How Virtuous Is Patience?

by Geoff Young on May 02, 2007 (58) Comments

I needed a break from the Padres, so I trekked up to Elsinore to watch the Storm instead on Tuesday. I saw a good game, but it sounds like I missed an even better one (recap | box score).

Although it’s hard to offer meaningful commentary on a game I didn’t see, I’m glad to note that Chris Young made it through eight innings on just 106 pitches. We could use more of those performances from him.

It’s also great that Kevin Kouzmanoff knocked a triple. He needed a big hit in the worst way. While driving back from Elsinore, I heard Coach John Kentera on the radio talking about Kouz’s struggles and how former manager Bruce Bochy wasn’t always real patient with young players.

We’ve looked pretty closely at Bochy’s preference for veteran hitters, but the current situation raises another set of questions: How will Bud Black respond to this particular challenge? And what, if anything, will Black’s decision tell us about his managerial style?

Without passing judgment one way or another, it will be interesting to see how long Black sticks with Kouz, a young and unproven player, before choosing an alternative. If nothing else, Coach Kentera’s remarks brought home a point that I hadn’t considered: For those of us who sometimes found ourselves frustrated at Bochy’s reluctance to deploy the young players made available to him, how would we feel about Black’s continued loyalty to Kouz despite the latter’s early struggles?

I have no answer. Just something to ponder on a Wednesday…

Padres Prospect Report

by Peter Friberg

You will not see all the notable performances from the night before, but you will see the notable performances from those who are actually prospects.

AAA

Justin Germano: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 5 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 0 RBI (.385/.462/.659)
Will Venable: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; BB, SO, SF

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; 2 SO, SB
Chad Huffman: 3 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; BB
Manny Ayala: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR

Low-A

Cedric Hunter: 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; SO
Kyler Burke: 4 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 SO – struggling
Nathaniel Culp: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

Germano doesn’t have rookie status, but he’s pitching quite well for the Triple-A Beavers. If he keeps this up, he’ll be on the short list of call-up candidates if the Padres need a spot start.

Last year Huffman was a Padre draftee who flew under my radar until one day I looked up and he was hitting over .300 with an OBP over .400 for the Eugene Emeralds. After going 2-for-3 with a walk, Chad is now hitting .298/.385/.488.

And there you have it. Thanks, Peter, as always. The Padres look to take the series Wednesday night against the Nationals and finish the homestand on an up note. Clay Hensley and Matt Chico hook up at 7:05 p.m. PT. We’ll have the IGD up and running about an hour before first pitch. Go Padres!

1969: Padres Explode for Eight Runs in Cincy

by Geoff Young on May 02, 2007 (0) Comments

May 2, 1969, Cincinnati: Padres 8, Braves 3 (box score)

Making their first ever trip to Crosley Field, the Padres sent Clay Kirby to the mound against George Culver. The two teams traded runs in the first, with the Reds adding three more in the second on a Pete Rose sacrifice fly and a Bobby Tolan two-run home run.

Cincinnati held a 4-1 advantage into the fourth inning. Nate Colbert led off that frame with a grounder to third that Tony Perez couldn’t handle. After Cito Gaston and Ed Spiezio grounded out, Chris Cannizzaro singled to left. Bill Davis, batting for Kirby, then drew a walk. Leadoff man Jose Arcia was due up next, but Preston Gomez pulled him in favor of Al Ferrara, who made his manager look like a genius by hitting a grand slam that gave the Padres a 5-4 lead.

San Diego extended the lead to 8-4 in the seventh, on the strength of five straight singles. Johnny Podres, meanwhile, kept the Reds’ bats mostly dormant for four innings before turning the game over to Frank Reberger, who sealed the deal. Cincinnati did score a run in the eighth, but it was too little, too late. The Padres won their second consecutive game and pushed a half-game ahead of the Reds for fourth place in the NL West.

