| time: | 10:35 a.m. PT |
| tv: | 4SD |
| sp: | Tim Stauffer (0-0, 17.18) vs Kyle Kendrick (6-3, 4.06) |
| pre: | Padres.com, SI.com, B-R.com |
Four things:
- Glad to see Doug Brocail take care of business with Carlos Ruiz. Plunking the punk in the hip won’t hasten Marcus Giles‘ return from the DL, but it’s good to know that guys have each other’s backs. And Ruiz is still an idiot.
- Craig Stansberry, recalled from Triple-A Portland, whacked the first pitch he saw in the big leagues just over the outstretched glove of Philadelphia second baseman Tadahito Iguchi for a single. Stansberry was batting for Rob Mackowiak, who had been announced for Brocail but who was lifted when lefty J.C. Romero entered for the Phillies with one on and two out in the seventh. Congrats to Stansberry, who also becomes the first ever big-league player born in Saudi Arabia.
- Milton Bradley is a unique talent and a unique individual. His style of play is infectious, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any concerns. The home run he hit on a 3-0 fastball from Tom Gordon in the eighth to tie the game went halfway up the second deck. There are no bonus points for distance, but that was impressive. Chirping at fans who had been heckling him from behind the plate afterwards… Look, I can’t remember a guy (and maybe I’m missing someone) who has put on a Padres uniform in the past 15-20 years who would’ve done something like that. Randy Myers? Not a hitter, but he’s the only player I can think of that might have been as intense as Bradley appears to be. I guess I’m just hoping Bradley can keep his energy channeled on the right things, because we sure do need him. Still, how can you not love this quote about his exchange with fans behind the plate?
They’re telling me I’m no good, I’m telling them I am that good. It feels good to come through and help this team win.
I mean, it’s a bit obnoxious, but the man has a point. He is that good.
- Citizens Bank Park is fun, in a Coors Field kind of way, but I would hate to see my team play half its games there. Brett Myers was at least half right in claiming that the two homers he served up in the ninth were “just pop ups.” Kevin Kouzmanoff‘s looked legit to me, but how did the ball Terrmel Sledge hit even come close? Judging from the type of swing he took and the trajectory of the ball, I’m guessing it doesn’t reach the warning track at Petco. Hey, we’ll take it.
Whatever the outcome of Sunday’s game, the Padres have won consecutive road series against playoff contenders and they’ve done it with lots of hitting. Can they keep it going and get the sweep in Philly behind Tim Stauffer? The matchup would appear to favor the home team, but after seeing Sledge’s pop up clear the left field fence on Saturday, I’m not ruling out anything.
Go Padres!
put the padres in a park that is conducive to the long ball and they can hit it just like everybody else!
petco, like most new things, needs some tinkering and adjusting to make it a baseball friendly stadium.
the words ‘cavernous’ and ‘spacious’ should never be used to describe the outfield!
There is an interview between Scott and BR and Milton Bradley at:
http://www.xxsportsradio.com/.
He sounds like a great guy. Not nearly as flamboyant as he is on the field. One quote that he made was that you can celebrate good individual plays in football and basketball, why not baseball?
Well, because it’s baseball. Don’t get me wrong, the enthusiasm is great, but I’ve got a haunting feeling that there’s a perfect storm brewing and that there’s retaliation coming Milton’s way.
2: As long as Milton doesn’t get hurt with any retaliation, any retaliation is just going to fire us up even more. Unlike the Padres, who were supremely justified yesetrday in hitting Ruiz, the Phillies have a tougher time trying to justify hitting Bradley. Just because the guy has ripped three shots off you in the series doesn’t mean you autmoatically get to him him. I’m pretty sure that had the Padres been playing in a less incendiary atmosphere, Milty’s exuberance would have been diminished and less likely to occur.
Not a position player but Kevin Brown was known to jaw to the crowd, and we all know how destructive he could be to the clubhouse. Intense is one of those things that can go from helpful to destructive in a new york minute.
That said, a winning team does need a little swagger and Milton brings that every day.
Mary: Ah, of course; I had a feeling I was forgetting someone obvious. Thanks for the reminder!
I love this blog! I’m a Padre fan who lives in New Jersey and I was at the game last night (Saturday 8-25) in Philly and sat in the lower deck in left field. I haven’t been to a million ball games like some, but honestly I have never seen a player (Bradley) take that much abuse and venom on the first pitch of the bottom of the first and continue until Rowand struck out on Hoffy’s change-up in the bottom of the ninth. Of course I am biased being a San Diego fan, but I must say Milton did not instigate a single thing in left field. Obviolsly he had some responses later in the game behind home plate. My wife had to cover her ears at points because the abuse/noise toward Milton in left during every Padre pitch was nonstop (I could only imagine what Bonds got in left all over the country this summer).
