IGD: Padres @ Braves (7 May 08)
Wed, May 7, 2008
by Geoff Young
Padres (12-21) @ Braves (16-15)
Randy Wolf vs Tim Hudson
4:00 p.m. PT
Channel 4SD
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 186
MLB, B-R
I saw Hudson’s big-league debut, against the Padres at the Q. Despite his dominant showing that evening, it took me a while to accept Hudson as front-line starter. From July 2001:
I’ve been slow to jump on the Hudson bandwagon but he’s making it very difficult for me to maintain my position. I was at his big-league debut, and while he struck out 10 Padres that night, I attributed it to the fact that he was facing a pretty bad lineup and nobody knew who he was. I’ve been waiting for hitters to stop biting on that splitter and it just hasn’t happened. Hudson has become a much better pitcher than I’d expected. There are no chinks in his armor. He prevents hits, keeps the ball in the park, has great command, and sports a ridiculous groundball/flyball ratio. He’s a young, healthy Kevin Brown. Throw out April, during which he allowed half of his 12 homers, and his ERA is an even 2.00.
Well, I don’t know about Kevin Brown. Then again, Hudson’s most similar pitcher through age 31 is Mike Mussina, a potential Hall of Famer. That’s not bad company to keep.
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
May 7, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Interesting line-up today.
May 7, 2008 at 4:09 pm
The Padres are calling up Shawn Estes to take Kevin Cameron’s spot. That signals the end of the season. No team that expects to win has Shawn Estes pitch even one inning for them in the majors leagues. Now it’s just “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic” for the Padres — the season is over!
May 7, 2008 at 4:10 pm
#2@Schlom: The season’s been over for about a week now.
May 7, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Wow - He actually go that ball!
May 7, 2008 at 4:20 pm
The edmonds experiment continues… at least he is moved down in the line-up.
May 7, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Wonder if Edmunds eye siht i his problem, 37 and he might not be as eagle-eyed as before, specially after concussion. But that was a nice catch.
May 7, 2008 at 4:22 pm
#2@Schlom: Blah blah blah. He hasnt been that bad in Portland and the season has been over for a while.
May 7, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Kouz!
May 7, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Here is the Ducksnorters beloved PMAC. He steps up ! Stick it to me PMAC !
May 7, 2008 at 4:25 pm
The Rockies season was over at the end of August last year. Things turned out OK for them.
May 7, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Balk!
May 7, 2008 at 4:25 pm
#7@SDSUBaseball: Well, we’ve given up but now we know that management has given up. If you are going to bring up someone, at least bring up someone that you can trade if he does well.
May 7, 2008 at 4:26 pm
The Nationals basically lost last night on a balk on the fake third-to-first pickoff. It never, never works.
May 7, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Hudson clearly hesitates/twists his body before his foot touches. Balk.
May 7, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Geez, Bobby Cox didn’t last long.
May 7, 2008 at 4:29 pm
#15@Geoff Young: Hopefully we can get Hudson as well.
May 7, 2008 at 4:29 pm
The balk will be our special weapon. We will ride it back into contention. Respect the balk!
May 7, 2008 at 4:30 pm
#12@Schlom: If the guy is playing well why not give him a shot for a bit. There are 120+ games left, letting Estes pitch in a couple isnt going to hurt.
May 7, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Why not swing at the first pitch right after a walk? Good thing Chipper can’t field.
May 7, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Kind of surprised Big Tex didn’t dig that one out.
May 7, 2008 at 4:31 pm
#16@Phantom: As hard as we are hitting him i would prefer he stay in the game.
May 7, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Loaded bases. Here’s where they blow it.
May 7, 2008 at 4:32 pm
#13@Kevin: I saw it work once. Greg Harris picked off Barry Bonds (off first) in a 1993 or 1994 game.
May 7, 2008 at 4:33 pm
#22@Turbine Dude: Told ya.
May 7, 2008 at 4:34 pm
#9@JP:
“Stick it to me, P-Mac”?!?!
Umm…okay, I guess.
May 7, 2008 at 4:34 pm
One run stiunking run! Yet again!!!
May 7, 2008 at 4:34 pm
#13@Kevin: The 3rd to 1st move might work if P-Mac was the baserunner!
Wow, who would have thought that they would’ve hit into the double play there? Just beyond dumb. Just take the damn strikeout and let Giles come up with the bases loaded. Is that so hard to figure out? I remember comparing this team to the Pirates and the Royals — that might have been a little optimistic.
May 7, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Khalil absolutely killed that inning. Stupid AB.
May 7, 2008 at 4:35 pm
#23@JP: Sweet.
May 7, 2008 at 4:35 pm
#25@Lance Richardson: Gotcha. How about ‘prove me wrong’ PMAC. thanks….I guess.
May 7, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Cox takes 15 “vacation” days a year. He just doesn’t ask for them beforehand.
May 7, 2008 at 4:37 pm
#22@Turbine Dude: #24@Turbine Dude: To be fair I think this was more the Braves strategy working than the Padres blowing it with Wolf up. Wolf should had struck out though.
May 7, 2008 at 4:38 pm
#28@Phantom: Pitch was right down the middle. It was a good pitch to swing at. Khalil watches first pitches right down the middle way too often, its good to see him be aggressive sometimes.
May 7, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Heading into tonight, Kouz is hitting .400/.455/.450 in May. Small sample size.
But it could be he just doesn’t like April. But his April this year was way better than last year.
