IGD: Padres vs Diamondbacks (14 Jul 2005)

by Geoff Young on Jul 14, 2005 (58) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Brian Lawrence (5-8, 4.14 ERA) vs Javier Vazquez (7-8, 4.54 ERA)
preview: Padres.com

Okay, that was a nice break. Now let’s get back to baseball. The Padres open the second half of the season with a brief four-game homestand against second place Arizona.

As has been well documented, the NL West is pretty much a disaster area this year. There are no winners, only survivors. The Padres easily have been the best team in the division so far. The Pythagorean records at the ASB:

      W  L   GB
SD   47 42    -
LA   40 48  6.5
SF   37 50  9.0
Ari  36 54 11.5
Col  33 54 13.0

The Diamondbacks’ problem hasn’t been scoring runs; it’s been keeping other teams from doing the same. In the NL, only Colorado and Cincinnati have allowed more runs. And only the Rockies have a worse Pythagorean than the Snakes. Throw in the AL, and the Devil Rays and Royals get added to the mix, leaving Arizona at #26 among 30 big-league teams in terms of expected win percentage. When a club that has played so poorly finds itself in second place, a division tends to lose credibility real fast.

Which is why the Pads aren’t getting a whole lot of attention. That and they don’t play their home games on the east coast (California? There’s gold in them thar hills!). But do you know how many teams in the NL have better Pythags than the Friars? I’ll give you a hint: Think back to 1998 1996 [Update: Kevin @ Padres Nation points out that my hint stunk because it was wrong, although he said it much more nicely than that; thanks for the catch!]. There are two such teams, and both were in the playoffs that year. That’s right, the Cardinals and the Braves (!).

But it’s cool, because we’re a laid back bunch and just hang out at the beach all day. (“Say, me and the missus are headed out to sunny San Diego for a couple of weeks in June. What’s there to do?” First off, if it’s June, it ain’t sunny. Second, how the heck should I know? I’m stuck in a cubicle all day. “Gee, there are some real nice office buildings and grocery stores. Banks, auto mechanics, barbershops. You know, the usual city stuff. I dunno, I guess you could pick up the trash that always ends up on my lawn. Oh yeah, there’s lots to do out here. C’mon out, it’ll be grand.”)

WTF? Sorry ’bout that. Anyway, the other reason it’s cool is that while folks back on the other side of the continent are busy tripping all over themselves about the Montreal/San Juan/Washington Expos/Nationals (of Anaheim?), the Pads stay under the radar and get to do their thing without anyone paying much attention. This, I submit, is a good thing. What? Where’s the love? Our guys deserve props!

Absolutely, they do. But here’s the deal: Props are great, but only if a World Series trophy comes with the package. So. Before the World Series: under the radar. After: trophy and props. That’s the general plan.

And now, moving back from the big picture to the task at hand, the Padres need to start winning the games they should win. It’s time to get a little separation from the pack going, dig? The longer you let the other guys hang close, the more they start to believe that maybe they have a chance. You pretty much want to quash that hope right now before it festers into genuine belief. Beating the Diamondbacks this weekend would be a nice first step.

Aki vs Kaz

Speaking of guys who don’t a lot of recognition, I thought I’d check back in on how Akinori Otsuka is doing so far in North America as compared to how Kaz Sasaki fared while he was here. Through their first 111 big-league games:

           IP  ERA  H/9 HR/9 BB/9  SO/9

Otsuka  114.2 2.12 6.91 0.71 3.38 10.05
Sasaki  109.0 2.89 5.70 1.32 3.05 10.16

(via David Pinto’s Day by Day Database)

Sasaki had 71 saves at that point, while Otsuka has just two. Talk about flying under the radar. Since the start of the 2004 season, just four pitchers with 100+ innings have put up a lower ERA than Otsuka (and one of them is a Padre).

Other Stuff

That’s all for now. I’m chasing down a few interviews at the moment, the first of which will appear early next week. I think you’ll like it. Meantime, let’s see some groundballs from Mr. Lawrence and get ourselves a win. Go Pads!

