Padres (23-34) @ Giants (23-33)
Randy Wolf vs Tim Lincecum
1:05 p.m. PT
Channel 4SD
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 184
MLB, B-R
Padres look to sweep in San Francisco on Sunday. It’d be nice if someone other than Lincecum were standing in their way.
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119 Comments
I’d imagine Justin Hampson will be back very soon to replace Henn.
Go for the sweep, first of the year, go way to start June.
2 ex-Pads relief pitchers are in good form elsewhere –
so far, Scott Linebrink has been lights out this year for the ChiSox.
so far, Doug Brocail has been effective this year for the Astros.
OT: Mark Prior is out for the year:
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080601&content_id=2813827&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
Cox SD4 must have ran out of LT material because the are showing an interview with Seau in the Mike Riley year. WTF?
#4@Geoff Young: More wasted money.
#6@Turbine Dude: Only 1 million for what could have been some tangible upside. I would rather see them take that chance then waste 4 million on Barrett, 8 million on Edmonds, etc.
#7@Bruce: Barrett I can see. Don’t get me started on Edmonds. I don’t care how well he is performing lately. I saw us getting him in the first place as a train wreck.
#7@Bruce: Nice avatatar BTW.
And I can’t spell.
OT: Cubs v. Rocks, bottom of the 5th, bases loaded, one out, Cubs up by one run.
Edmonds just walked a run in. The MLB.com announcers just said that Edmonds is looking to do some damage against his former Padre team this coming week.
Hey, Edmonds is 2-2 with a double, triple, and a bases loaded two out walk today.
Also, Russell Branyan homered again.
Does Prior really count as a “Padres Starting Pitcher” (mlb.com) if we’ve never seen a pitch?
Well, since we’re paying $1 mill for making the effort…
Okay boys, keep making contact and something is bound to get through. We’ve got to get to this guy eventually, he’s pwned us the last three times we’ve faced him.
It would’ve been nice to ’see’ yesterday’s game.
I’m happy for Horwitz, but glad to see them retire the side.
#16@Turbine Dude: Agreed, seen a few big hits on mlb.com and the same pitching highlights on Ch4 and padres.com/mlb.com. If Banks really has 8 pitches, I can’t wait to see him live again. I don’t remember that many during his 6 innings vs. the Reds last weekend, but that was “special stuff” as well. KT must be proud of himself in regard to this pickup.
#18@130tom330: Should catch him vs. the Mets next weekend, assuming he doesn’t fall down the stairs, report himself as “dizzy” or cut a hand tasking out the trash…
#19@130tom330: I heard, he just bought a motorcycle from Jeff Kent.
#20@Field39: Doh!
#20@Field39: right!?
Gerut needed to work that count a little more after the 5 pitch walk to McAnulty.
Gerut is yet another .220 hacker in a lineup that does not work the count.
Nice throw by Barrett there.
Nice slide there, reminds me of Holliday not making it all the way to the bag!
Oh yes, the flaps down slide, by Rowand.
I have yet to see any faults with Jody Garut in CF. I’m not sure why everybody bags on him.
#27@Turbine Dude: Sho nuff! Besides making the catches Edmunds couldn’t/wouldn’t for us, a few clutch hits here and there and a touch of power… I guess he’s not much of an improvement. (C’mon) Guy does a great job. Not like anyone else, besides Giles, has any plate discipline. He’ll definitelt get the job done, and he’s a stud compared to the “Saul MacHairston” experiment.
We need a point.
Dammit! Thats might hurt a bit. Gotta turn it on here before Lincecum goes 9.
Ehhh, thats=that might or thats gonna but not both. Need a beer.
A quick day’s work for Tony Clark.
Corey looked sharp.
#31@130tom330: Maybe if I make 75 more useless posts, we might win this one. (?)
#23@JP: Gerut has 118 walks and 163 strikeouts in his career. One at-bat doesn’t tell the story.
The Padres tend not to acquire guys who don’t have a history of working the count. It doesn’t mean they always do it, or that they’ll always be smart about it, but sometimes a pitcher will lay one in after a walk. Not my preferred tactic, but he’s not some mad hacker.
Bring in Taschner, please!!!
#33@Turbine Dude: LOL! I’m working on it today, can’ t seem to find much worth talking about. It worked on Friday, but we had 13 innings to work with, If we get one here and go to bonus baseball, you’ll have to step your game up for the Gipper!
got what i wished for, lets see how it works out.
