Padres (7-6) @ Rockies (5-7)
Randy Wolf vs Ubaldo Jimenez
7:05 p.m. PT
Channel 4SD
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 189
MLB, B-R
The Padres were outscored, 16-9, in Los Angeles over the weekend, but took two out of three against the Dodgers. Devotees of Pythagoras may call this “lucky,” but the real good fortune is that all members of the Tremulous Trio met their weekly appearances quota in Saturday’s game. Now the Padres can return to their functional nine-man pitching staff while Enrique Gonzalez, Wil Ledezma, and Glendon Rusch refill their gas cans and wait for the next blowout. Who knows, one of them might make a cameo as a pinch-runner before then…
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Tony Clark and Scott Hairston will wear #42 in Tuesday night’s game to honor Jackie Robinson, whose number was retired in perpetuity by MLB in 1997. Meanwhile, MLB will continue to be baffled by the concept of perpetuity.
97: Ah, but so apt. He’s like a closer but with a lot more runs.
#98@Schlom:
I agree. I think it was a team with some good upside potential that somehow pulled it all together and made it reality. IMO, team luck is comparable to the recent talks about the reality of clutch hitting. Debatable at best. They achieved something that is simply impossible to repeat. Again, IMO. Regardless of the reason I do not see this team doing the same thing and I will resist the urge to cite the recent evidence of their play because it is way too early. Until we are a little farther along, I will stick with my gut feeling and secretly say to myself “I knew that was gonna happen”.
#90@Richard D.:
Chuck Nevitt went to N.C. State.
#97@anthony:
The Rockies are not that good. I think they’ll finish fourth. But the Giants do have three good young pitchers.
#99@LynchMob: I saw Estes pitch a few times in spring training this year and I remember his start from 2006. In spring training he was absolutely terrible, in 15 innings he gave up 28 hits, 8 walks, 24 runs (19 earned) and only struck out 7. He may not have been the worst pitcher in spring training, but he was certainly one of them. In AAA this year, he’s had one good start (6 IP, 0 runs), one OK (5.1, 2 runs) and one bad (6.0, 5 runs). In the minors last season he was bad (good in rookie ball and at Lake Elsinore but horrendous in Portland). In 2006 he was mediocre in his one start (6.0, 3 runs but in Petco Park, that’s definitely below average). He was also awful in the majors between 2002-2005. Basically, the only thing he has going for him is that the one start in Portland on April 4th (against the Giants affliate so you know there’s little talent there). It’s not like he’s Mark Prior where he’s still young and has pitched awesome in the last five years — Estes hasn’t pitched well since 1997! Again, it’s certainly possible that he’s managed to overcome 11 years of futility to pitch well but how likely is that? If you could name another pitchers that’s been average (at best) in 2 of the last 11 years and then turned into a solid contributor then maybe I’d soften my stance. Until then, if Estes pitches just one inning for the Padres then I’m going to be greatly disappointed.
For example, 2 pitchers tonight pitched pretty well in the PCL: Chris Seddon (ALB, Marlins property) and Doug Mathis (OKLA, Rangers). Neither of them is on the 40 man roster so they could come for essentially free. I don’t see anyone clamoring to pick them up but they are far superior options then Estes since they are both only 25. Doesn’t the fact that 2 randomly picked starters from tonight in the PCL are better choices to start a game then Shawn Estes seem slightly scary?