From the Vault: Tony, Rickey, and Barry

by Geoff Young on Jul 13, 2005 (2) Comments

[I didn't make this year's All-Star team, so I'll be taking a break for the next few days, resting up for the second half. Meantime, we've got re-runs for you. This one originally ran October 6, 2001. I can't stand the Giants, but I've always admired Barry Bonds as a player. And I really miss watching Tony Gwynn swat baseballs all over the place. Thank goodness Rickey Henderson is back in San Diego. Also, I was a lot feistier when I was younger; what happened? Anyway, enjoy!]

It just keeps getting better. Barry Bonds breaks Mark McGwire‘s record for homers in a season, the Mariners break the Yankees’ AL mark for victories in a season (with Jamie Moyer, age 38, becoming the oldest player to win 20 games for the first time), Bud Selig visits San Diego to congratulate and thank Tony Gwynn. Heck, even Lenny Harris tied Manny Mota‘s record for most career pinch-hits yesterday, at 150.

We were at the game last night (pix later), and got to watch the Rickey Henderson chase for 3000 first-hand. We also saw baseball honor two of its true heroes, with a whole brigade of elected officials from the city, the county, the state, and even Mexico congratulating Henderson and Gwynn for their acheivements. Mayor Dick Murphy named yesterday Rickey Henderson Day and this week Tony Gwynn Week. Selig came out and did a surprisingly good job of not ruining the moment, even noting Tony’s commitment to San Diego in taking over as coach at SDSU in 2003.

After the pregame festivities, a moment of silence–save for a couple of barking police dogs and one idiot a few seats down who couldn’t spare even a few precious seconds of talking on his cell phone to remember our fellow countrymen.

Then came the game, and a great deal of futility on the home squad’s part against rookie RHP Jason Jennings. The youngster pitched six shutout innings but didn’t look overpowering, although he did show the ability to work his way out of trouble. His fastball ran 90-92, and he consistently worked up in the strike zone, a bit surprising for someone who calls Coors Field home. Jennings complemented the fastball with a nasty slider that hitters were chasing even when he was behind in the count, and a decent change-up. We sat along the right-field line, at a pretty severe angle, so I didn’t have the best view of Jennings, but generally speaking he reminded me a bit of a young Andy Benes.

As for Henderson, the closest he came to a hit was when he hit a rocket to the left of second baseman Jose Ortiz, who somehow managed to snag it on one hop and throw Rickey out by plenty. The crowd gave Rickey a standing ovation every time he stepped up to the plate, and the folks out in the left-field bleachers cheered wildly each time he took his position in the field. For as villified as he has been over the years in some circles, Rickey has been nothing but a positive influence here in San Diego, and he has been a fan favorite during both stints with the Padres.

Gwynn made his lone trip to the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitting for Cesar Crespo. He grounded Jose Jimenez‘ second pitch to Ortiz for an out number two. The crowd gave Tony a standing ovation as he approached the plate, after he was announced, and again as he trotted back to the dugout.

It’s so easy to be cynical about baseball, with all the big money and big egos involved. But last night, watching Tony one final time, and seeing clips of him on the big screen between innings, when he was truly a brilliant player who could do almost anything on a baseball field, I was reminded of why I love this game. Every clip of Gwynn showed him in a Padres uniform (yes, even the Ray Kroc hamburger-and-mustard unis from the early-80s), and I guess we here in San Diego maybe have taken Tony for granted over the years, as if there were some law of physics that kept him in this city.

But there are no natural laws that describe Gwynn’s presence in San Diego. There is only Tony. It was by choice–a choice that wasn’t always popular with some close to him (or the union), who thought he could make more money playing elsewhere–that he remained a Padre. It’s difficult for someone like me to think seriously of sacrifice when speaking of millions of dollars, but given his millieu, Gwynn did make sacrifices to remain in San Diego. And even now, as plays his final homestand, we know he will be here next year, just up the hill, coaching as an unpaid volunteer his alma mater, in a stadium bearing (despite Tony’s protests) his name.

. . .

