IGD: Padres @ Mariners (16 May 08)
Fri, May 16, 2008
by Geoff Young
Padres (15-27) @ Mariners (16-26)
Chris Young vs Miguel Batista
7:10 p.m. PT
Channel 4SD
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 181
MLB, B-R
Ah, interleague play. The intensity, the intrigue, the irrelevance…
I walked over to Book-Off the other day and found a whole slew of baseball publications. Most are in Japanese, so I couldn’t read them, but I could look at pictures. One of the publications was a commemorative yearbook (or some such) for the 2000 Pacific League champion Daiei Hawks. I flipped through it absent-mindedly, hoping for glimpses of familiar faces. Lo and behold, two of them are playing in this weekend’s series: Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima and Padres second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. The legendary Sadaharu Oh managed the club, and one of his charges was another ex-Padre: Melvin Nieves.
So, now you know…
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 16, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Encouraging news: They just showed Michael Barrett making some throws before tonight’s game. Matt & Mud said he could be sent out on rehab soon.
May 16, 2008 at 7:11 pm
I had to laugh at Edmond’s comments in today’s U-T. I can’t believe he really didn’t think he would be let go. Amazing.
May 16, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Leadoff triple for Gerut. That works.
May 16, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Nice triple for Jody, there and Gooch just got him in!
May 16, 2008 at 7:13 pm
#2@Turbine Dude: It looks like ego trumps pride.
May 16, 2008 at 7:14 pm
#1@Geoff Young: Enjoyed the pre-IGD interview this afternoon after I got home from work. Very funny at times.
May 16, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Three batters in and the fans are already booing the Mariners. Yikes.
May 16, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Who showed up in the Padre uniforms tonight? Oh, must be the SDSU Aztecs. OK, that explains it.
May 16, 2008 at 7:16 pm
#6@Turbine Dude: Cool, glad you liked it!
May 16, 2008 at 7:19 pm
#9@Geoff Young: BTW, my SECOND annual showed up on Tuesday. I ended up giving my first one to my co-worker (as big of a fan as we all are). It’s worth it, though. Maybe, he’ll buy me a couple of beers at a game. That’s the same as the price of the book!
May 16, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Great job by Clark to work the walk after falling behind in the count.
May 16, 2008 at 7:24 pm
The Padres need to hit for the cycle this inning.
May 16, 2008 at 7:24 pm
For those of you not watching on TV, Kouz got hit in the left forearm, no damege done.
May 16, 2008 at 7:25 pm
#13@Turbine Dude: damage…wife came in while I was typing.
May 16, 2008 at 7:26 pm
When was the last time we were up by more than two runs in the top of the 1st?
May 16, 2008 at 7:29 pm
What the hell was that, CY?!
May 16, 2008 at 7:29 pm
CY just threw Mr. Snappy!
May 16, 2008 at 7:30 pm
16: Mr. Snappy, a la Randy Johnson vs. John Kruk….
May 16, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Nice to see CY get Ichiro out, since Ichiro spoiled CY’s all-star game last year…
May 16, 2008 at 7:31 pm
CY is hitting 90mph on the TV radar…
May 16, 2008 at 7:32 pm
An 8 pitch inning for CY. That is a definition of abbey normal.
May 16, 2008 at 7:36 pm
GOOCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 for 2 by the 2nd inning. Sweet…
May 16, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Japanese players love Seattle!
May 16, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Damn, one inning too late. Looks like it’s not going to matter though.
May 16, 2008 at 7:37 pm
OG!!!! Damn, this is the SDSU Aztecs.
May 16, 2008 at 7:39 pm
We needed to play another bad playing team to boost fan base morale. And the teams’.
May 16, 2008 at 7:41 pm
What was Sexson suspended for?
May 16, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Never mind.
May 16, 2008 at 7:44 pm
That ball never came close to Sexson, what happens if CY actually hits him?
May 16, 2008 at 7:45 pm
For being an idiot.
May 16, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Hanging slider. Ugh.
