Padres (30-38) vs Indians (31-36)
Josh Banks vs Jeremy Sowers
4:05 p.m. PT
Channel 4SD
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 178
MLB, B-R
Hello, Cleveland!
Talk about two teams that aren’t where they expected to be come mid-June… The Indians are without several key players, including Fausto Carmona, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, and Jake Westbrook. Former Padres second baseman Josh Barfield, who hasn’t been a factor in three games for Cleveland this year, also is on the DL courtesy of a left middle finger sprain.
Jody Gerut returns to the site of his greatest big-league success. He hit .279/.336/.494 for the Tribe as a rookie back in 2003. Gerut and injured Padres catcher Josh Bard were traded by the Rockies to Cleveland for Jacob Cruz in June 2001.
Jacob Cruz? Sometimes the best trades really are the ones you don’t make. Go Padres!
Not sure that you want to throw a meatball right down the middle to a left-handed batter when the wind is howling out to right….
They may be lucky to get this game in tonight with the weather threatening.
Darn weather in non-San Diego stinks.
How long are the projecting the delay to be?
While we have the time, here’s some notes on some of the Padres (and others) draft picks.
Baseball America named Padres 3rd round draft pick Sawyer Carroll First Team All-American. Here’s his note: Carroll made a smooth transition from first base to the outfield and led the SEC in batting, while also ranking in the nation’s top five in RBIs, slugging and total bases.
3rd round pick Blake Tekotte of Miami was 2nd Team All-American and 4th round pick Jason Kipnis of Arizona State was 3rd Team. 2006 unsigned draft pick Grant Green of USC was also 3rd Team.
And more from baseballanalysts.com with college splits (FRI is splits on Friday night when teams usually face the oppositions best starter):
Allan Dykstra | 1B | Wake Forest | San Diego Padres | #23
AVG OBP SLG
TOT .323 .519 .645
RHP .310 .515 .578
LHP .343 .526 .757
HOME .359 .541 .769
ROAD .310 .496 .575
FRI .182 .413 .364
Excluding Brett Wallace from the mix, the Padres made Allan Dykstra the fifth first baseman selected in last week’s draft. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound lefthanded hitter combines raw power with the ability to take a walk. He slugged 16 HR and ranked second in the country with 62 BB in only 56 games. Dykstra struggled on Friday nights (although in a much smaller sample size than normal), going 6-for-33 with 2 HR. He was named as an All-Star in the Cape Cod League last summer, hitting .308/.444/.481 while ranking third in OBP. Dykstra was a teammate at Wake Forest with second baseman Matt Antonelli, who was SD’s first-round pick (17th overall) in 2006.
Logan Forsythe | 3B | Arkansas | San Diego Padres | #46
AVG OBP SLG
TOT .353 .479 .533
RHP .374 .509 .504
LHP .305 .394 .593
HOME .350 .442 .530
ROAD .356 .515 .548
FRI .432 .561 .750
Drafted by the Padres, Logan Forsythe was the last player selected in the supplemental round. A third baseman, he can also help out at second, short, and outfield if need be. Forsythe played for Team USA last summer on a broken foot and hit .309/.463/.404, ranking second in walks and striking out fewer times than any other starter. He underwent surgery in November, then suffered a hamstring pull in the spring, and the injury affected his stroke during non-conference play, leading to a 12-for-49 mark with 2 XBH, 0 HR, 6 BB, and 11 SO on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Forsythe has signed with San Diego.
A scout who watched Jake Peavy beat the Dodgers (as he usually does; he’s 12-1 vs. L.A.), said, “His velocity is back. He looks good.” Peavy hit 94 mph on the gun.
Another scout on Adrian Gonzalez: “I’d never pitch to him. I’d treat him like Albert Pujols. Never let him beat you.” Yet, somehow Gonzalez is leading the NL in RBIs with 60 and threatening to become the second player to lead the league in RBIs for the lowest-scoring team in the league. Wally Berger was the first. He had 130 RBIs for the Boston Braves in 1935.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_heyman/06/13/heyman.griffeyrays/2.html
#7@Kevin: I don’t get why teams are pitching to Adrian right now either. Make someone else beat you.
Freakin’ lefty means no Jack-anulty in the lineup today.
Other way! Other way!
#8@Masticore317: He’s not an All-Star level player at home: .260/.345/.479.
