| time: | 5:05 p.m. PT |
| tv: | 4SD |
| sp: | Greg Maddux (13-11, 4.10) vs Chris Capuano (5-12, 5.09) |
| pre: | Padres.com, B-R.com |
This talk of tiebreakers makes my head hurt. Win three and the rest will take care of itself.
Here’s the plan: On offense, hit the ball toward Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. On defense, keep the ball away from those two. Also, say nice things about Chris Capuano; then he can’t hurt you. Go Padres!
98. I agree, I read it the other day when I was lurking on the site. OBP is important, but so are some other things such as great fielding SS and ummm….how about 26 HRs and 96 RBIs
sorry, didn’t mean to pile on…but the move Greene stuff is ridiculous, its like Keith Law trying to justify his position that Antonelli is nothing more than a utility guy…and his beut today on Chase Headley
hey I just realized…
Heath Bell–>Hell’s Bells
if someone has already pointed that out I apologize.
Damn, we didn’t need that.
Prince Fielder’s torso jiggles a lot when he tags up
Rockies have the winning run at the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Gas. Pure gas.
Just call him, on a Mission Bell….
Hmm, you think the collapsing Mets’ bullpen could use someone like Heath Bell right about now?
Unleash Hell!
Rox down to their last out – Matsui.
Yo Quiero Heath Bell!
Matsui K’s, and the D-Backs win.
Rox done.
#111: That’s a good one!
I hope Trevor is on his game tonight. We really need this.
The snakes are the first NL team to clinch a playoff spot with their win tonight. Uno-dos-adios from Trevor tonight means the Cubs are next in.
Is that Mike Rivera of ex-Padre-bench fame?
Tres mas por favor, Senor Trevor!
#117: Yes
I do feel for the Brewers fans. To come this close after 25 years away from the postseason – that does suck. Yet, our Padres again take care of business and are in MUCH better shape now. Excellent game from the Friars tonight!
For any one-game tiebreaker on Monday, Jake will be ready. That is huge!
Adios Millwauke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And ESPN ends the game with “The Cubs are the National League Central Division winners”. Classy broadcasters…
We have just clinced a wild card tie. One more win, or a Rockes and Mets loss, and WE ARE IN!!!
some old-school Trevor right there… nice season run Brewers.
Go Padres!
Khalil reminds me of Barry Pepper in 61 when he gives an interview.
Booooooooooya!
Trevor had great stuff tonight. Let’s hope that he continues this in the playoffs were historically he hasn’t been that great.
What Milwaukee did this season was pretty impressive. With better personnel decisions (having Braun start the season up, playing Hart everyday) and some better injury luck (lost Sheets and Weeks for long stretches) they would have won the division. What’s amazing about them is that all but Damian Miller of their starting 8 were products of their farm system. San Diego only has one in Greene.
More wins than last year!!
Padres win and Channel 4 is going to play my alma mater’s football game tonight, great night!
if I’m not mistaken, we just clinched the non-necessity of short-rest Jake
98, 101: Let’s be clear, 95% of the people who are willing to move Greene are willing to do it only if we get something truly great back, something that really improves the team. There are only a couple of DSers who you could say were “tearing him apart.”
Trevor looked damn good. Win tomorrow and then call up Stauffer and Thompson to pitch Sunday.
I have to say that this is my favorite Padres team since the 98 team. I don’t know if they’re going to win, but I really love them.
OK, here’s a Froemming story for you from way back in 1972. Milt Pappas of the Cubs had a perfect game going with 2 outs in the 9th. He had retired 26 in a row. Had something like a 2-2 count on the last batter, threw two pitches on the black, and Froemming called both of them balls for a walk.
Pappas got the next batter for his no hitter but lost the perfect game due to Froemming. I’ve seen him blow many calls over the years, never liked his attitude. I say good riddance.
131-why stauffer and thompson?
131-why stauffer and thompson? what if the division is still up for grabs?
P.S. I grew up in Chicago and watched the Pappas game. Now I live in Boston and will watch Froemming umpire his last. As I said, good riddance.
135: The playoffs are more important than the division.
#133: Thanks, GPC, for the story. I’m just glad that his screw-up didn’t cost us tonight. Here’s hoping he can make it through these final two games without incident.
138: Or at the very least, without an incident that goes against us.
137: AZ winning a title really bothers me.
140: Well, they pretty much already have it wrapped up.
141: Only a Wild Card berth
#140 I think you would get over it if we won a title.
#138 Geoff, I have been remiss not to mention how much I enjoy this blog and your other websites. You have a great perspective on the game, as well as a sharp analytical side. Your roadtrip was a slice of authentic Americana.
The Padres have been the most interesting team in all of baseball this year, at least in my opinion. Significant strengths (pitching), near misses and missing pieces on offense, a great and quirky ballpark, an astute GM, streaky new talent (Kouz), players who can pick it (Khalil and Gonzalez). Worth staying up until 1:00 a.m. on the east coast, and worth rooting for. One step closer tonight, and here’s hoping for a World Series.
This season closed the karmic wheel for me as a Cubs fan: tonight’s win against the Brewers enabled the Cubs to clinch, thereby making up for extremely painful memories of the 1984 Cubs-Padres series. (Just don’t mention Leon Durham and ground ball in the same sentence.)
Oh yes, I just remembered that the Pappas near-perfect game was in fact against the Padres. Seems fitting.
Here’s an amazing fact from the bottom of tonight’s game AP story …
Chris Capuano gave up three runs and five hits in five innings. The Brewers have lost the last 22 games Capuano has appeared in, a stretch that includes 18 starts and four relief appearances. Capuano was banished to the bullpen in mid-August but recently returned to the rotation.
… ouch! The anti-HVC!!!
130 … BINGO! This (that we can not “need” Peavy to pitch on Sunday) is the best news of the night … I absolutely did not see that coming … cool-e-o!
131 … re: callup Stauffer/Thompson … no way … it’s Tomko’s turn … and, iirc, Tomko is not playoff-eligible … so no reason not to start him on Sunday under any circumstances now …
145 … oh, and in case you’re interested and don’t know what an “HVC” is, check out one of my favorite wikipedia entries …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darko_Mili%C4%8Di%C4%87
… and read about Darko MiliÄić’s Professional career with this Detroit Pistons.
So just so I get this straight…
We win tomorrow we clinch a playoff spot.
If AZ wins tomorrow they clinch the division.
If we both win AZ clinches the division and we clinch the WC (since AZ owns the season series vs the Pads). So at this point we root for the Rockies for our chance to potentially take the NL West crown for the 3rd time.
Am I right?
134, 135: Because they’re on the 40 man roster and serve no other purpose. If we win today and clinch the WC, we should use as few players of playoff value on Sunday as possible. Stansberry (SS), NOG (2b), Myrow (1b), Morton (C), Headley (3b), Macias (CF), Sledge (LF), Lane (RF).
147: You’re right, Tomko can start, but his relievers should be people we don’t plan on carrying in October….if we win tonight.