May 16, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Now CY is getting rung up. I guess the Padres are replacing the SDSU guys.
May 16, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Geesh, what a difference a year makes. Last year, with a four run lead the pads would have won easily. This year, not so much.
May 16, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Does he make it through the inning?
May 16, 2008 at 7:54 pm
CY is putting on a clinic on how not to pitch with a lead.
May 16, 2008 at 7:59 pm
#35@Geoff Young: I don’t have my sound on… was there circus music playing as Cy left the mound?
May 16, 2008 at 7:59 pm
A quick half inning here, could be a recipe for disaster.
May 16, 2008 at 8:00 pm
What are the odds the Padres don’t score again this game?
50-50?
May 16, 2008 at 8:05 pm
#38@Richard D.: I guess… zero.
May 16, 2008 at 8:06 pm
“A patented ugly” -Matty For Josh.
Hell, I’ll fugly if it scores us runs!
May 16, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I’ll take fugly if it scores us runs!
My wife keeps distracting me. Sorry.
May 16, 2008 at 8:12 pm
What is wrong with CY this year?
May 16, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Chase goes deep again.
May 16, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Geoff,
If you ever think you’d like to undertake the grand and time-consuming endeavor of learning to understand/read Japanese, there is cool, free tool called rikaichan (rikai = comprehend in Japanese). You simply slide the cursor over any Chinese character(s) and the translation appears on your screen. Here’s the link (or any search for “rikai chan” will give you the link).
http://www.polarcloud.com/rikaichan/
May 16, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Eral Weaver on team speed, not for the faint of heart.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9YKxf3OkpJc
May 16, 2008 at 8:39 pm
You gotta be kidding me! He caught that in the camera well!
May 16, 2008 at 8:45 pm
They all lost that in the lights! Good save.
May 16, 2008 at 8:46 pm
#45@Field39: Yeah, I love that.
May 16, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Jody is on fire tonight.
May 16, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Way to go OG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not bad for an old man.
May 16, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Black’s lineup construction really hurts the team in the later innings. He’s got Giles, Gonzalez, and Clark back to back, so you just bring in a lefty to really neutralize those guys. Then we’ve got Kouz, Greene, Bard, and Hairston, all much better against lefties, so you bring in your righty and mow through them. He’s gotta mix those guys up to force LOOGYs to pitch to Kouz if they want to get Giles and Gonzalez, or righties to pitch to someone left handed instead of just buzzing through a bunch of righties.
May 16, 2008 at 9:28 pm
#44@Koo: Rikaichan is cool, but if you really learn Japanese you don’t need it.
Speaking of which, let’s do a test.
パドレスがんばって。
May 16, 2008 at 9:34 pm
What is with the baserunning?
May 16, 2008 at 9:35 pm
What? That was disgusting. OG why push Iguchi?
May 16, 2008 at 9:37 pm
#54@Oside Jon: Can you explain what you mean by the question? Are you implying that Brian Giles had something to do with Iguchi trying to score? I didn’t see the play …
May 16, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Giles singled, Iguchi went to third, Gile rounded first too far and they threw behind him. Iguchi took the out at home.
May 16, 2008 at 9:41 pm
#55@LynchMob: Gooch made the right decision. Someone was going to get thrown out and might as well try to score a run while trying to do so.
May 16, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Chase with his 6th HR tonight for Portland …
And another good day at the plate for Huffman for San Antonio …
May 16, 2008 at 9:47 pm
For the 9th inning … Bell or Hoffman? I’m pretty sure I know what it will be … and I’m not saying I’d choose any different … Hoffy hasn’t pitched in a while … just thinkin’ out loud …
Thanks for recap of OG’s baserunning blunder … bleh …
May 16, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Thru 8 innings …
Pitches-strikes - C Young 98-65; C Meredith 13-8; H Bell 15-11; M Batista 105-61; R Rowland-Smith 11-9; M Lowe 26-16.