I hope all the idiots out there who have been bad-mouthing Bonds for so long will finally start giving him the credit he is due. For a guy who generally has been an upstanding–if aloof and downright surly at times–citizen [Ed note: This was before all the BALCO stuff came to light], he has gotten may too much grief from a bunch of embittered old writers for no apparent reason other than he didn’t kiss their asses or give them neatly wrapped sound bites for their columns. Sad to say, this begrudging of Bonds as a personality, as a human being, has extended to Bonds as a player, and there are those who would advocate Sammy Sosa as a more worthy MVP candidate this year, who would tag Bonds with the label “choker,” who would dismiss the notion that Bonds is one of the top three or four players ever to set foot on a baseball field. To those people I suggest finding a different line of work. Anyone who has followed his career and objectively measured all that he has accomplished in this game understands Bonds’ place in history. Anyone who fails to recognize his greatness really shouldn’t refer to themselves as a baseball writer. It’s embarrassing to Bonds, to the game, to themselves, and to their employer.

Baseball is, and always has been, a team sport. The goal is to win games and ultimately the championship. In the time leading up to his breaking of McGwire’s mark and even during the ceremony after the game (the one image that always will remain with me is that of Bonds goofing around with his youngest daughter, who is sitting on his lap while Paul Beeston sings her father’s praises), despite our nation’s fixation on an individual record, Bonds continually has asserted that winning is what matters. For a guy as allegedly self-centered and arrogant as Bonds, the guy has a desire to win that cannot be questioned. He puts, as the Vulcans would say, the needs of the many ahead of the needs of the few. Sure, the guy can be a jerk at times but I defy you to find me someone–anyone–for whom the same cannot be said. But he understands what the game is about, he respects the game, and he plays it with great intensity and skill. And he really wants to win. I don’t know about you but that’s the kind of guy I want on my team. Every time. Congratulations on a great season, Barry. And I sure hope you get that ring you deserve before you call it a career.

From the Vault: Bud Smith’s No-No

by Geoff Young on Jul 12, 2005 (4) Comments

[I didn't make this year's All-Star team, so I'll be taking a break for the next few days, resting up for the second half. Meantime, we've got re-runs for you. This one originally ran September 4, 2001. Enjoy!]

No, I wasn’t at the game last night, but I did watch it on television. Sigh. I keep telling myself I probably got a better view of Bud Smith‘s no-no, but it hurts.

At any rate, it was a dominant performance, much moreso than A.J. Burnett‘s against the Pads earlier in the year. Only three or four balls were hit hard all night, with Bubba Trammell‘s drive to the warning track in left posing the most serious threat. Smith was in command from the get-go, working his 86-88 mph fastball, slow curve, and change-up to both sides of the plate for strikes.

Smith, just 21, threw 134 pitches, which is a lot for anyone, let alone a kid that age. The Cardinals brass clearly were aware of this, as manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan had guys up in the bullpen from the sixth inning. Duncan later admitted that he was actually hoping someone would break up the no-no so he could get Smith out of there. It will be interesting to see what the “pitch-count police” have to say about Smith’s pitch count. Baseball Prospectus’ Joe Sheehan has taken what I find to be a good middle ground, acknowledging both the high pitch count and the unique situation a no-hitter presents. I’m with Sheehan in that the Cards should be very careful with their young southpaw the next start or two, perhaps skipping his turn or at least limiting to, say, 80 pitches. Fortunately, LaRussa and Duncan appear to be aware of the situtation, and I’m cautiously optimistic that they’ll do the right thing.

On a completely different note, San Diego first-rounder Jake Gautreau has been promoted to Triple-A Portland to replace the injured Sean Burroughs. Gautreau, who had been hitting .304/.382/.509 in the Northwest League, went 2-for-4 with a homer in his PCL debut.

[Postscript: Due to arm injuries, Smith hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2002. Although he's still only 25 years old and apparently now in the Minnesota Twins organization, the odds against him ever having a career are pretty overwhelming at this point.]

From the Vault: All-Star Game Thoughts

by Geoff Young on Jul 11, 2005 (2) Comments

[I didn't make this year's All-Star team, so I'll be taking a break for the next few days, resting up for the second half. Meantime, we've got re-runs for you. This one is a combination of two entries that originally ran July 1 and 3, 2001. Seems pretty topical right about now. Enjoy!]

