Shutting out the Diamondbacks on Sunday took some sting out of the weekend series. Saturday night’s game was particularly frustrating, but what can you do other than hope the bullpen holds next time out, which it did.
Some positives:
- Adrian Gonzalez is starting to get his stroke back. The single and double on Sunday were great, but he also put a ball to the warning track and crushed a couple more to dead center on Saturday. We saw the same thing with Kevin Kouzmanoff early in the season just before he got on track. First the approach improves, then the results follow. Adrian has nailed the first part of that equation, which is great news for a team that needs more than two guys in the lineup to be hot at any given time.
- Speaking of Kouz, he continues to swing a very hot bat. His day of rest on Sunday was part of a strategy to keep him healthy, which makes sense given the past back problems.
- I love what Brian Giles brings to the leadoff spot. He is working counts, getting on base, and generally being a pest. The power is gone (although he hit a homer over the weekend and was robbed of another), but that’s a horse that seriously can’t be beaten any further. Fact is, dude has a .386 OBP. Even better, he’s hitting .357/.518/.500 since returning from the disabled list. Yes, 12 games is a small sample, but it’s pretty evident from looking at the numbers and watching him play that Giles’ knee was causing a lot of problems. Now that he’s healthy, he’s producing. We can whine about Jason Bay all we want, but this is the guy we’ve got and he’s going to help the Padres down the stretch and hopefully deep into the playoffs.
- Khalil Greene‘s power is unbelievable. His approach drives me crazy at times, but how many shortstops have a .231 ISO? Well, in the National League, that mark has been exceeded just nine times. Ever. Six of those are by Ernie Banks. The others are Bill Hall (.283 in 2006), Barry Larkin (.269 in 1996), and Rich Aurilia (.248 in 2001). Greene remains a flawed player, and yeah, I’d really like to see him get that OBP over .300, but I’d hate to think where the Padres would be without him.
- Speaking of which, how about Justin Germano? Sure, it may be smoke and mirrors, but he’s getting the job done. His ERA is back down to 3.55. The Phillies, who couldn’t keep Germano in spring training, have exactly one pitcher — Ryan Madson (3.51) — with a better ERA. Score one for the Padres scouting department.
Negatives? Sure, but with the Padres just a game out of first place after 90 games in the National League’s toughest division, I’m in no mood to dwell on them. The bullpen implosions on Friday and Saturday scream fluke to me. Greg Maddux hasn’t looked sharp the past few times out, but he’ll be fine.
Give credit to the Diamondbacks. Folks seem reluctant to admit it because they’re so young, but that is a real good team. Fortunately, so is the one that calls San Diego home…
by Peter Friberg
You will not see much baseball if you take my boys to a baseball game (concession stands, potty breaks, Thunder watching, program browsing, etc.). They do not sit still. However, I had a lot of fun as did they…
Friday, July 13, 2007
AAA
Pete LaForest: 2 AB, 3 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; HR, 3 BB, SO
Tim Stauffer: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR
AA
Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 1 RBI; BB
Chase Headley: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 2B, SO
Chad Huffman: 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 1 RBI; 3 SO, SF – zero AA hits
High-A
David Freese: 2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB, HBP
Colt Morton: 4 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; 2 2B, BB, SO
Low-A
Cedric Hunter: 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; BB
Drew Miller: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 3 HR – yikes!
Short Season-A
Mitch Canham: 5 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; SO, SB, 2 PB
Kellen Kulbacki: 4 AB, 1 R, 4 H, 2 RBI; 2B
Jeremy Hefner: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR
Rookie
No game scheduled…
Saturday, July 14, 2007
AAA
Clay Hensley: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR
AA
Matt Antonelli: 5 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 0 RBI
Will Venable: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 4 RBI; HR, BB, 2 SO, SB
Chad Huffman: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; BB – first AA hit
Mike Ekstrom: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR
High-A
Colt Morton: 5 AB, 4 R, 4 H, 5 RBI; 2B, 3 HR, BB
Josh Alley: 5 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 2 RBI; 2B, SO, SB
Yordany Ramirez: 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; HR
Low-A
Mike Epping: 3 AB, 4 R, 3 H, 3 RBI; 3B, 2 HR, BB
Short Season-A
Mitch Canham: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 4 RBI; HR, BB, 2 SO, SB
Jeremy McBryde: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR
Rookie
Keoni Ruth: 5 AB, 3 R, 4 H, 2 RBI; 2B, 2 BB
Yefri Carvajal: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; SB
Commentary:
Clay opened Saturday’s contest with four scoreless innings. He then opened the fifth with two walks. He got the third batter out on a ground ball then gave up a double and a homer — four runs. He gave two more to open the sixth… Without witnessing the action, it sure seems he gets rattled then presses.
I still don’t believe in Colt Morton as a prospect (not at 25 years old in A-ball), but if he keeps hitting like this, I may have to rethink my prejudice…
[Ed note: Looks like Morton won't be there much longer.]
Mike Epping is not a big-time prospect, but wow, what a night!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
AAA
Terrmel Sledge: 6 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 0 RBI – rehab
AA
Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 2 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; HR, 2 SO – first AA HR
Chase Headley: 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; 3B, BB, SO
Manny Ayala: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR
High-A
David Freese: 6 AB, 3 R, 4 H, 6 RBI; 2B, HR, BB
Jose Lobaton: 4 AB, 3 R, 2 H, 4 RBI; 2B, HR, 2 BB, SO
Yordany Ramirez: 6 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 3 RBI; HR
Low-A
Mike Epping: 3 AB, 2 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB, SO, 2 SB
Short Season-A
Luis Durango: 3 AB, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 RBI; SO, SF, SB
Eric Sogard: 6 AB, 1 R, 4 H, 4 RBI; 2 2B, SO
Rookie
Shawn Estes: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR
Commentary:
Assuming a 450 AB season, Chase is on pace for 68 XBH (40 doubles, 6 triples, 22 home runs).
It’s already been brought up here and in other discussions, but the Padres are developing a nice problem… Kouzmanoff (who is hitting .292/.351/.530 since May 1 — Geoff points this out regularly, not my find) is entrenched at third base and Gonzalez is entrenched at first base. And we’ll have Giles in right field for at least one more year. Then we have Headley (3B) and Huffman (LF) in Double-A with Freese (3B) and Blanks (1B) right behind them in High-A (not to mention some of the guys in the lower levels). The Padres have some nice corner-bats in the system.
Thanks, Peter. The Mets are in town for three games starting now. First pitch Monday night is at 7:05 p.m. PT. We’ll have the IGD up and running about an hour before then. Go Padres!