Ground balls-fly balls - C Young 6-7; C Meredith 3-0; H Bell 1-0; M Batista 8-7; R Rowland-Smith 2-0; M Lowe 2-2.
Batters faced - C Young 27; C Meredith 4; H Bell 4; M Batista 29; R Rowland-Smith 3; M Lowe 7.
May 16, 2008 at 9:50 pm
OT … Branyan with 3 HRs (at AAA) tonight …
May 16, 2008 at 9:50 pm
By the way, the Weaver clip is not real. It is Weaver. But the interviewer is not really shocked by Weaver’s comments, and the last question and comment are so over the top.
May 16, 2008 at 9:51 pm
#59@LynchMob: Hoffman has pitched recently, hasn’t he?
May 16, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Hoffman saved a game three days ago.
May 16, 2008 at 9:55 pm
SEATTLE — Oft-injured pitcher Mark Prior has another shoulder problem that will delay his debut with the San Diego Padres.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3400318
May 16, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Re 52: Yes, it’s a very cool tool. By “really learning Japanese” and not needing the tool, I assume you mean that if you learn to read all the Chinese characters, their combinations, the Chinese and Japanese readings and their respective meanings. Yes, then you probably wouldn’t need the tool. Still, for baseball terminology and some proper and place names (which native speakers are often unable to read), it’s still a cool tool.
パドレス頑張れ！
May 16, 2008 at 9:58 pm
#64@Kevin: To me, that qualifies as “Hoffy hasn’t pitched in a while” … which I think means he’s got a pretty good chance to be successful in the bottom of the 9th tonight … assuming he hasn’t warmed up 3 times already …
May 16, 2008 at 10:00 pm
#67@LynchMob: To me, every three days is about right for a closer. More than a week would be awhile, but I guess there is no definition of “awhile.”
May 16, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Looks like Adrian is the only one who hasn’t done anything tonight.
May 16, 2008 at 10:02 pm
He didn’t have control or on the plate!!!!!
May 16, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I think Huber should have been safe.
May 16, 2008 at 10:03 pm
How can he be out, when he dropped the ball?
May 16, 2008 at 10:03 pm
#70@Turbine Dude: What happened?
May 16, 2008 at 10:03 pm
M’s caught a break there.
May 16, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Is Bud arguing the call?
May 16, 2008 at 10:05 pm
#75@LynchMob: He argued it a little. The catcher never had control of the ball with his foot on the plate at the same time.
May 16, 2008 at 10:06 pm
#75@LynchMob: He argued for a second, but geez. The ball wound up on the ground.
May 16, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Cue up the Trevor apologists!
May 16, 2008 at 10:07 pm
#73@LynchMob: They couldn’t tag 1st because that would take away the force at home. Throwing home, the throw was off and the catcher trapped it in his chest without control of the ball while skimming the plate and fell off to the first base side. It was a clear ‘gimme’ for the M’s.
May 16, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Ichiro — K
Death.
May 16, 2008 at 10:08 pm
#55@LynchMob:
Giles motioned to Iguchi to move home when it looked obvious to me that he wouldn’t make it. I love the “mix it up/anarchy” and hope he scores but it didn’t work. 38 minutes late on my response…..sorry guys. Eating late dinner. Sounds like I’m wrong judging by other posts so I’ll just shut up and watch Trevor stike out Ichiro.
May 16, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Hope that bad call doesn’t come back and hurt them. That was Sexson’s second terrible throw of the game — unless he always throws like that there is something wrong with his shoulder.
May 16, 2008 at 10:08 pm
I thought the M’s guys both said Vidro sucked?
May 16, 2008 at 10:09 pm
#78@Richard D.: There is nothing to apologize for.
May 16, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Lopez — K
Taxes.
May 16, 2008 at 10:11 pm
K — Beltre
Hoffman.
May 16, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Finally, another win. Even though it’s against a team playing as bad as us.
May 16, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Ok, even I admit that was vintage Trevor tonight.
Good stuff… keep it up.