I

After reading yet another article defending David Bell‘s imminent presence on the American League All-Star squad and, more fundamentally, the fans’ right to make hair-brained choices in determining who should play in the mid-season contest, I’d originally intended to dedicate this space to a rant about the entire All-Star voting process. But after thinking about it a bit, and realizing that such a rant wouldn’t be at all effective or even entertaining, I decided to change course.

So instead of talking about possible solutions to the problem of “fans” choosing someone like Bell to represent the AL team as the best third baseman in the league, I’m going to advocate something radically different and yet elegant in its simplicity: Don’t watch the game.

I’m not being facetious, nor am I suggesting that everyone should follow this course of action. If you don’t have a problem with a .247/.293/.385 hitter starting at the hot corner in an All-Star Game, then ignore my recommendation. The game is, after all, simply an exhibition. Yes, it’s supposed to feature the best players in the big leagues, and it would be nice if it did, but in the end, it’s a game that doesn’t count in the standings or anywhere else that actually matters. [Ed note: This was before Bud Selig and friends decided that players on non-contending teams should have some influence over what happens in the World Series.]

If you can accept the All-Star Game at face value and don’t mind the fact that it doesn’t quite deliver on its promise of bringing together only the best players, then sit back, relax, and enjoy. I mean, is having David Bell (and I have no problem with him per se–the guy’s just doing his job the best he can; it’s certainly not his fault the fans have voted him into the game) really any worse than forcing every team to have a representative in the game? And even if it is, who cares? The integrity, such as it may be, of Major League Baseball is not at stake here. We’re not talking about reinstating Pete Rose and allowing him into the Hall of Fame (don’t get me started); this is a simple game that counts for nothing.

On the other hand, if you’re like me and want to see only the best players, then maybe the All-Star Game isn’t for you. The game is for the fans, and the fans want Bell to start at third. God bless ‘em. Me, I think I’ll skip the festivities and watch the more interesting Futures Game, which features many of the best prospects in baseball. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll get to see the next David Bell…

II

The fans have spared us the indignity of having to watch David Bell start at third base in the All-Star Game. Cal Ripken, one of the few choices worse than Bell, will get the nod instead. Hopefully Ripken, who is hitting .227/.261/.328, will get an at-bat and a well-deserved standing ovation, then turn it over to the best third baseman in the league, Troy Glaus. [Ed note: Ripken homered in the contest.]

His atrocious stats notwithstanding, Ripken actually isn’t an unreasonable choice. Unlike Bell, who really hasn’t had much historical impact on the game, Ripken, for those of you too young or too old to remember, was an offensive force at shorstop through much of the 1980s and the early part of the 1990s. His numbers don’t look very impressive now, in light of the way guys like A-Rod, Nomar, Jeter, and Larkin have revolutionized the position, but at the time, Ripken was a man among boys. Yeah, he probably should have retired 8-10 years ago, and it might not have been a bad idea for him to take a few days off now and then in his younger days, but in his prime, Ripken was one of the elite players in the game.

Over in the National League, it looks like Tony Gwynn will be named to the squad for sentimental reasons as well. I’m a huge Gwynn fan and very grateful I’ve been able to watch him up close over the years. But it will be a shame if he ends up taking up a roster spot more appropriately given to someone like Cliff Floyd or Phil Nevin. Still, with guys like Ripken and Gwynn, you can’t gripe too much. The real shame is that folks seeing them now for the first time won’t get a true sense of how great they were back in the day.

Ducksnorts Swag

by Geoff Young on Jul 10, 2005 (2) Comments

FYI, shirts and caps are now available. I’ve added a link to the Ducksnorts Online Store over on the right.

