| time: | 4:10 p.m. PT |
| tv: | 4SD |
| sp: | Greg Maddux (5-3, 3.82) vs Scott Kazmir (4-3, 3.92) |
| pre: | Padres.com, SI.com |
A few things stand out to me when looking at Scott Kazmir’s splits: he is much more effective at home (.234/.319/.354 for his career) than on the road (.260/.349/.418), he does better work with runners on (.230/.311/.335) than with the bases empty (.264/.357/.435), and he destroys lefties (.212/.280/.290). That middle one is problematic. First off, why should anyone pitch better from the stretch than from a windup? Guys may or may not “bear down” in pressure situations, but the mechanical advantage gained by working from a full windup would seem to outweigh any elevated levels of concentration. Second, and from a more practical standpoint, it’s difficult to sustain a rally against someone who gets stingier when men are on base. I guess that helps explain Kazmir’s career 119 ERA+. Did I mention that he’s only 23 years old?
Anyway.
The Padres as a team are batting .248/.310/.357 in June. Opponents are hitting .271/.318/.372. Still, the Pads come out ahead in the runs department, 46-33. This tells me that a) the Padres have been more efficient than their opponents of late and b) anything can happen in a nine-game sample.
Speaking of small samples, this is a little distressing:
| Month | IP | K/9 | PA | K/PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stats are through June 11, 2007, and courtesy of Baseball-Reference. | ||||
| Apr | 244.2 | 6.58 | 1021 | .175 |
| May | 245 | 6.98 | 946 | .195 |
| Jun | 83.1 | 4.54 | 347 | .121 |
Oh wait, I’m the one always preaching that guys like Jake Peavy and Chris Young should pitch to contact more. Seriously, I do appreciate the effort, but it’s okay to strike out the occasional batter or seven…
134 Comments
As mentioned below, it looks like Blum is the DH tonight. McAnulty gets the start in left against the lefty, so Bocachica must still be sick.
Congrats on 6 years, GY … you’re the BEST … and the community you attract here to Ducksnorts is the BEST, too! Keep it up … keep SA happy … he needs you!
#2: Thanks, LM. And actually, we need SA.
Oh, cool. PMac starts. Still why Blum DH? Where’s Russell? Wait, can this be a good thing, in that Blum will not pinch-hit?
Hmmm….
I posted this in this mornings Blog before I realized that the IGD was up.
Blum is has a career OBP of .290 against lefties in 573 PA’s
P-mac has a .438 OBP against lefties but thats only in 16 PA’s
Branyan has a .301 OBP (with a BA of .219) against lefites in 297 PA’s
Also Sledge should be kept far away from the plate tonight he has a career .252 OBP with a .301 Slg in 124 PA’s.
Branyan hits lefties better than Blum does. I don’t understand why Blum would be the DH. Since 2000, Branyan has hit .224/.304/.496 against them an Blum has hit .234/.291/.380. That’s not even close. That’s over 284 PA and 546 PA respectively.
I don’t think it’s who hits lefties better I think it’s the fact that Kazmir kills lefties. At least I think that’s the case. I heard someone talking about his stats vs. lefties earlier on XX and it sounds like he pretty destroys them. With that said I would still rather someone other than B(l)um get some hacks against him. Bocachica must be in really bad shape because this is the kind of match up I would think we got him for.
Three Ks to start the game off is no way to start the game off. Yikes.
That’s a little better.
Are they playing on real grass or a shaggy astro-turf? They just mention that it is new as well as the infield clay.
Delmon makes his manager look like a genius for having a guy with a .633 SLG lay down a sac bunt in the second.
That ballpark looks like a lopsided circus big-top.
It’s amusing to listen to Jerry Coleman’s continuing astonishment that this Kazmir fellow is a good pitcher who can strike some guys out.
Josh really got a hold of that. Nice placement for the double.
Caught Kazmir in the ass for an RBI!! LOL. That’s adding insult to injury.
Silent L is NOT getting a Christmas card from me this year.
You make me feel sad inside Geoff Blum
17: LOL… where ya been?