Elsewhere in the world: RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

IGD: Padres vs Nationals (1 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 01, 2007 (76) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Chris Young (2-2, 4.33 ERA) vs Shawn Hill (2-2, 2.76 ERA)
preview: SI.com

With the usual small-sample caveats, it’s worth noting that Chris Young has had trouble putting batters away this year:

Chris Young after 1-2 Count, 2006 vs 2007
Year PA BA OBP SLG
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.
2006 239 .164 .246 .352
2007 45 .366 .409 .610

You have to figure this will correct itself at some point. Still, that is ugly…

Get Luckier

by Geoff Young on May 01, 2007 (43) Comments

The fact that we’re all frustrated by a 13-13 start speaks volumes about how far this franchise has come in a very short time. That doesn’t make us feel any better after another stupid loss (recap | box score), of course, but it’s something.

I don’t have the stomach to sit through the game again, so I’m working from memory this morning. Monday night’s contest isn’t just one that the Padres could have won, it’s one they should have won. Several well-struck balls found gloves — Josh Bard drove one to the gap in right-center that Ryan Church tracked down, Adrian Gonzalez smashed one right down the first base line that Dmitri Young caught and turned into a double play in front of Bard’s eighth inning home run, and Oscar Robles hammered two to deep right that caused him to rethink his strategy at Petco:

I crushed those balls. I’ve got to concentrate on line drives now, put the ball in play.

Jake Peavy gave the Nationals a run in the fourth when he forgot that Church was on first (courtesy of a 1-2 HBP) and worked from the windup, allowing the Washington center fielder to swipe second base uncontested. Church promptly scored on an Austin Kearns single that gave the visitors a 2-1 lead. To his credit, Peavy is making no excuses. And truth is, this game shouldn’t have been close enough for his brain cramp to become such a focal point. Nats starter John Patterson left plenty of hittable pitches out over the plate, but other than the ones that Terrmel Sledge and Bard (off reliever Ray King) knocked out of the park, none resulted in runs for the home team. That is a problem.

Do I have a solution in mind? Sure, get luckier. Have more hard-hit balls fall in for hits. Good luck controlling that.

This has been an unbelievably aggravating stretch for the Padres. This is also a much stronger NL West than we’ve seen in recent years. The downside is that these tough losses become more critical; there is very little margin for error when three or four other teams are ready, willing, and able to pounce. The upside is that, after having seen all the other teams in the division, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Padres can play with any of ‘em. Remember, this team has won the NL West two years running; they are the target.

I’m rambling now, but there is a point to all this. Over the course of a long season, talent rises to the top. This current stretch really blows, but it will pass.

Padres Prospect Report

by Peter Friberg

You will not see all the notable performances from the night before, but you will see the notable performances from those who are actually prospects.

AAA

Cesar Carrillo: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR – Injured

AA

Chase Headley: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; HR, 2 SO – another home HR
Will Venable: 4 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 1 RBI
Cesar Ramos: 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; BB
David Freese: 5 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; SO
Kyle Blanks: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 4 RBI; 3B, HR, SO
Chad Huffman: 5 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B
Matt Wade Leblanc: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR

Low-A

Cedric Hunter: 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI
Kyler Burke: 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 RBI – Ft. Wayne’s only hit

Commentary:

MiLB.com’s gamelog reports that, “Portland Beavers pitcher Cesar Carrillo left the game due to an injured elbow.” A lot was made of the fact that Cesar did not have surgery last year. Obviously at the time I’m writing this, we have no idea if this is the same injury that forced him to miss the second half of 2006. Whether it’s 15 days or 15 months, I’m sure we are all hoping for a complete recovery. Good luck, kid!

From one Cesar to another… In two starts (Ramos’ first and fourth of the year), Ramos posted the following numbers:

9.2 IP, 16 H, 12 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO

In his three other starts he posted these numbers:

20.0 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 19 SO

I have serious doubts about Ramos’ status as a prospect. But those doubts center on the fact that last year Ramos allowed 161 hits in 141 innings and only struck out 70. To sustain success he needs to miss fewer bats and give up fewer hits. It’s still early, but so far this season Ramos is doing exactly that.

Matt Leblanc has not given up a run in three consecutive starts.

. . .

Top High School Shortstops

I covered the top collegiate shortstops a while back. Here are the top high school shortstop prospects according to Baseball America (alphabetically):

Christian Colon SS/2B R-R 5-11 175 Canyon HS, Anaheim
Drew Cumberland SS L-R 5-10 170 Pace HS, Milton, Fla.
Ryan Dent SS/2B R-R 5-10 180 Wilson HS, Los Angeles
Justin Jackson SS R-R 6-2 175 Roberson HS, Asheville, N.C.
Peter Kozma SS R-R 6-0 170 Owasso (Okla.) HS
John Tolisano 2B/SS B-R 6-0 190 Estero (Fla.) HS

It’s foolhardy to analyze high schoolers by their statistics — never mind that high school stats are hard to come by — so I won’t try.