OT: I wasn’t aware that Tim Russert sat on the Hall of Fame Board with Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Tom Seaver, Bud Selig, Robin Roberts, and Geo. Stienbrenner. That’s some impressive company.
Finally, after 3 hours of rain we have Padres baseball. Let’s just hope it was worth it.
Kouzmanoff’s first double in about 3 weeks.
Bother – Khalil hits it right at some one.
We’re on the road now. Isn’t he supposed to break out now???
2nd & 3rd, one out. No runs…
At least Sowers is up to 39 pitches.
Good play by Hairston to barehand the ball off the wall and nail Peralta at second.
I don’t know what the wind is doing, but a one-handed, defensive swing = two run jack? I hope Banks can shake this off, because that was bogus.
Kind of excited because Antonelli actually lifted a ball in his first at bat and hit a flyball out to left field. When was the last time a position player with well over 200 PA’s sported a BA of .165 ?
Good stop sign by Hoffman. KK would have been dead.
Kouzmanoff: two doubles.
@21: glad to be back to show Cleveland what they gave up.
Gonzalez continues road dominance.
Nice to see us take advantage of the wind blowing out to right. Back atcha, Cleveland.
#13@Turbine Dude: Just got in from Torrey Pines, glad to see the game is still on. Definitely worth the wait. Good to see the AL hasn’t figured out its dangerous to pitch to A-Go.
How many ex-Indians play for the Pads now? Bard, Kooze, Giles… any more?
Cleveland has the second worst reliever ERA in the AL. Typing this, of course, means they will shut us down.
#26@130tom330: Gerut
#28@JP: ahh, yes. Forgot he broke in with them. Shoulda read all the posts before opening my big mouth. thanks
Wow, Betancourt is slooooooooowwww. Avg’d 25+ seconds between pitches last inning, hasn’t sped up much so far this one either. You guys who’ve been hanging in there since 4:05 must be comatose by now! Jerry sounds like he’s been napping between pitches, LOL.
#25@130tom330: Must be nice to have tix to the Open!
#29@130tom330: Welcome aboard.
Need a win tonight with the two Tribe flamethrowers going tomorrow and Sunday.
#31@Turbine Dude: Yeah, fun day. Must’ve walked 10 miles. Spent 1.5hrs on a shuttle from the Q and back. Feel like I’ve been outta touch without a cell phone to update sports news all day. While it was interesting to watch with the Mark-1 eyeball, I’m looking forward to watching from the living room tomorrow. Been there, done that, checked it off the bucket list, don’t have to do it again.
Nothing makes you feel like a true duffer/hacker like watching TP chew up the professionals!
#32@JP: With the way “the boys” (Peavy) have been swinging the stick we should have some fun against Lee and Sabathia this weekend. Looking forward to the match-ups.
It’s in tall wet grass! Like it’s gonna roll foul? WTF? Never mind. I’ll stfu.
#35@Turbine Dude: Least he’s thrown more than one pitch tonite. Merideth seems to be mired in mediocrity lately. Hasn’t been too popular here on DS or out in left field the last few weeks/months. Here’s to hoping he wiggles off this hook…
Son of a…..
How does that guy with the drum survive? I am watching on TV and I want to strangle him.
#36@130tom330: Tom, don’t get me started. I’ve been anti-Merrideth since day one and I’m not going to go there. Or else I’ll have Tom Waits and Lynch beating me like a red headed step child.
OK, didn’t need that. His second of the night. Damn.
Where’s Randy Quade? Did he turn his hat inside out?
#27@jay: Say it and it shall be…
And our bullpen is stinking up the joint: 5 hits, 4 runs in 1 and a 1/3
Antonelli bounces back and collects 2 hits tonight.
#27@jay: Jay, you jinxed us! Grrr…JK
#38@Field39: Okay, I’m officially annoyed by the damm drum now as well. Enough already. Tried to mute Ch4 and listen on the XX, but it’s equally annoying there. Even more so when Leitner starts chatting about it…
#45@130tom330: talk about feeding the troll
#45@130tom330: Maybe I’m deaf from working with turbine engines for the past 24 years or I just have selective listening. But, I can’t hear the drum.
Thank you KK. Let’s hope the rest can step up against the Indians BP.
I am guessing, that Kouz didn’t need to be benched for this series.
Kouz does like LHP, doesn’t he? He’s had more XBHs tonight then he’s had in the last 17 days…