May 16, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Hoffy still 100% in May … now 3-for-3 … wtih 5 outings in a row without giving up a run … and 7-of-last-8 … those are the (recent / small sample) facts …
May 16, 2008 at 10:13 pm
That was vintage Hoffman.
He pitched to the top of the lineup and made them all look silly, including Ichiro.
May 16, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Trevor looked great for the 2nd outing in a row. MLB Pitchcast had both the 3rd pitch and 4th as on the plate so I don’t know what Beltre is complaining about.
Trevor seems to go through a “dead arm” period at some point during the last few years maybe this year he’s just having it the beginning?
May 16, 2008 at 10:13 pm
#66@Koo: I personally don’t use it, though I have it installed (I mainly use IE anyway), but I’m by no means fluent. If I remember the problem I had with it is it goes from Japanese to English, and I’d rather use the extra bit of time to use a J-J dictionary at this point. Also I think it could be abused by using it rather than trying to figure out what the word is on my own first if it’s a word I don’t know. However I agree it’s an awesome tool and would be super easy to use for figuring out stuff on the web. Lately I mainly use an electronic dictionary to lookup unknown words, which has a way to draw unknwon kanji too so it’s perfect for both online and offline.
Anyway, it’s nice to see Hoffman back to looking good.
May 16, 2008 at 10:14 pm
#91@Schlom: He struggled last April, too. And in 2005.
May 16, 2008 at 10:16 pm
This is only a morale booster. Seatle sucks. Don’t get your hopes up to high. Let’s see how this series plays out and the upcoming home stand.
May 16, 2008 at 10:17 pm
#78@Richard D.: Hey, I’ve got an idea; blow me… a kiss, Sweetie.
May 16, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Hoffman: 8 saves this season in 10 chances. 4.97 ERA. 15 Ks, five walks in 12.2 innings.
Career: 532 saves in 597 chances.
May 16, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Sorry to be a glass half empty dude (that’s usually GY’s job).
May 16, 2008 at 10:19 pm
#93@Kevin: Didn’t he start off the season OK and then struggle at the end of the month?
May 16, 2008 at 10:22 pm
6.23 ERA in April last season, 0.00 in May, 0.90 in June, 0.00 in July, 5.54 August, 1.13 September, then those games in October.
May 16, 2008 at 10:25 pm
It was also nice to see the offense support a start that was OK but not great. If they scored five or six runs every game, they would be a great team.
May 16, 2008 at 10:25 pm
#95@Pat: Sorry if I held my breath when the first dude at bat hammered a sharp single off the ole’ Trev-meister.
But I later admitted he was good the other 17 pitches of the inning.
May 16, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Hoffy had some wicked stuff on his offspeed tonight. To get Ichiro to swing that badly is something. Nice to get another win!
May 16, 2008 at 10:27 pm
#98@Schlom: I see what you’re saying. Yes, two poor outings at the end of April screwed up his ERA for the month.
May 16, 2008 at 10:30 pm
But if you take away his four-run outing in April of this year, then his ERA is under 3.00 for the month. And the same thing goes for April 2005 — one four-run outing colored his month.
May 16, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Padres manager Bud Black was selected by Colorado’s Clint Hurdle to be one of the coaches for the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium in July.
May 16, 2008 at 10:56 pm
You rang?
May 16, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Also encouraging tonight was the only 3 strikeouts along with 4 walks. Granted it was against Miguel Batista instead of Dempster and slop-throwing Ted Lilly but it’s certainly an improvement.
May 17, 2008 at 11:04 am
#44@Koo: Thanks for the tip. I used to have some CDs I’d listen to on the way to work. I was hoping to learn a few phrases and impress my mother-in-law. Didn’t quite work out that way; oh well.
#106@Melvin Nieves: Indeed, I did!
May 17, 2008 at 12:33 pm
#101@Richard D.: Go ahead and hold your breath, but expect sarcastic, negative remarks to generate a less than positive response.
May 17, 2008 at 2:46 pm
If you were at the Book Off Thursday afternoon, we probably walked right by each other. Love that little place.