BA ranks each of these guys among the top 50 high school players (regardless of position). Anaheim/Orange County is a baseball hotbed, so Colon piqued my interest. The same could be said of Cumberland and Tolisano.

I would be surprised if the Padres did not draft one of these six high school shortstops and/or one of the collegiate shortstops in the first two rounds.

Good stuff as always; thanks, Peter! Happy Tuesday, folks; we’ll see you back here for the IGD around 6 p.m. PT. Go Padres!

1969: Padres Rally Late, Earn Split with Braves in Atlanta

by Geoff Young on May 01, 2007 (0) Comments

May 1, 1969, Atlanta: Padres 4, Braves 3 (box score)

May began for the Padres in the same way April had — with a win. Dick Kelley and Ron Reed started this one in front of 5,854 fans at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.

Kelley hadn’t pitched well in his first start against the Braves on April 22, and he fared even worse on this day. After allowing three hits, a walk, and a wild pitch over the first two innings, Kelley lost it in the third. Two walks, an Orlando Cepeda triple, an error, and a Clete Boyer double gave the Braves a 3-0 lead.

The Padres battled back with two runs in the top of the fourth. Ollie Brown led off with a double. With one out, Larry Stahl and Ed Spiezio knocked singles to pull the visiting team to within one run. Ivan Murrell, pinch hitting for Kelley, made the final out.

Tommie Sisk replaced Kelley on the mound and tossed three perfect innings to keep the game close. The score remained 3-2 until the top of the eighth, when Ramon Pena drove a one-out double off Reed. Closer Cecil Upshaw came in to wrap things up, but Tony Gonzalez had other ideas. He knocked a two-run homer to give the Padres their first lead of the contest.

Jack Baldschun, who came on for the Padres in the seventh, worked the final three innings to earn the victory. The ninth inning provided a little excitement, as Baldschun loaded the bases before inducing Felix Millan to bounce out to Spiezio at third for the last out.

Trivia: The attendance at this game would be the lowest of the season at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.

Elsewhere in the world: Fred Rogers testified before a U.S. Senate committee on the importance of public television.

IGD: Padres vs Nationals (30 Apr 07)

by Geoff Young on Apr 30, 2007 (140) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Jake Peavy (3-0, 1.67 ERA) vs John Patterson (0-4, 7.71 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

Reasons to Be Positive

  1. The Nationals are in town.
  2. Jake Peavy is on the mound.
  3. Regardless the outcome of Monday night’s game, the Pads will have a better April record than they had in 2005 (11-13) or 2006 (9-15), when they won the NL West.

Reasons to Be Negative

Plenty, but I’m tired of whining about them and it doesn’t really help. These guys are better than they’ve shown. They just need to get off their butts and prove it.

Go Padres!

Seventeen Innings of Solitude

by Geoff Young on Apr 30, 2007 (36) Comments

Another gut-wrenching loss on Sunday (recap | box score). For the third time in five starts, David Wells didn’t look sharp at all. His final line wasn’t horrible; then again, “wasn’t horrible” is hardly the standard by which starters on a contending team should be measured.

To their credit, the Padres picked up Wells and came back late. Jose Cruz Jr. and Adrian Gonzalez almost took Chin-hui Tsao deep in the 10th, but both drives fell just short.

Cruz, who played another terrific game, had a chance to break things open earlier. In the seventh, Dodgers manager Grady Little inexplicably summoned left-hander Joe Beimel to have Cruz bat from his stronger side with Marcus Giles on first and one out. Beimel retired Cruz on a grounder to shortstop, with Giles bruising his rib cage in an attempt to break up the double play.