#36@130tom330: I’m just hoping that my keg will hold out to the end of this game.
Wow, that was freaky.
One more chance for Kouz.
Oh Chit! Double steal! Taking 3rd, who are these guys???? Putting the pressure on. But I dont understand opening up 1st with Gonzo at the dish. pressure on for Kooze. Take a few pitches here kiddo.
#38@Turbine Dude: Hear ya there. Just broke out a case of Sam Adams Winter Beers, hopefult “Old Fezzywig” will give us the mojo needed to complete the sweep.
Kouz working the count. Let’s hope…
Keeps it alive.
Walker f*d that up. LOL. Good.
Awesome AB so far Kooze. 7 pitches and counting! C’mon kid. Yes, Got the base, tied ‘em up. That somehow seems familiar… bonus baseball anyone?
I was hoping Barrett would strike out. False hope.
D-Backs over the Nats 5-0 in the bottom of the 7th.
Michael Barrett doing what he does best…
GD_IT! DP with BLs!!
Barrett is a fricking curse from the Cubs.
I would bury him so deep, he’d be playing in China next week.
Barrett takes a humpback slider that should have been lifted or driven to right field, then rolls over on a pitch like he was in charge of pre-game fielding practice.
#50@PM: Don’t hold back. Tell us how you really feal. LOL
That was close at 1st. Good call though.
Good inning for Bell. Let hope the bats show some redemtion.
#46@130tom330: I’m thinking were gonna get some ‘bonus’ baseball today. (again)
Wilson has sick stuff. 88 mph slider that breaks like that.
#55@Turbine Dude: I am thinking Clary is going to give up a run.
It seem I have lost my ability to suspend disbelief.
#56@Tom Waits: Yeah, you basically stand in the box and say WTF was that?
#55@Turbine Dude: All right, more bonus b-ball! I’m starting to feel that if it doesn’t happen in the 13th it doesn’t happen. Start typing, we’re headed towards bonus frames, you know the drill!
#59@130tom330: I’m glad to see that nothing happened like what happened to CY there.
Horrible at bat by Iguchi
Gooch looked like a windmill there.
D-Backs beat the Nats 5-0.
Lets go Giles!
AGONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gonzo!!!
Hombre!
Bad day at the office for Giles…. Gonzo goes yard! Sweet! All -Star!!!!
AGGGGONE
I think I just peed my pants! This is why I love this game so much.
YEAHHHH!!!!!!
PAYOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank god. I’s gots a ton a shiznitz to do.
Way to go AGON, lets get the sweep.
Geez, I didn’t change the channel fast enough and Trevor gave up a hit.
My bad.
Wow, Trevor almost yanked that.
Trev needs to get his sh*t together.
Dammit Trevor! Lucky that didn’t give up the winning run. But, Hoffman will still find a way to screw this up. Grrrrr.
Hello sir… I’d like to buy a ticket for the Trevor Is Done bandwagon? Where’s the booth around here?
Well, must admit. I thought that Giles’ hit to that wallon Fri night shoulda been a dinger. On that note, that shoulda been a game winner as well. This one’s done.
Trevor appologists… what’s the excuse this time?
That pitch to Lewis was terrible.
I just don’t get why Trevor gave him anything that he could hit. First base was open and walking him would have setup a double play. Unreal.
#77@Steve from Boston: Dude, Trevor isn’t done… just ask 70% of the posters on this blog (as well as the host of the website)
WTF Edgar!!!! Make an attempt at least! That was bread and butter DP regardless of where the runner was!!!
81: Okay… well… all I’m sayin’ is… put me in line with that %30. Which probably cranks it up a bit higher.
*I* think Trevor is done.
That was a GIANT kick in the groin. Somehow, on the verge of our first series sweep (on the road, no less), this seemed eerily reminiscent of the Rockies game last year. Hopes up… hopes destroyed. Ah, the cycle of being a Padres fan.
Another Padres blunder. Edgar had no chance for the DP. This is all on Trevor’s head.
