, so clearly he should be starting vs any LHPs, but Cruz is only .203 .282 .261 overall in May)
The reality appears to me to be that none of these 3 guys can be expected to be 800-850 OPS hitters over the course of a 500 AB MLB season … but they appear to be what we’ve got to work with … Cruz @ 33, Sledge @ 30, McAnulty @ 26 … so McAnulty would appear to perhaps still be in a position to develop (wow, how’s that for a hedged comment) …
I hope that Giles going down turns out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise … that it gets McAnulty enough ABs to get established … or enough to be showcased to be part of a trade for a better hitter (presumably a RH hitter that can also do OK vs RHPs) …
This is a *very* intersting article to me … http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20070525-9999-1s25padnotes.html … about what the Padres trainers physically do to pitchers between starts …
Todd Hutcheson has been with the Padres since 1982? GY, perhaps this would make a good chapter in next year’s book!
Just watched the game on TiVo. Great win, but I have to admit that the Brewers got totally screwed by the umps. Bard clearly went around on the 2-2 pitch, which should have ended the inning before Kouz hit the slam.
Also, the pitch to Jenkins in the seventh looked outside, and I agree with Matt and Mud that he should not have been tossed. Terrible umpiring job.
166: Yes, the pitching staff is doing phenomenally well. There’s no doubt about that, but the pitching talent isn’t exactly to Black’s credit. He’s made a lot of good decisions regarding how to use that pitching staff, but he’s also ignored Wells and Maddux’s trend to hit the wall very quickly. Those two can go from lights out to batting practice in 60 seconds. Once either of those two starts struggling in the 5th or 6th, I’d pull the plug immediately. Black hasn’t done that and it’s definitely cost him at least a couple times.
I do love the return of the hit-and-run though. And actually seeing a suicide squeeze executed by the Padres.
169: Looking forward to PMac getting some playing time.
And again we see the reference to the Oakland trade as just Cust being “sold” to the As. I guess PTBNL really did die?
174 … so perhaps the Padres should try to “buy” JJ Furmaniak from the A’s
Wow, I just noticed that the Padres have an off day on Monday, Memorial Day … that doesn’t make “business sense”, does it? A lot of teams are off that day … what a shame to miss a chance to play a well-attended day game … as I believe MLB teams do any time they play on Sat or Sun night …
176: Agreed! Not that I care about attendance all that much. It’s just sooo much easier to watch day games than night games when you’re 9 hours ahead of San Diego. Day games on the east coast are golden.
Bummer about Monday. Off days are boring. What do you read at work the next morning?
I sorta noticed this earlier this week … but I don’t remember anyone commenting on it … Now Jake and Chris Young are split in the rotation! Jake took Wells’ turn on Tuesday, 5/22 (ie. due to 2 off-days so close, 5/17 and 5/21), Jake got 5 days rest and it still was not his turn … but Black chose to go with him rather than give him the 6th day of rest … and then he chose to go with Wells rather than skipping the #5 spot completely …
It sure worked out … Jake was awesome … Wells was awesome … and Young was awesome …
It will be interesting to see if Bud skips Wells’ next turn after the off-day on Monday, and goes with Young + Maddux in the first 2 road games at Pit next week … I’m all in favor of minimizing Wells’ road starts … skipping his next start would put his next start back at Petco vs Dodgers … and then allow us to skip the Hensley/Germano spot in the order going back to Jake on Thursday, June 7th … which sounds like a good idea …
In case you missed some of my thoughts on major alterations to the rotation, check back to comments I made late in the evening here … http://ducksnorts.com/blog/2007/05/igd-padres-vs-cubs-23-may-07.html#comments … starting at #117 … ways to use Jake and Young more often and leverage the fact that we (will) have 4 other starting pitchers …
171: You’ll notice in those numbers that we have an 850ish OPS left fielder if Black sticks to the platoon of Sledge v. righties and Cruz v. lefties, which I thought was the original plan. Of course, OG going down kind of puts a wrench in that, unless we go out and get someone like Craig Wilson who can really hit lefties. Then we could have two platoons at the corner OF spots, and three guys on the bench that can actually hit (Branyan plus the two sitting OFs).
178 … YES! And I’d be OK to sub in McAnulty for Sledge at this point … to see if he can do better than .370/.450 vs RHP …
Hmmm, 3 guys on the bench that can hit … doesn’t that sounds GREAT!
A name from the past has surfaced today … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=270526115 … Buddy Carlyle was the SP for the Braves today … he had 7 starts for the Padres in ‘99 … I admire and root for guys who stick with it!
Down on the farm … Cesar Ramos with a nice start … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_05_26_sanaax_arkaax_1 … not many K’s (3 in 7 IP), which doesn’t bode well for long-term success, however …
Dodgers lose! 4-2 Cubs.
175.Lancaster @ LE, early start time at 2PM.
182 … the NL West is our for the taking … let’s go Boyz!
183 … now *THAT*s what I’m talkin’ about! http://stormbaseball.com/Main.html