Justin Hampson suffered the loss despite giving a better performance than anyone ever has a right to expect from the 12th man on a pitching staff. Unfortunately, in the 17th inning, third-string catcher Pete LaForest, pressed into first-base duty due to a double-switch employed by Padres skipper Bud Black when Hampson came into the game, dropped a routine throw from catcher Rob Bowen on a bunt attempt by Wilson Valdez. (Hey, I once saw the Dodgers lose a marathon game because Fernando Valenzuela had to play first base and wasn’t tall enough to snare a line drive off the bat of Rafael Ramirez. It happens.) Then, with two out, the only man from USD currently playing in the big leagues, Brady Clark, knocked a double down the left-field line. Cruz, who already had made a couple nice defensive plays, reached the ball quickly and fired a strike to Khalil Greene, who in turn delivered a strong throw to the plate, just a fraction of a second late.

The Padres still had one final chance in the bottom of the 17th. With runners on first and second, though, Rob Bowen and Kevin Kouzmanoff struck out to end the game.

Speaking of Kouz, he is starting to become a problem. I try to be patient with the young players, but he is late on fastballs and barely reacting to breaking balls. This is not the hitter we saw in spring training.

Reader Tom Waits asks the big question: “Does sending him to Portland rebuild his confidence or destroy it?” I’m not sure, but I have a feeling we’ll find out sooner rather than later.

As for the Ichiro rumor that Matty V. called us and Gaslamp Ball out on during the telecast, I don’t even know where to start. On the one hand, Ichiro is a pretty good player (not as good as his hype would suggest, but still pretty darned good) whose marketability likely will command more than his on-field contributions merit. On the other hand, the Mariners sometimes do strange things, like trade Rafael Soriano for Horacio Ramirez.

I will say this for Ichiro: I’m pretty sure he’s got the arm to play third base…

Padres Prospect Report

by Peter Friberg

The PPR is introducing a new segment. The staff over at MadFriars.com visit each of the Padres’ minor league teams a few times every season. Each time they make a visit, we’ll ask three questions and get their perspective on various topics germane to that team. By the way, if you like Padres’ minor league coverage, you must check them out at MadFriars.com.

This first installment is from John Conniff, who just got back from the Padres Double-A affiliate, San Antonio:

PPR: Chase Headley put on 10-15 pounds of muscle this off-season. Is this power surge (8 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs in his first 23 games) more a function of a random spike or is he putting his newly gained muscle to good use?

MF: I think it’s more than just a random spike, but then again it’s just one month. He spoke to us about really wanting to hit the ball with more authority and trying not to wear down over a long season, which he did last year in Lake Elsinore. What impressed me the most is the power surge hasn’t hurt his average or OBP skills, which have actually gone up.

He still doesn’t look quite as comfortable from the right side as he is from the left, and in the field he’s a little stiff. I think you will see him in Portland by mid-season mainly to give the Padres a chance to move David Freese, who is slightly old for the Cal League, up to San Antonio.

Depending on what happens with Kouz, Headley could challenge for a big league job next spring.

PPR: I don’t want to be a spoil-sport, but the pitching staff in Texas does not excite me. However, one guy that I think could be a solid big leaguer is Jonathan Ellis. Does KT have another gem for his bully?

MF: I have to disagree. I don’t see anyone on that staff being a No.#1 or No. #2 starter, but I think a few of them have the potential to have Clay Hensley type careers — which are valuable. Both Sean Thompson and Mike Ekstrom have the potential to be solid #4 or #5 starters on the big-league level. Thompson especially has put together a really nice season so far (3-1 with a 0.64 ERA in 5 starts) and his performance last year was underrated. Ekstrom is still really having his spring training and is a similar pitcher to Hensley, good sinker and a sinking fastball that is faster than most believe (in the low 90′s).

I’ve never been a big fan of Cesar Ramos, and Jose Oyervidez has potential but is just too inconsistent. As for Josh Geer, he always seems to not have the “stuff” to pitch at the next level and he consistently proves me wrong. So keep an eye on him, too.

Right-hander Neil Jamison is a closer that is leading the Texas League in saves. Everything is low, hard and for strikes. I’ve had enough of the guys who supposedly have a great change such as Brad Baker, Jeremy Fikac and J.J. Trujillo and end up getting hammered at upper levels. The rest of their bullpen has been pretty impressive this year, with Paul Abraham, Frank Brooks and Jonathan Searles all having lower ERAs than Ellis, who is also pretty good. All of them could help the team in the future, but the bullpen in Portland is decent, too.