#83@Steve from Boston: I’ve been resisting the notion for 2-3 years now, defending #51 when ALL my Pads buds claim he’s washed up. The numbers don’t lie. I dont like seeing him in non-save situations, but he’s still my guy (barely) in a save situation. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing Heath Bell take a shot once in a while. 0-4 doesn’t look good, and there was nothing good about that inning. E-Go doesn’t have to make that play if the first three batters don’t light up the HOF-er.
Trevor is done as a top level or even an average closer. Of course people will try to argue against that, but except for the tired “small sample size” argument, they have nothing to back up the opinion that he isn’t.
Edgar blew it there, but he didn’t throw BP to Lewis, that loss is all on Hoffman.
#84@Marsh: Good call on the Rockies game comparison… Trevor was just knocked around today….
I watched the DVR replay of the Lewis pitch… Barrett set-up off the plate outside, and had to move his glove 18 inches back over the plate….. it was 85MPH, right down the middle… which means it was a batting practice fastball.
Certainly, dont have the confidence in Trev I used to. Been a rough last 20 appearances, ever since T Gwynn Jr stuffede us last October. On that bitter note, I’ll see/talk to yall next road trip, gotta go watch the debacle that is the ‘08 season in person for the next 10. Between the Cubs, Mets and Doyers, things may be rough for a bit here. Don’t lose the faith, we get within 6 games by the all-star break and its anyones division. GO PADRES!
This is reminicent of that game last year. At least Tony Gywnn and Cal Ripkin knew when and how to bow out gracefully.
I’m kind of late to this IGD but I had to throw in my two cents. Terrible pitch to Lewis. That is inexcusable to throw a BP fastball on 3-2 with a base open. But I’m more disturbed by the fact that our best defensive player (KG) is sitting on the bench with a two-run lead. There is no reason why Edgar is still in the game at that point. He did well but it’s his just his first ML start at SS. The game is on the line. We need the best possible defense on the field. Bad non-move Bud.
Bottom line is that Buddy got outmanaged there in the 10th. After Vizquel bunted the runners over he should have intentionally walked Lewis. He should’ve done it again when the count went to 3-1. And Boch made a great move by putting on the hit and run when Castillo was behind in the count.
Also, Khalil Greene should’ve been playing shortstop by this point.
Gee, for a minute there, thought we had turned a corner. Thought I was gonna be a fan again.
What was Egon thinking. Greene would have made the play.
Crap. That really sucked.
Its the Michael Barrett curse. Got to move him before the damned plane falls out o the sky.
0-4 record
11 saves in 14 chances.. (78%)
ERA: 5.49
Appologists unite!
Also, it’s very easy to criticize Hoffman now, but where were you all this past week when he pitched three perfect innings, striking out five of the nine batters he faced?
This team needs a little spark to avoid the normal letdown after a Hoffman blown save. How about a Chase Headley call-up for tomorrow’s series? Zambrano is probably not the easiest hitter to face in his first game as the LF but I like his chances better than P-MAC.
#81@Richard D.: You’re not required to post here if you don’t like the host.
Irrelevant if Greene woulda made a play that E Go didn’t. Never shoulda got to the opportunity. If Trev keeps the ball down and away, where Barret was set up on all three early hits that inning, the G’ints are done, we’ve got a streak going. Momentum still woulda been crushed tomorrow by Zambrabo and the RED HOT cubbies tomorrow. We’re playing desperate baseball, trying to do it all on one pitch and putting the pressure on Giles (terrible day at the plate) and Gonzo. Except for a faint glimmer there on Friday night, and a bullpen implosion by SF yesterday, nothing has changed. Oh, except that we lost another starting pitcher who had some momentum built up (generally). We’re going into a seriously difficult part of our schedule with 3/5 (not to mention permanantly losing the potential ray of sunshine that was Prior, if you believed that hype) of our pitching on the bench. No matter how optimistic Jake feels, we won’t see any of them the next 10 days… Things look to get much worse at home before they get any better. But one can hope, keep the faith, or watch the trainwreck. I’ll be there, waiting to be plesantly suprised and willing to eat crow if and when things turn around, till then tyhe question is “Who do we dump at the trade deadline, so we can rebuild…?”
Yet another quality start for a Padres starter….
At Portland, Chase Headley and Chip Ambres have gone deep, as the Beavers lead in the 7th, 7-4.
#97@Kevin: Love the host… I am pointing out the voodoo hex or whatever that Trevor has over the majority of Padre fans. Again, what happened from 1993 to 2006 doesn matter right now… but some folks hang on to the past.
