first pitch: 4:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Justin Germano (3-0, 1.08 ERA) vs Levale Speigner (1-1, 8.39 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
In case you missed it, Clay Hensley has been actived from the DL and optioned to Triple-A Portland, which means that Justin Germano remains in the rotation. Germano has earned it with his recent performance, but if anything should go wrong, it’s nice to know that a good insurance policy is just a phone call away.
Portland pitching coach Gary Lance has gotten credit for helping guys out in the past (including Hensley), so with luck, a little tweak here and there is all that’s needed to get Hensley back to the form that saw him finish 2006 with the National League’s 10th best ERA. Meanwhile, let’s hope that Germano can stave off any “corrections” that might be headed his way. He’s a fun story, but the complete absence of dominance (3.24 K/9) makes me a bit nervous.
In the bigger picture, the Padres really need to win these next two games. With the Dodgers coming to town next week, now is not the time to get beaten by a minor-league pitching staff. Fortunately, this evening’s starter, Levale Speigner, appears to play into the Padres’ strength: left-handed batters are hitting .400/.510/.625 in 49 plate appearances. Granted, that is a very small sample, but still.
Let’s win a ballgame, shall we? Go Padres!
191: The point isn’t that Cameron is worthless. It’s that relievers like him are relatively easy to find. You don’t need to hamstring yourself with a Rule 5 pick to get one. We should not be twisting our roster like a ball of silly-putty because we’re afraid of losing him to Minnesota.
Who do you send down? Hampson. Hensley is probably a month or more away from returning, barring injury.
I subscribe to Earl Weaver’s theory of the backup SS. You keep him in AAA. On the major league roster you keep a guy who can play SS when there’s a flyball pitcher on the mound and hit when he’s not starting. But even if you keep Blum, who isn’t the worst utility infielder in the game, he should NOT be the primary pinch-hitter.
200: Exactly. Greene’s not the best defensive SS in the game, and even Everett (or Ozzie in his prime) wasn’t so good compared to his possible replacements that you could ignore his offense. The comparison isn’t Khalil Greene to the guy in Section 35, Row 10, Seat 2. It’s to other major league shortstops. Of course Greene saves runs compared to an average Joe. He doesn’t save that money compared to his peers. But there are no obvious upgrades available.
194 – sorry LM – go HOOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
202 … fair enough … they won a great game yesterday … OSU was playing far beyond their talent … what a heartbreak … it’ll be interesting to see if they’ve anything left in the tank for a game or 2 today … hard to imagine they do … good luck to the HOOS in the Super!