PPR: I like Will Venable. I think he’s somewhat overlooked at a national level. Does he have enough range to play CF or enough power to stay at a corner?

MF: When we talked to Grady Fuson at the beginning of the year he wanted Venable to play some center field, but this year he’s mostly been in right mainly because of the personnel on the roster. I interviewed him [Venable] in San Antonio, and he thinks his arm strength has improved from last year and judging from some of the throws he has made I would agree. He played center field in college, but still profiles as left field being his best position.

His power numbers simply aren’t there right now and Venable spoke about that with us in his interview. He’s trying to incorporate his legs more into his swing and the power will eventually come, but later in the year. The jump from low A to AA is huge and even last year his power numbers came more at the end of the year than at the beginning.

He’s still at least a year away from having a shot at the big club.

. . .

I hope you all enjoyed this new segment.

Thanks, John!

. . .

On to the PPR!

You will not see all the notable performances from the night before, but you will see the notable performances from those who are actually prospects.

Friday, April 27, 2007

AAA

Craig Stansberry: 5 AB, 4 R, 4 H, 1 RBI; 3 2B
Mike Thompson: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; BB, 2 SO
Nick Hundley: 3 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; HR

Low-A

Kyler Burke: 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; BB, 3 SO
Aaron Breit: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 11 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR – Yikes!

Commentary:

Trevor Hoffman gives up 4 in the 9th and the Padres take an organizational sweep on Friday.

I don’t believe in Craig Stansberry as a prospect, but 4-for-5 with 3 doubles? Sick!

Saturday, April 28, 2007

AAA

Paul McAnulty: 3 AB, 0 R, 3 H, 1 RBI, BB

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2B, SO
Sean Thompson: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 3 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 2 BB, SO, SB
David Freese: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; 2B
Kyle Blanks: 4 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 3 RBI; 3B, BB
Brenton Carter: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO, 1 HR

Low-A

Cedric Hunter: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; BB

Commentary:

It’s good to see McAnulty hitting again. Cedric just keeps getting on base.

[Ed note: I was at Saturday's game in Elsinore. Antonelli's two base hits were a grounder to shortstop and a grounder to second that he beat out. Freese hit the ball to right or right-center all five times up (in addition to the four at-bats, he also hit a sac fly). The triple that Blanks hit was smoked off the wall in right-center. He runs unbelievably well for a man of his size. Beyond the stand-up triple, he also advanced on three separate passed ball/wild pitch opportunities. Carter is a soft-tossing lefty with a breaking ball that gives A-ball kids fits. Most of his strikeouts came on pitches that bounced. At one point he fanned six straight batters. (Yes, I put money in the hat after he struck out the side in the fourth.)]

Sunday, April 29, 2007

AAA

Jared Wells: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB, SO
Will Venable: 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 2 RBI

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 3 AB, 4 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 3B, 3 BB
David Freese: 6 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 5 RBI; HR
Kyle Blanks: 6 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 2B
Chad Huffman: 5 AB, 3 R, 4 H, 5 RBI; 3B, HR, BB
Matt Bush: 2 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB

Low-A

Cedric Hunter: 6 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI
Kyler Burke: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB
Ernesto Frieri: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

Jared Wells latest constitutes a good start — relatively speaking…

No, I don’t think the Padres should have drafted Matt Bush, but I’m not entirely convinced he won’t put it together…

Good stuff, as always. Thanks, Peter (and John!). Okay, that’s a lot of information, I know. Hey, it’s Monday and you’re still recovering from the weekend; take your time, we’ll be here.

Jake Peavy and the Padres face John Patterson and the Washington Nationals tonight at 7:05 p.m. PT. We’ll have the IGD up and running about an hour before first pitch. Be here or be elsewhere. Go Padres! Ichiro for third base!

1969: Padres Finish April with Loss in Atlanta

by Geoff Young on Apr 30, 2007 (0) Comments

April 30, 1969, Atlanta: Braves 6, Padres 3 (box score)

Play-by-play data for this game are incomplete. We know that Phil Niekro started for the Braves and went the distance; we know that Nate Colbert hit his fifth homer of the season.