#97@Kevin: Where does he say he doesn’t like the host? I know you are a Hoffman super fan and can’t stand to see people post negative things about him, but relax a little. All he said was Geoff is a Hoffman defender. People can disagree and still like each other. I like you even though we disagree about Rivera being in a different league than Hoffman (and technically he is, the American League
).
Good news – Leblanc starting to pitch much better at Portland ! He has another good outing today, giving up 1 run in 6 innings of work with 8 K’s.
#100@Richard D.: Your previous post, just like No. 100 is pretty condesending. Everyone knows you think Hoffman is done. The implication is that you think everyone else is stupid because they don’t agree with you. I am no more a Hoffman superfan than others are Hoffman haters.
The thing that is most disconcerting is not whether Hoffman is done or not done or the entrenched political debate that then ensues, but the general ripping of Hoffman in what may be his last season.
I don’t remember any beloved player who has basically played his entire career with one team, even those who played poorly at the end, being ripped by his home base. Not Yaz, Bench, Gwynn, Ripken, Brett, etc. Maybe Hoffman isn’t on that level, but he is the second most beloved player in franchise history. Bench, I remember, was a joke.
Maybe I am going only by this blog, but even if Hoffman is the worst pitcher in the league, the criticism seems over the top.
Okay, I’m not usually around in these post Trevor Blowing it IGDs. But I assume the conversation always goes the same way. There’s people who say he doesn’t have his stuff anymore, and people who say, “well what about those games a week ago when he did!”
Here’s my thought… put him in in a save situation. If it looks like he’s not on his game that night… Take him out!!! Can’t the managers tell when he doesn’t have his usual stuff, OR the other team just happens to be in the groove of picking him up? I feel like I can. After a couple batters the writing’s on the wall.
I say, accept that he’s not what he used to be, but that still has value, and use him according to his current value. Don’t keep playing him based on the value he used to have.
#87@Zagz:
“but except for the tired “small sample size†argument, they have nothing to back up the opinion that he isn’t.”
Sample size isn’t a “tired argument”. It isn’t an argument at all. It’s a very important consideration in the accurate use of statistics. An inappropriate sample size, in my opinion, is the most common method of using statistics to mislead.
It is up to you to explain what an adequate sample size is, and why, if you’re going to say that.
#105@Melvin Nieves: When it comes to Hoffman it is a tired argument. The guy only pitches 60 innings in a year, so you are right where do you draw the line at sample size? Thats exactly why it’s a tired argument, because 60 innings in itself is a small amount, and the people who use sample size to defend Hoffman will never say when it isn’t a small sample size anymore.
#103@Kevin: Thank You
It is what it is….a loss….with all the drama that makes us tick.
Hoffy is in the twilight, somedays he has it and somedays he doesn’t. Kevin says it well — that the beloved players in our town have never been talked about so poorly as Hoffman. If T Gwynn was striking out and just sucking all around, we’d politely be stating that he should hang it up. With Hoffman it’s somehow venemously different.
I think his role — with the game on the line — separates and focuses the blowback he absorbs when blowing a save. I mean, the WHOLE game is on the line and if he blows it — all anger is directed towards him. Gotta acknowledge the sack it must take to go out there with the game on the line knowing eventually you’ll fail.
I’ve been boo’ed off the stage a the Velvet by 1 drunk guy back in ‘97 (?) so I can’t imagine 35,000 angry Padre fans.
Having said all this, I stick by my statement that we may need a new closer next year.
#34@Tom Waits: Understood. I realize that Gerut doesn’t strike out a lot but he also does not walk much either. He was sporting a .311 OBP entering today’s game.
Matty V and Mark Grant have gone on and on about Omar Vizquel being a lock to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. When Alan Trammell was a Padres coach and was on the ballot for the first time, Matt and Mark insisted that he would be a Hall of Famer. I do not recall that they were as insistent about the first ballot for Tram as they were this weekend for Omar.
Well, Tram got very little support the first year and not much since. The former Kearny Komet had a much better career than Vizquel, so why do the boys in the booth rate Omar so highly? Both were great players, so this is not a put down, but there are levels of the game. Who would you have rather had a shortstop for a career?
ballparkfrank in vegas
#110@Frank Barning: I agree.
Unfortunately, I think will get in eventually.
