| time: | 7:15 p.m. PT |
| tv: | 4SD |
| sp: | Justin Germano (5-1, 2.63) vs Tim Lincecum (2-2, 5.88) |
| pre: | Padres.com, SI.com |
Before we get to the game, I’d like to offer my condolences to Rod Beck’s family and friends. Beck died on Saturday at the chillingly young age of 38. I was hoping to say something eloquent, but reader Brian G. did it in the comments better than I ever could when he noted that “the guy single-handedly made the 2003 Padres bearable.” Beck was a true character of the game, and his spirit will be missed.
The Padres now take on the team most closely associated with Beck, the Giants. The club from San Francisco is littered with ex-Padres, starting at the top with manager Bruce Bochy. One wonders if Bochy is as happy now with his decision to head north as he was when he made the move. His team is playing better than the 32-42 record would indicate, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Giants are in last place in the National League West, 11 games behind front-running Arizona.
Mark Sweeney (.177/.282/.306), one of three players from the ’98 World Series team still active, has found playing time hard to come by and success even harder. Truth be told, he’s doing a fine Geoff Blum impersonation. Ryan Klesko (.292/.384/.455) has become the de facto first baseman and is hitting a lot like he did in 2004, which is actually quite solid — at least until the next time he gets hurt.
Speaking of hurt, Dave Roberts has returned from the disabled list. He is batting .207/.286/.331 for the Giants. As I’ve said on many occasions, I grew to love Roberts’ game in his time here. I thought the Padres got ripped off in the deal that brought him to San Diego, but he proved me wrong. Unfortunately, now he is proving me right that the Padres were wise to let him walk this past winter.
The Giants are a really old team, which should make Bochy feel very comfortable. They’re also a team that put way too many eggs in the Barry Zito basket. Yes, Matt Cain and Monday night’s starter, Tim Lincecum, should provide a formidable 1-2 combination for years to come, but if the Giants continue to treat players like Roberts, Zito, and Matt Morris as franchise cornerstones, they will struggle to compete in an increasingly challenging NL West.
Not that I’m complaining, of course. Go Padres!
Ah, that’s the Bruce Bochy I know and love, making stupid decisions about when and who to bunt.
146 – had the same thought. when was the last time Hoffy came in mid-inning?
Game over, shit.
damn, that ended quickly
Hampson just had nothing tonite. Given the way we played tonite, we didn’t exactly deserve to win.
146 … yup, now it’s too late …
Good thing we saved Hoffman for a save opportunity.
Why exactly do they keep trying to pin this loss on Khalil Greene? Could someone from the Giants broadcast team please explain that logic to me?
The cruelly ironic thing is that I’m reading a book right now as I follow the game on properly leveraging relief aces, and the message throughout is relying on save situations to arise is a stupid way of doing things.
It seemed like 2 times tonight Bud was reluctant to relieve a relief pitcher … Linebrink in the 8th and Hampson in the 11th … when, according to commenters here, they didn’t appear to have “good stuff” … easy to have 20/20 hindsight … that’s my job …
158: He did kind of dog that ball, he could have dove, but it would had been a web gem
Tough loss. I only heard the final four innings or so on the way home from Elsinore. Here’s OG flying out in his second at-bat tonight:
http://www.geoffreynyoung.com/gfx/bgiles-elsinore.jpg