Padres (19-33) vs Nationals (22-30)
Randy Wolf vs Shawn Hill
7:05 p.m. PT
Channel 4SD
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 188
MLB, B-R
Not back on it, Joe, still on it… Four teams in MLB that had winning records in 2007 have seen their home attendance fluctuate by more than 10% in 2008:
| Winning Pct | Attendance | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 2007 | 2008 | Diff (%) | 2007 | 2008 | Diff (%) |
| Statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference and are through games of May 25, 2008. | ||||||
| Mariners | .543 | .353 | -35.0 | 32,990 | 27,090 | -17.9 |
| Indians | .593 | .460 | -22.4 | 28,098 | 23,919 | -14.9 |
| Padres | .546 | .365 | -33.2 | 34,234 | 29,546 | -13.7 |
| Rockies | .552 | .400 | -27.5 | 29,156 | 33,149 | +13.7 |
The Rockies have seen their numbers increase more than any other team except the Nationals, who have a shiny new stadium. Apparently reaching the World Series entitles one to a certain degree of immunity from fickleness…
68 Comments
I have to admit that I have only gone to one game so far this year and that was because it was teacher appreciation night and my wife and mother-in-law are both teachers. Also the next two games I plan on going to I have free tix to both. Normaly by this point in the season My wife and I have gone to 4 or 5 games by now and have tix to 4 or 5 more.
We decided to see how the team was going to do this year before we committed to buying a lot of tickets in advance and well the team has really not given us a reason to come out. I know I sound like a bitter fan but hey we have a limited entertainment budget and we don’t want to spend it on this team…
I pick and choose games as the season goes along, regardless of the quality of ball being played. Four so far, with one freebee. I will say, sitting in a garden level box, is much nicer than sitting out in left field.
#1@Steve C: I’ve been to about 8-12 games so far this season. It would probably be more, but the Petco consession prices just kill me. For the price of 9 beers at the park, I can buy a keg for my keggerator. The last game I was at, I bought a round of beers for my friends and it set me back $60. I think the Park in the Park is a pretty good deal, but even Randy Jones’ BBQ is getting pricey.
Nice catch by Gerut, to open the game.
#4@Field39: Yeah, but a 2 run homer is not what I was hoping to see.
#5@Turbine Dude: The first four hitters were swinging like they knew what was coming.
It’s always nice to see your pitcher get an RBI!
#7@Turbine Dude: or not.
#8@Kevin: I missed something when I went to the kitchen. I thought Wolf had bounced one out for a ground rule double.
Thank you Michael.
#9@Turbine Dude: He did, but the runner can’t sore on that. He would have on a regular double. I think.
I like how Hill has been totally wild in the third, and Gerut and Iguchi see three total pitches to lead off the fourth.
And AGon sees 1.
It is a tie this is not cool the padres should get all the guys out.
#12@Kelly in SD: They didn’t want to knock Hill out of the game too early and place a strain on the National’s pitching staff. That wouldn’t be sporting.
And then Hill sees 7 pitches, while the Nats 1st and 2nd hitters see 1 each.
Knocks head against wall…
Peter Ciofrone, the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week, and the Beavers look for their seventh win in eight games. Beavs up again tonight 2-0 in the 5th behind Clay Hensley.
When is the last time Greene had two walks in a game?
Dimitri Young is a big man.
#18@Kevin: April 15.
Barrett’s throw was right on, but Milage is so fast.
#20@dprat: BTW, two is Khalil’s career high for BBs in a game. Tonight is the 21st time he’s done it:
2008: 2
2007: 2
2006: 4
2005: 2
2004: 10 !!! (the year he had a .359 OBP – where did that Khalil go?)
2003: 1
Holy Santa Maria Adrian!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adrian has a serious chance at 40HR’s. Good job Da Cat. Surfing term, but Adrian looks like El Gato.
KOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZ
Ok that was the worst production value I have seen. We come back from commercial to hear Matty screaming and Kouz is already rounding first? WTF? That was really bad.
Now the bats are poppin’!
Kouz is really starting to hit his stride, and I think Khalil is starting to take better at-bats I think. I didn’t think I’d say this, but maybe we aren’t out of it yet?
#22@dprat:
I didn’t buy the “it’s because he primarily hit 8th,” but maybe I was wrong.
Does anyone else wonder how Khalil ever gets a hit? Why does anyone throw him a strike? He doesn’t swing at every single slider low and away but certainly swings at about 75% of the ones that are close. I don’t remember him in 2004 — he must not have swung at all those pitches off the plate because his walks were a lot higher and his strikeouts are down. He’s obviously made a choice — power for plate discipline. However, it was the wrong one because 2004 was his best season. I wonder if he can go back to taking more pitches?
OT … for the prospect watchers / lovers out there … Reds’ Jay Bruce makes one awesome MLB debut tonight …
http://tinyurl.com/63htu3
… 3-for-3 with a double + 2 walks + SB … OPS = 2.333
#28@Stephen: 10 of his 53 walks that year were of the intentional variety and it’s reasonable to assume that a fair portion of his 43 unintentional walks were of the pitch around variety.