Also, holy cow… 8 K’s through 4 innings…. Yikes…
re 18: also, 8 K’s with 6 hits through 4 innings… that’s not a line that you usually see…
That was depressingly predictable.
Holy crap. Maddux’s career against the Devil Rays before today: 3 games, 3 CG, 2 shutouts, 2 runs allowed in 27 total innings.
Where the hell did that miss???!!!
OK, now we have to play against the umpires as well tonight.
It sounds like this game should be scoreless right now with how well both pitchers are throwing. At least we have an extra base hit.
What was all that yelling when Adrian was at-bat? Sounded like a horse race in there…
#25: May have sounded like a horse race because they are playing in a barn.
Padres 2
Devil Rays 1 + Umpires 2
We should be winning this game. Who is this idiot behind the plate?
#27: At least it’s not Joe West.
Way to go, Mike Cameron. Looking even better after Bard’s walk.
Great job by Bard to work the walk. If only Cameron hadn’t gotten himself picked off…
#1: Bocachica with strep throat.
#30: Coming from behind 0-2, no doubt.
You make me feel good inside Kevin Kouzmanoff
#27: Phil Cuzzi.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=231396
Oh boy howdy! Thank you Kahlil.
But you make me feel better Khalil Green!
GO PADRES!!!
Great approaches by Bard, Kouz, and Khalil. This should be a huge inning already.
Ted Leitner definitely called Khalil coming through there. He was raving about Greene’s job of getting closer and closer to hitting Kazmir his previous at bat.
And then he says Kazmir had mugged Blum his previous two at bats.
Thank you, Devil Rays. That’s one way to get the run home with Blum up there. I hope Kazmir is okay.
Kouz is safe and Kazmir got spiked on the slide.
Kazmir is good to go.
Blum’s clutch vibes are completely responsible for that wild pitch.
Kaz shook that off pretty well.
42: I get so jealous of all you guys coming up with so many great Blum burns. I’m a clever fella’, why can’t I think of fancy ways to express my feelings of Geoff Blum suckage?!?!
Mud nailed that pitch 3 seconds before it was thrown.
Blum made Kazmir work; expecting more from Blum batting right-handed is unreasonable.
#44: Hoover Blum?
Blum sucks out loud. How is it possible that we can’t acquire someone better?
Opponents are batting .289/.376/.462 against Tampa’s relievers this year. We get three innings of that.
48: How is it possible we don’t play our obviously better options on the bench? Blum is a backup SS, he’s supposed to suck. It’s just a matter of Black being smart enough to realize this.
So, Blum the DH has 3 swinging strikes, huh?
Though, that last 10 pitch epic battle was pretty good for a total of 18 pitches = 3 K’s.
Come on, P-Mac. Get a hit, dude.
Can of corn.
That shot took a nasty hop for NOG.
Blum had quite year for TBD in 2004 batting a crisp .215 in well over 300 at bats. No wonder Piniella hated him.
I’m guessing that Branyan will PH for the DH Blum?
47, 48: Oh, I get it now. DH = Designated Hoover = Blum. He sucks so well.
Nice DP 1-4-3. Sweeeeet.
50: Blum really only plays one position halfway decent (third base). He can’t hit from either side of the plate. I refuse to believe we can’t find someone that can’t hit, but at least plays a decent shortstop because such a player is better than Blum.
#55: Didi I’m LMFAO at that one!
55: Designated Hoover… I like that.
I think ‘Designated Hoover’ surpasses ‘Silent L’ as the best dig on Blum.
57: Is Oscar Robles better than Blum? Or Craig Stansberry?
#61: I think I like none. But if I had to chose, I would go with Robles.
60: omg… I’m flattered that the new nickname representing the lameness of Blum was inspired by one of my posts. Almost as good as coming up with it myself.
59, 60: Only during interleague game when Blum = DH. In the Senior Circuit, the Silent L is awesome.
61: Robles can at least field and bunt. Blum can’t do either of those things. Neither can hit.
That guy yelling in the stands is louder than I am at a game. Is that possible? I guess so.
#64: Totally agree. All in favor of the new ‘Man Law’ say aye.
