first pitch: 1:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Pedro Astacio (3-10, 5.36 ERA) vs Jamey Wright (6-15, 5.70 ERA)
After Saturday night’s loss, the Pads find themselves seeking to avoid a sweep at the hands of last place Colorado.
Astacio hasn’t faced enough current Rockies to make it worth the effort, but Wright has seen a lot of these Padres over the years. As a group, they are hitting .321/.409/.511 off Wright in 190 at-bats. Brian Giles, Joe Randa, and Mark Loretta have done the most damage.
Putting the Bat on the Ball
For his career, Wright is averaging 4.81 K/9 over 1284.1 IP. Wright’s high water mark for seasons in which he has amassed 100+ innings was 5.96 K/9, in 2001 with Milwaukee.
Opponents this year are hitting .281/.333/.480 against Astacio (think Preston Wilson). They are hitting .300/.382/.487 against Wright (think Sean Casey). Day game? Expect runs and a battle of the bullpens. Advantage, Padres, but we’ll see.
I’ve got family obligations today, so you’re on your own. Enjoy!
An early greetings to everyone.
Geoff and Lance — Alejandro Escovedo: WOW!
From The AP — SS Khalil Greene’s rehabilitation from a broken big left toe is going so well that the Padres will probably activate him late next week, one week ahead of schedule. Greene, who broke his toe diving for a ball on Aug. 14 against Philadelphia, is likely to be activated from the 15-day disabled list in time for San Diego’s Sept. 1 game at Milwaukee, manager Bruce Bochy said. Greene has been outfitted with a special left shoe that will have a steel toe for protection.
Any idea where things stand with Ramon Hernandez? I can’t recall if he was supposed to be out for the year or back in time for the postseason. Either way, we’ve heard very little about him. Anyone got an update?
I don’t have one. Maybe his agent knows.
uh-oh, Giles is down.
He’s OK.
I saw something that indicated he’d be back in early September (I think)…
The reason I ask about Ramon is that I assume once Khalil returns, that today’s lineup is your postseason lineup (platooning X and Sweeney at 1B), correct?
…why? To keep DJ in the lineup?
I don’t really think so, but I do wonder how many AB Olivo will get.
No, I mean once Khalil returns, he’s the shortstop. After that, what other changes might there be (other than at catcher, depending on Ramon’s health)? 3B?
Also, I mean today’s batting order is more or less what we will likely see in October too, no?
C Hernandez/Olivo
1B Nady
2B Loretta
3B Randa
SS Greene
LF Klesko
CF Roberts
RF Giles
Sweeny SHOULD get a few (only a few starts – but who knows w/ Bochy) but Nady should be the primary starter…
I saw Giles was taken out..anyone know what happened?
He and Roberts got tangled up in the outfield. His next AB, he hit a sure double but barely made it to 2B.
OK, Peter — next question. Is Astacio your #4 playoff starter?
Is there going to be a spot for Burroughs on the playoff roster? I’d much rather have him than Valdez, and Park probably won’t pitch much in October either.
Provided they recall him before Aug. 31, yes, I believe they have to find a spot for him. I don’t think Chan Ho will see action in October nor will Valdez (DJ will return to backup shortstop).
X-cellent:
Padres manager Bruce Bochy acknowledged that he decided to make Nady the Padres’ full-time first baseman on the club’s last road trip. Nady had been splitting time with left-hander hitting Mark Sweeney since the club traded 1B Phil Nevin to Texas for RHP Chan Ho Park on July 29. “X has been getting some good at-bats against some tough right-handers. I think he has made a lot of progress and has done a pretty nice job. I’ve let him go down there.” Nady is hitting .262 with 13 homers and 41 RBIs in only 271 at-bats. Sweeney, hitting .354 as a pinch hitter, has a .326 batting average with eight home runs and 33 RBIs.
X-actly wrong:
Bochy is blowing smoke. Nady has been looking almost entirely overmatched by tough right-handers, and has only been hitting out over the plate offspeed pitches by Astacio and Kim. He has had maybe one “good-looking” PA against them every other game.
He swings right through most fastballs, and anything soft at or off the outside corner. Last 7 games – 5 for his last 26 with 0 BB, 1 HBP, 9 K, 2 runs, 0 RBI. For the month, hitting a weak .222, with a terrible .258 OBP and subpar .397 SLG.
Bochy also cooled off the Padres’ hottest hitter, Sweeney, in favor of giving X the regular job. It is a good thing Klesko is starting to come around, and we need to hope that Giles’ injury is not serious, and that X will somehow figure out how to hit righties.
The Padres are hoping catcher Ramon Hernandez will start swinging a bat tomorrow or Tuesday. Hernandez, sidelined since wrist surgery July 29, recently received a cortisone injection to relieve soreness, Bochy said.
“He swings right through most fastballs, and anything soft at or off the outside corner.”
Sounds like Nevin, only younger and cheaper.
“Bochy also cooled off the Padres’ hottest hitter, Sweeney, in favor of giving X the regular job.”
Are you saying that Bochy is responsible for Sweeney’s recent struggles? If so, do you also believe that Bochy’s decision to bench Nady earlier in the season when Roberts came off the DL led to Nady’s subsequent “cooling off”?
Nady had already started cooling off before Roberts played on April 18 – he was 2 for 14 in the four games prior. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised – it was four righties in a row – Prior, Lowe, Erickson and Weaver. Nady still got opportunities after Roberts came back – 7 out of the next 12 games he got at least 3 PA, but he ended up the month on a 2 for 25 cold snap.
Tough to say on Sweeney. I would have preferred seeing him play his way out of his hot season, instead of having an absence of opportunities forced upon him by Bochy (and maybe KT too) just so that Nady could get more chances against RHP.