IGD: Padres vs Giants (16 Aug 06) first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Chan Ho Park (7-7, 4.66) vs Noah Lowry (5-7, 4.12) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets Nice of the Dodgers to lose a game. They’re not out of reach, of course, but it’s getting close to that [...]

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Chris Young (9-5, 3.84 ERA) vs Matt Morris (8-10, 4.75 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com buy tickets Time to play good news, bad news. Good news: Chris Young induces a lot of fly balls. Bad news: Many of those fly balls leave the yard at home. [...]

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Clay Hensley (7-9, 4.41 ERA) vs Brad Hennessey (4-2, 2.93 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets If you’re reading this sentence, it means I ran out of time this morning to put something more profound here. Go Padres!

first pitch: 11:05 a.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Woody Williams (4-4, 3.89 ERA) vs Brandon Backe (3-1, 3.69 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets Ah, Sunday morning baseball. Fire up some coffee, fry up some eggs, and kick back and relax. Works for me. Go Padres!

first pitch: 4:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Jake Peavy (5-11, 4.69 ERA) vs Jason Hirsh (MLB debut) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets This team and its horrendous pitching since the All-Star break are giving me a headache. Stunningly, the third base situation has gotten even worse since Vinny Castilla was [...]

first pitch: 9:10 a.m., PT television: none matchup: Chris Young (9-5, 3.78 ERA) vs Orlando Hernandez (7-8, 4.97 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets I’m told that this series between the Padres and Mets has had a playoff atmosphere. Judging from the fact that I’ve gotten home just in time to see [...]

first pitch: 4:10 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Clay Hensley (7-8, 4.33 ERA) vs Pedro Martinez (8-4, 3.48 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets I’m happy for Mike Piazza that he received such a warm welcome in his first game at Shea Stadium since leaving the Mets, but I think he [...]

first pitch: 4:10 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Woody Williams (4-3, 3.84 ERA) vs Steve Trachsel (10-5, 5.12 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets Confession time: I usually set up these IGDs before I go to work, and this morning I’m way behind schedule thanks to our look at the catching [...]

first pitch: 1:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Jake Peavy (5-11, 4.81) vs Livan Hernandez (9-8, 5.48) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN buy tickets I went to a country and western bar last night to meet some friends who had gone dancing. Wall-to-wall cowboy hats and brass belt buckles. A dance floor filled [...]