But I don’t think he should.
The perception is that he is this generation’s Ozzie Smith, a great fielding, flashy shortstop. But Ozzie is the best fielding shortstop ever. Omar is severely overrated.
#110@Frank Barning: I think it’s a combination of Vizquel’s (possibly overblown) defensive reputation with the “steroids era” backlash, which some seem to believe makes his otherwise substandard offense more palatable. He seems pretty comparable to Ozzie offensively, but I don’t think he’s considered a peer defensively. Still, he is considered a great defensive SS and so seems likely to be elected at some point. But I agree with you, I was surprised by their talk of him as a lock, a first ballot guy, etc.
I’d take Trammell in a heartbeat and find it a travesty he’s not in the HOF.
#112@Pat: The perception among those who vote on the Hall is that he is a Hall of Famer. Which is silly.
Trammell is a lot better than a few SS already in the HOF. If Rabbit Maranville can be in the HOF, Trammell should be in. I wouldn’t mind his exclusion if it was just the HOF was being held to a higher standard, but he certainly deserves to be in more than some of the people there.
#9@Turbine Dude: If an HR is sometimes call’d a “tater”, then an avitar of a baseball that’s been crushed for HR can/should be called an “avatater” … makes sense to me … you didn’t misspell it … you invented a new word … well done!
#111@Kevin: I’ve never had the sense that Omar is at all overrated … neither from my observations of him … nor reports from friends who have seen him play *many* times … nor media reports. My favorite Omar play was a couple of years ago when he took a throw from the 2B-man, knew he couldn’t complete a DP at 1st, so he wheeled and fired to 3B and got the runner who had rounded too far … it was amazing … even more amazing when I learned that, because the batter was fast (Kenny Lofton, iirc), he’d alerted the 3B-man in advance that he might do that! If Ozzie is a HOFer, then it doesn’t seem possible for it to be “silly” for Omar to be an HOFer …
#115@LynchMob: Well, Omar has won 11 Gold Glove awards, but in my view and the view of others, that’s because he makes all the flashy plays. But the stats don’t back up the laurels.
In Bill James’ Win Shares book, almost every player in history is given a defensive grade. Ozzie receives an A+. Omar gets a B-. Dave Concepcion and Mark Belanger, for example, also got an A+.
Maybe win shares don’t mean everything, but that’s sort of damning.
Rob Neyer wrote about this the other week and explained why Vizquel is not a Hall of Famer, even though most writers think he is:
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3409625&searchName=Neyer_Rob
Among his points: Omar received MVP votes one time in his career. He was 16th in 1999.
From Neyer: “I promise that you will not find a post-World War II Hall of Famer who fared nearly that poorly in MVP balloting.”
In a way, the case for Omar is insulting to Ozzie. Omar’s case is basically: He was a flashy shorstop, the best fielding shortstop of his era, and Ozzie was a flashy shortstop, the best fielding shortstop of his era.
The reality is: The thing that made Ozzie great is he was the best fielding shorstop of ALL TIME. He made the flashy plays and every other play and had an incredible arm.
Omar wasn’t even the best defensive shorstop of his era.
In better news, USD is 1 win away from a Super Regional appearance.
#113@Kevin: I understand your perspective, but I’d need to see it presented more factually. With all due respect to Bill James, a grade of B- versus A+ for some other SS does not convince me. James is amazing, but he’s not infallible. I just took a look through a spreadsheet I have of UZR for 2003 through the first 1/3 of 2007. Omar is one of the best SS during that timeframe, according to UZR, and those were his age 36 through 40 seasons! I’m going to need some convincing his defense is overrated.
And if you don’t like the comparison to Ozzie, there are plenty of other good field-no hit SS in the Hall. Aparicio, whose most career games record Omar just broke, Joe Tinker, Rabbit Maranville, Dave Bancroft, Pee Wee Reese, and Phil Rizzuto are all average to poor at the plate.
#118@Pat: Two or three of the shortstops you named shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame. Pee Wee Reese was average to above average at the plate.
The “If, Then” argument for the Hall of Fame should not be used. There are always going to be bad selections in the Hall — from Tinkers to Tony Perez to Ruzzuto. It doesn’t mean those mistakes should be compounded.
Again, if Omar is so great, according to sportswriters, then why did they give him MVP votes just once.