What’s with Jose Jr and Adrian imitating the DH? Especially Adrian with 3 swinging strikes?
That fake grass looks like it has snow on it. Too weird.
Should Stansberry be given a chance? His stats are better than Robles and he’s a RH hitter. Also, I heard he’s really FAST.
Alright, Cla. Keep those pitches down. DOWN!
Ut-Oh. Phil Cuzy is totally screwing up the calls tonight and he just admitted it to Maddux. Which in of itself was very honorable. However, his calls can turn this game. Ack! I hate it when the umps become a factor in a game.
Maddux is the a great anchor on a good staff. Yet another quality start. Consumate pro wouldn’t lower himself to look HP Phil Cuzzi’s way when he walked off even though he got absolutely screwed on that last pitch to Dukes.
70: Here we face the yawning gap between what a team fighting in a tough division should do (keep the 25 best players on the roster) and what actual teams, and not only the Padres, really do.
Cameron and Hampson have passed beyond the 4th dimension, taking us to 23 players. Blum, on the other hand, gets 3x the chances he should and takes us down to 21.5. But they’re just not going to move Blum. Keep Cameron, demote Hampson, promote Stansberry is the best we can hope for, and Blum will still get the bulk of the at-bats.
I know there are alot of Merideth fans out there. But, I’ve never been a fan of sidearm pitchers. There accuracy always seems to lack.
#75: Their (sp)
Drat! Cla!
That is just dumb luck. How does Adrian get hung with an error when the ball Delmon Young dropped earlier was ruled a hit?
Shit! I HATE artificial turf! We didn’t need that and Adrian does not deserve and error on that.
What happened? Adrian error? What?
Meredith had us out of the inning with the lead until that ball hit to Adrian. This whole damn thing is the fault of the umpire blowing that call to put the first runner on base.
#80: Smash down the first-base line that ate Adrian up (and would have eaten up any other first baseman). There’s no way it was an error, but that’s the ruling.
AAA for Cla.
I think it’s safe to say our bullpen is officially over used or over rated.
74: I fear that you may be right on the last point.
This inning isn’t Cla’s fault.
Cuzzi gave this game to the Devil Rays. That’s just absolute garbage.
83, 84: Do you watch baseball?
OK, I was going to say, “Paging, good bullpen, you’re needed immediately.” Three straight blown leads in the 7th, correct?
Thanks, Geoff. I’m officially pissed. OK, go home and eat now.
Go Padres! Come on, it’s the TB bullpen. Eat them!
#84: Also the best in baseball.
Goddamit. Watching a sidearm throw a baseball is akin to watching someone shoot a pistol turned sideways. It looks ‘cool’, but very ineffective.
89: A bad call and a bad hop are what blew this particular lead.
92: Are you serious? Meredith should have been out of that inning if not for a bad hop.
three hits and a walk? who’s fault is it?
He has an ERA over 7 since May one, gives up a homer every 5 appearances, 16IP, 29 H… not just bad luck, imho.
92: Kent Tekulve and Dan Quisenberry say different. Cla said different for the whole year last year.
You do have to wonder why Black doesn’t give him an easy chance to get him back in the saddle. I’m afraid Black might have a bit of that old school, “Let’s see how tough you are” mentality instead of that “Let’s win this game” mentality.
#94: I’m just saying I don’t belive sidearms are very effective. Granted, those scores were not Cla’s fault.
88. Are you 12 (read: a-hole)?
It’s also worth noting that Cla completely abused a very good hitter, Carl Crawford, to get the second out. He also got ahead of Norton and then got victimized by a bad hop. Even the Iwamura and Harris hits weren’t scalded.
Verlander with a no hitter. Officially, the Matt Bush pick is a gigantic mistake.
I’m just not a Cla fan. Sorry. I didn’t know this was such a heated issue.
97: Fair enough.
98: Look, you’re the one making statements that give the impression you’ve never watched a game. What conclusion should I draw from that? That you’re a well-informed and a brilliant baseball analyst?