#31@Richard Wade: Oh and of course this article: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/the-benefit-of-batting-eighth/
Predictions for the results in top of 9th?
I preduct Trevor success … one day of rest … facing the bottom of the order …
#33@LynchMob: No runs scored and two runners stranded.
#35@Turbine Dude: Then again, I could be wrong.
2 games in a row. That felt like 2007.
That was a nice game to watch.
yipppppeeee
Good win. Yet another quality start by a Padres pitcher.
Must say though I am growing a bit weary of Gerut being penciled in daily in center and in the leadoff spot.
2 in a row! And the Dodgers and Diamondbacks lost. Look out NL West!
#41@Ben B.: We’re on a roll now!
Down on the Farm … the tandem of Clay Hensley and Wade LeBlanc is spining a gem …
http://tinyurl.com/6yv873
… Hensley went 3 IP (1H, 2BB, 3K) … and LeBlanc has gone 5 (1H, 3BB, 5K) …
HRs by Ambres and Hundley … it’s a great day to be a Beaver (inside joke) …
Down on the Farm … the scoreboard is looking good for the Storm Boyz …
http://tinyurl.com/5dvnsk
… up 7-0 thru 7 … Cedric with 2 hits (including a double) … but my guess is that the story of the game will include some interesting background and details to these entries in the game log for the bottom of the 7th inning (in which Storm scored 4 runs) …
Lake Elsinore Storm third baseman Rayner Contreras ejected by HP umpire Bronson Martinez.
Lake Elsinore Storm right fielder Sam Carter ejected by HP umpire Bronson Martinez.
Lancaster JetHawks catcher Jon Still ejected by HP umpire Bronson Martinez.
Lancaster JetHawks pitcher Scott Lonergan ejected by HP umpire Bronson Martinez.
I am shocked but incredibly pleased to say that we are seriously in striking distance of 4th and then 3rd place. LA and AZ might be hard to catch but damn does 3rd place sound good to me right now!
Milton Bradley leads the American League in batting.
#44@LynchMob: Is Bronson Martinez really that bad of an umpire?
#44@LynchMob: That does sound promising.
I have a twenty-game series with my dad, and also I go with a friend so I’ve been to about 6 games so far, and only one stinker (I’ve been lucky).
Was at the game tonight and the ump behind the plate was moving things along. The radio guys (I listen at the game) were still at commercial and missed the first pitch of the inning at least 4 times, and once the didn’t make it back until the third pitch was about to be thrown. Kulpa must have had a pressing engagement.
Also, haven’t seen a pitcher yanked during an at bat in a while although I did see Buddy’s reasoning.
Peavy’s MRI showed no structural damage, and he threw 40 pitches from flat ground today. My favorite parts of the article are that Peavy also took batting practice today and if he had his way he’d be activated from the DL tomorrow so he could pitch in the bullpen.
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080527&content_id=2781776&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
Kevin Kouzmanoff in May: 309/.343/.521
#32@Richard Wade: Yup, seems that 8 spot was the difference maker. For Khalil’s career, BB/PA:
batting 8th: 10.2%
batting anywhere else in lineup: 5.8%
Take some darn walks, Kouz.
#53@Stephen: It’s hard to complain about a lack of walks when a guy is batting over .300 and slugging over .500.
Gonzalez is on pace for 46 homers and 162 games.
Newest Padre: Cha Seung Baek
#56 Who did we trade him for?
Jared Well is gone.
#57@SD Padres Girl: Jared Wells according the Channel 4.
Ok. Thanks so much.
#46@Kevin: and will be on the DL or serving a suspension before the 4th of July.
Huh? Why? Didn’t the Mariners DFA him? Ok, I suspect we put in a waiver claim and perhaps the M’s pulled him back (although unsure how that works with DFA.) Why give them anything?
re: #21
Barrett made a good throw, but the pitch was a 68 mph curveball. Half of us posting could steal on that with a decent jump.
#54@Richard Wade:
April counts.
#64@Stephen: I know April counts. I was just making the point that while he’s hitting like he has the past month it’s a bit much to complain about his lack of walks on a night that he drew a walk no less.
Tim Sullivan pushing the notion that Headley’s continued presence in Portland is financially motivated:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/news/2008/may/27/headleys-prolonged-apprenticeship-portland-makes-d/
Knowing the Padres’ FO penchant for budgets, I can see $5-8 million influencing their decision.
Towers comment about “if we were winning right now, it might be different” sort of gives it away.
They’d be willing to let him fail at the higher level if we were competitive this year? If the Padres were competitive, expecting him to deliver on a daily basis would be more stressful for Headley, not less.
There’s no way Headley can save the team, so all’s he has to do is try his best. Striking out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth down by one run isn’t going to make ANY difference to us this year.
#66@Sean Callahan: Money is always a consideration and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. There’s no sense making Headley a super 2 in an attempt to win 80 games. There’s also nothing wrong with letting a player prove himself at triple a before promoting him, especially when his peripherals aren’t where you’d like them to be (not enough walks, too many strikeouts in Headley’s case).
#61@Pat: I’m a big fan. I’ll take 130 games of him a year.