To illustrate the complete ignorance and subhuman quality of the Philadelphia crowd, they also booed Brian Giles all night, as the guy next to me told me how “he totally faked the injury” on Friday night when Ruiz slid into him. Poor guy (and seemingly many others in Phillies garb) failed to realize Brian plays RF and Marcus was 2B in the incident who wasn’t even on the field for warmups.
Here’s hoping Milton stays hot at the plate.
Sweet! We get the Padres feed again!
This weekend kicks ass.
7: Agreed, I love me some Padres feed. I miss Matty though
Keith, thanks for posting. Really interesting stuff. Glad to see Jenga was just living in the moment…..
7: Has anyone noticed the Padre feed is considerably worse quality than other teams feeds?
5: I recall a few incidents from a certain Phil Nevin, including obscene gestures and throwing objects on the field. I’d say you probably forgot two, GY…
8: Agreed. i cant stand Steve Quis
Poor Blum can’t even get a HR here.
8: Seriously. What’s the deal with Matty? He’s off doing national broadcasts?
You think next year he’ll be taken from us altogether? I’d be glad to see him get some big time success, but of course miss him ragging on MG
Triple by Blummer haha! Maybe Stauffer will get some first inning support
Damn, poor AB by Milty.
I loved how Milty smiled after the crowd so heartily reacted to him making an out. He is having fun out there.
Leaving a guy stranded at 3rd hasnt been like the Padres of late. Bummer
#11: For whatever reason I never attributed Nevin’s antics to “intensity” but that’s me…
2: That was a great interview with Bradley. He seems to me like he just loves what he’s doing and is pretty down to earth and reconizes mistakes he made.
This doesnt look good already
Ugh. Stauffer’s 17+ ERA going UP
Before we all jump on Tim, the ball Burrell hit was a great pitch. He just went down and got it. Also, you can’t defend against the bunt by Rollins and Iguchi just found a hole. He’s not pitching poorly.
Nice K Tim!
He might get himself out of this. He lucked out with Burrell’s hit being a ground rule double. it would be nice if he took advantage of it and got out of here with just 1 run.
Ugh. What’s the over/under on how many innings Ledezma works today?
25: Last time Stauffer pitched Cassel came in and pitched well. Why didnt he get considered for this start?
Tim Staupher looks like he belongs in AAA.
Were people just chanting “You suck Bradley”?
Well, he struck out two guys and only threw 30 pitches, despite all that mess. And, uh, no one dropped dead in the field or got hurt or anything. So in that regard that inning was a success.
Stauffer just doesn’t have the stuff for the bigs.
30: I think that’s a bit of a sweeping conclusion for 5 total innings of work. He managed to strike two guys out that inning despite not having big league stuff.
Yeah, the Phillies BABIP is .800 right now. There’s certainly an element of luck in that. Stauffer made some good pitches, and the Phillies put good swings on them.
OK, I digress. However, his presence doesn’t seem CY like in attitude.
Ugh. Sledge doesn’t help out at all.
30: I agree
We actually can probably conclude that Stauffer isn’t going to be a good major league pitcher, but not based on his five innings with the big league club this year. His minor league track record is pretty mediocre, so that gives us a pretty good indication of the type of pitcher he is. Certainly one inning shouldn’t change any evaluation of him.
Inexcusable Mr. Stauffer. You don’t walk the pitcher on 4 pitches and succeed in the big leagues.
That Stauffer appears to be getting squeezed is not helping anything.
43 pitches in 2 innings? WTF?
Yeah, he’s walking way too many people.
38: Agreed, he’s thrown some pretty good pitches.
Get Stauffer the f*ck out of here and send him back down to High School!!!
This looks as bad in reality as it did on paper. I’m off to grab some lunch…
At least we had a pretty good road trip still.
And yet we are still not out of this one, even down by 6.
#38 Squeezed ? He got two strike calls in the 2nd with balls that were letter high.
Anybody think Randy Jones can still pitch? I’d feel better giving a double A pitcher this shot on a one time basis than continuing to put Stauffer out there.
I can’t believe that Black is going send Stauffer back out in this inning.
48: Why not? 5 runs is a lot to make up, and there’s no point in decimating your bullpen right before a 4 game set with AZ.
If we can get three scoreless innings from Stauffer and go into the last 4 frames down by 2 or 3, then we may just again slice this brutal Phil’s bullpen and sneak out of here with a win, all the while not burning our bullpen with a big 4 game series coming up and no off days.