I say again, since May 1, 16 IP, 29 H. None were scalded? Raul Ibanez, Luis Gonzalez, and Jason Bay seemed to hit the ball pretty hard in the last few weeks. Agreed AAA may be a rush judgement, but the point is he is in need of an adjustment (to quote Sutcliffe).
102: Not heated. I think people are just forgetting all of Cla’s previous body of work.
#104: You and I are talking about different things. My comments were in reference to this appearance.
104: He has a high-ish BABIP despite a fantastic GB rate and a low LD rate. His FIP coming into the game was under 3.5.
I know I’m a late comer here, but with Kazmir on the mound, why PMac and not Chica Boca?
I’m not even gonna get into Blum as DH, although I know Kazmir is good vs. LHBs.
You hate to lose a game where the umpires were at the very least the catalyst for five of the runs you allow.
108: He’s ill.
#104: I should also add that Cla seems to be missing up in the zone a lot more this year than he did last year. Tonight, though, he got pretty unlucky.
103: what other conclusion should one draw from your idiotic patronizing response than the fact that you’re a patronizing idiot? One ad hominem reasoning deserves another, Mr. Wade.
Alright, this is not good. A Ray 3 run lead in the bottom of the 8th. Yikes.
I’ve gotta run. Hopefully they can mount a comeback. Later guys.
See ya, Richard.
Man, this is a frustrating stretch of baseball we’re playing right now. Here’s hoping we snap out of it soon.
Yuck.
The irony in Tampa catching a win off someone else’s poor bullpen performance is striking.
(By the way, I know you’re frustrated with Cuzzi, but umpires don’t serve as the catalysts for anything. Good teams that are having good nights overcome bad umpiring. I’ve seen it happen.)
G-Slam.
Rainman: I’m not happy. Definately, definately not happy. And, I’m not wearing K-Mart underwear. These are definately not my underwear.
We are getting axed by the AL East’s last place team.
So much for a comeback. Of the 11 runs, 7 are unearned caused by Adrian’s errors, although Brocail giving up the grand slam didn’t help much.
Ooh. Geoff Blum with the impressive 0-4, 4 K’s performance.
I can understand us losing to Seattle by one run in that last series. But, getting spanked like this to Tampa sucks.
Have you seen any hitter be in the hole 0-2 faster than Blum. We should all have loved Blum getting the Golden Sombrero today so that he isn’t doing it in August.
So far, the Cubs (on 4-16-07) have been the only other team that spanked us harder this year (4-12).
Maybe this game will not be in vain. Maybe Black will realize that Kevin Cameron is better than Brocail, and can thus be trusted to pitch every once in a while, and that Blum sucks.
Is there a way to start an on-line petition to send to KT to get rid of Designated Hoover/Silent L?
Adrian charged with multiple errors unfairly.
I chose Kazmir on Cox. Hands down, good pitching. If perchance we would have won, it would have been Maddux. We fell apart in the middle relief.
Okay, we get spanked by the Devil Rays while Justin Verlander tosses a no-no against the Brewers… no worries, I’m sure Matt Bush did something on the farm that will balance the scales of justice…..
I really think KT needs to deep six the Blummer to prevent any temptation to use him.
129: Well, I would try talking to Black first and telling him not to use Blum as anything other than a backup SS. If that doesn’t work, then, yeah, DFA Blum immediately.
We should spread steroids rumors about Blum. Anybody here connected to law enforcement and able to organize a fake steroids bust on Blum? No, that wouldn’t work, no one would believe Blum’s performance could have been in any way enhanced.
#117: Great point, Brian, about the umpiring. That was a source of frustration, but not the cause of failure.
#122: What makes you think he won’t be doing it in August as well?
Oh well. Tomorrow is another day…
Down on the Farm … another nice outing for All-Star Ayala for the STORM … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2007_06_12_lesafa_rcqafa_1&t=g_box&did=milb
Headley back rakin’ … a single and double tonight … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2007_06_12_coraax_sanaax_1&t=g_box&did=milb
128: The Verlander thing drives me insane. Every time he does something good, I feel sick.
I hear Bush threw a no hitter in an extended spring training simulated game. Does that count?
Hopefully, this pitching thing with him works out. If not, I don’t know what I’m going to do.