May 7, 2008 at 4:39 pm
#33@SDSUBaseball: I’m only on XM so I can’t see what’s going on. I suppose if the ball had found a hole, I’d be ecstatic.
May 7, 2008 at 4:43 pm
geez wolf. find your control
May 7, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Why not throw the curveball right down the middle to the number 8 hitter with the pitcher on deck? Of course, with the way the Padres are going it wouldn’t matter.
May 7, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Do they even have a long reliever today?
May 7, 2008 at 4:49 pm
That could had been worse.
May 7, 2008 at 4:57 pm
#39@SDSUBaseball: The announcers should just say that after every inning. “Could have been worse”.
May 7, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Here’s the changes I would make:
Here’s what my “changes” would be.
1 - Recall Dirk Hayhurst
2 - release Edmonds or convince him to retire
3 - Recall Gerut
4 - PMac to waivers - hopefully he clears and can go to Portland
5 - Recall Myrow to fill PMac’s old role.
6 - Ledezma to #5 Starter
Hayhurst can fill Cameron’s spot. Gerut plays CF and Hairston can spell him in CF vs. tough LHP with Huber in LF. Myrow can be a PH weapon and can play 1B/3B/LF when needed…he’s been consistantly great at Portland. Germano and Rusch can handle long duties for now, but I think either could go if the need arises.
Any word on Guevara’s status?
May 7, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Wolfe should walk in a run right here to minimize the damage.
May 7, 2008 at 5:07 pm
At least wolf is getting out of these jams ok.
May 7, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Damn, he needed that DP. Let’s not load the bases again, please…
May 7, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Wolfe was lucky to get out of that!
May 7, 2008 at 5:15 pm
“Watching” on GameDay; the homeplate umpire’s strike zone appears inconsistent, typically to the Padres detriment. Is that what it looks like on TV?
May 7, 2008 at 5:17 pm
2 catches in 1 game!
May 7, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Wolf’s had the DP ball behind him tonight. Too bad he doesn’t have an offense behind him…
May 7, 2008 at 5:34 pm
#48@Bryan S: You ask for too much.
May 7, 2008 at 5:39 pm
We just caught a break there!
May 7, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Did anyone else notice Hoffman waving PMac to 3rd. Good thing PMac didn’t pay attention to him.
May 7, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Bravo announcers are commenting on McAnulty’s most recent baserunning blunder. Tonight (and yet again) he doesn’t pick up his 3rd base coach and loses a bag.
May 7, 2008 at 5:48 pm
#51@Turbine Dude: He had third easily, he was moving on the pitch.
May 7, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Its an offensive explosion tonight!
May 7, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Four double plays for Padres.
May 7, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Eight of Wolf’s 16 outs have come on four pitches.
May 7, 2008 at 6:00 pm
PMAC makes at least one blunder every night he plays. The guy is a brutal outfielder.
May 7, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I doubt that tonight will be the first time the Braves win a one run game, I don’t see how the Padres can keep them from getting blwon out here.
May 7, 2008 at 6:09 pm
What did we say this morning about Thatch and hi-leverage situations? Yeah…case in point…
May 7, 2008 at 6:11 pm
So now he’s allowed 6 of 8 inherited runners to score? I know, Matty V, it’s a misleading stat.
May 7, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Black mismanged Wolf and the bullpen.
May 7, 2008 at 6:15 pm
#57@JP: He does not have a great arm but he is one of the few OF the pads have at the moment who does not look totaly lost at the plate.
May 7, 2008 at 6:32 pm
How long till football season?
Just kidding…..This sucks!!!
May 7, 2008 at 6:35 pm
#60@Stephen: I know, the relievers job is to come in and shut it down. Not to maybe give up a run, maybe not.
May 7, 2008 at 6:42 pm
#64@Kevin:
Vasgersian, as much as I enjoy his PbP, is a guy who before every game recites a team’s fielding .pct as if it’s the measure of that squad’s defense. So it was funny to hear him refer to another stat as misleading.
May 7, 2008 at 6:43 pm
#61@Kevin: Yup…they were just talking about Black’s lack of confidence in the bullpen on the postgame show. Tonight was case in point…hanging on with Wolf too long, then bringing in the wrong guy to keep it quiet…pitcher management cost us the game tonight.
May 7, 2008 at 7:05 pm
My avatar says it all.
May 7, 2008 at 9:56 pm
This is getting really ugly.
So uhh… Do you think Stephen Strasburg will sign for slot in ‘09? if we are going to suck this bad then I am going to find something about it and right now the 1st pick in the ‘09 draft is all I got.
May 7, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Here is an analysis of the game:
http://www.padresnation.com/ke.....ame34.html
May 8, 2008 at 12:08 am
69: Well said, Kevin. Yup, I am getting fed up with Bud Black mismanagement of his staff. This game tonight is the latest example of trying to get lucky one too many inning. He’s done it several times last year despite GY’s surprising finding of Bud Black’s quick hook. It’s possible that the hook isn’t being used often enough or more appropriately. I wouldn’t even give Pepe Negro a credit for not using Rusch, though, using Thatcher was very much questionable. So is the manager’s tendency to not ready the bullpen whenever he’s gambling for another inning from the starter. He did it with Germano and he did it again with Wolf tonight.
One would think that having been a pitching coach for quite a while after being a ML pitcher that he’d know when a pitcher doesn’t have it.
May 8, 2008 at 12:09 am
70: BTW, Hoffman hasn’t pitched since April 30. Isn’t it time to get him in a game?