Gary Ross got the start for San Diego, but faced just three batters. After retiring the first two and issuing a walk to Hank Aaron, Ross yielded to Leon Everitt, who allowed 5 runs over 5 1/3 innings and took the loss.

Colbert and Tony Gonzalez (who also homered) were the only offensive threats for the Padres in this one. Felix Millan and Tito Francona each collected two hits for the Braves, with Francona driving in half of his teams six runs.

The Padres finished their first month in the National League with a somewhat respectable 9-14 record. They were in fifth place in the NL West, 7 games back of first-place San Francisco and 5 1/2 ahead of last-place Houston.

As a team, the Padres batted .207/.277/.301 for the month of April. Although Colbert started just 12 of his team’s 23 games in the month, he was the offensive star, batting .306/.370/.735 in 55 plate appearances. Ollie Brown, another key contributor, batted .294/.333/.529 in 90 plate appearances.

On the other side, Padres’ pitchers posted a 4.01 ERA. Al Santorini’s 1.88 ERA over 24 innings paced the staff.

Trivia: No team in the big leagues would finish with a lower winning percentage (.309) or score fewer runs (405) than the Padres from May 1 to season’s end.

Bonus trivia: Cincinnati’s Jim Maloney no-hit the Astros for MLB’s second no-no of the young season. The following day, Houston’s Don Wilson would return the favor.

Elsewhere in the world: Marvin Gaye’s M.P.G. was released (see also review by Rolling Stone‘s Jack Egan).

IGD: Padres vs Dodgers (29 Apr 07)

by Geoff Young on Apr 29, 2007 (229) Comments

first pitch: 1:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: David Wells (1-1, 6.00 ERA) vs Derek Lowe (2-3, 4.40 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

So, did that fly ball that Russell Martin hit off Trevor Hoffman last night scare the bejeezus out of you or what? Anyway, it’s nice to get back in the win column. The Padres look to take the series on Sunday.

If the early pattern holds, and there’s no reason to believe that it will, then David Wells is due for a good outing:

David Wells’ First Four Starts of 2007
Date Opp IP H R ER HR BB SO
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.
4/7/07 Col 6.2 6 2 2 0 1 4
4/13/07 @LA 2.1 8 5 5 1 0 1
4/18/07 Ari 7 3 2 2 0 1 4
4/24/07 @Ari 5 8 5 5 1 2 3

Here’s hoping that Dr. Boomer shows up, and not Mr. Boom…

1969: Padres Drop Second Straight to Los Angeles

by Geoff Young on Apr 29, 2007 (0) Comments

April 29, 1969, San Diego: Dodgers 2, Padres 1 (box score)

This game was over almost before it began. Willie Crawford walked to lead off the game for the Dodgers. Willie Davis followed with a single to center off starter Al Santorini. One out later, a Jose Arcia error gave Los Angeles its first run. After a Tom Haller strikeout, Bill Sudakis singled to center to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0. Santorini escaped the inning without further damage, but on this day, it didn’t matter.

Dodgers right-hander Joe Moeller held the Padres in check most of the game. Nate Colbert doubled to lead off the second and made it to third with one out, but Moeller fanned Chris Krug and Arcia to quell the threat.

The Padres later pushed across a run in the fourth. Ollie Brown singled to left to start the inning. He scored on another Colbert double. But with Colbert again standing on third with one out, Krug and Arcia failed to convert, and the Padres trailed, 2-1.

The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the ninth. Right-hander Pete Mikkelsen, who had relieved Moeller in the seventh, started the inning. After Brown singled and Colbert reached on error while attempting to sacrifice the runner to second, left-hander Jim Brewer entered the contest.

Brewer had saved the previous game, but now faced a tough situation. He caught Cito Gaston looking, then retired Ivan Murrell, batting for Krug, on a ground out. Jerry DaVanon followed with a walk, loading the bases for the pitchers’ spot. Manager Preston Gomez sent Ed Spiezio up to pinch hit. Spiezio promptly popped to second baseman Ted Sizemore to end the game, sealing another Dodgers victory over the Padres.

Trivia: Mikkelsen served up a game-winning three-run home run to Tim McCarver of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ’64 World Series.

Elsewhere in the world: On the occasion of his 70th birthday, jazz legend Duke Ellington received the Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Richard M. Nixon.