'What's a Ducksnort?' White T-Shirt Ducksnorts Trucker Hat

IGD: Padres @ Rockies (10 Jul 2005)

by Geoff Young on Jul 10, 2005 (76) Comments

first pitch: 12:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Pedro Astacio (2-8, 6.05 ERA) vs Jeff Francis (8-5, 4.74 ERA)
preview: Padres.com

You’re down 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth at Coors Field. You’ve got runners on first and second with nobody out. Xavier Nady (.263/.328/.497) is available on the bench. So is Geoff Blum (.237/.309/.348). Nady has an 854 OPS against lefties this year, while Blum checks in at 658. Naturally you have Blum come up to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Because, you know, he hasn’t done that all year. But Colorado “closer” Brian Fuentes can’t find the plate and falls behind in the count, 3-1, at which point Blum hacks away and ends up striking out.

Okay, so Blum doesn’t get the job done. But my question is, why is he even up there in the first place? And why is he being asked to sacrifice? Honestly, if that’s the plan (not that it’s a good one, mind you), at least send someone up who has recent experience laying down a bunt. Woody Williams immediately comes to mind. Blum was put in a position to fail, and that’s exactly what he did. Not his fault. He wasn’t the right man for the job, and his freakin’ boss should’ve known it.

Nady pinch hits immediately after Blum and also strikes out. Who knows if having him up with nobody out would have made a difference, but I really like the idea of Nady facing a 3-1 pitch from a lefty late in the game. The complete lack of confidence in this kid is really starting to grate. Especially now that he’s second on the team in homers. Do you suppose Nady’s inability to come through Saturday night might influence Bochy’s thought process when he has to choose between sending a scrappy veteran utility infielder or a young guy who hits the snot out of the ball up to the plate in a key situation? Does this thought haunt you? Or is it just me?

Anyway, the final game before the All-Star break sees right-hander Pedro Astacio make his Padre debut. Apparently Astacio had pitched earlier this season with Texas, with little success. He doesn’t walk many guys, which is great in Denver. He also gives up a ton of homers, which is decidedly less great.

The Friars are headed into the break with at least a 4 1/2 game lead in the NL West so I should be happy about that. And I am. But I’ll be even happier if they stop giving away games down the stretch and start putting some distance between themselves and the other teams in this weak-ass division.

C’mon guys, let’s finish on an up note. Go Pads!

IGD: Padres @ Rockies (9 Jul 2005)

by Geoff Young on Jul 09, 2005 (66) Comments

first pitch: 5:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Brian Lawrence (5-7, 4.34 ERA) vs Jason Jennings (4-8, 5.59 ERA)
previews: ESPN | CBS | Padres.com

Rookie Tim Stauffer bounced back strong after a 34-pitch first inning Friday night. Spotting the Rockies to a 2-0 lead courtesy of a blast off the bat of about-to-be-traded Preston Wilson, Stauffer settled down and didn’t allow a single run over the next six innings. As Iced Coffee noted in the IGD comments, Stauffer has worked into the sixth in each of his 11 big-league starts. Granted, he has failed to record an out in the sixth in three of those games, but that’s still pretty darned impressive.

IC also broke down Stauffer’s performance Friday night:

          IP H R ER HR BB SO Pit %Strk
Inn 1    1.0 3 2  2  1  2  0  34  50.0
Inn 2-7  6.0 2 0  0  0  0  5  74  74.3

As he noted, “Stauffer ever learns to get through the first two frames in 25-30 pitches with no walks and a couple of singles allowed, and things could get downright nasty.” Good call, IC.

Ryan Klesko was the offensive star of Friday night’s contest, hitting a grand slam into the Colorado bullpen in the sixth to put the Friars up 10-2. That was the first slam by a Padre since Phil Nevin hit one on Opening Day 2004. Isn’t it weird that Klesko’s OPS this year (840) is actually lower than last year (847)? Not complaining; it’s great to have his power back. That’s just a little weird, is all.

Saturday’s matchup features two right-handers who average fewer than six strikeouts per nine innings. Both serve up a ton of grounders when they’re going well. Lawrence has better control, which should work to his advantage in Denver. (Side note: How a team that plays half its games at the best hitters’ park in MLB can lead the league in walks issued two years running is quite beyond me. Thankfully, it’s not my problem.)

                              AB   BA  OBP  SLG
Lawrence vs current Rockies  101 .287 .339 .485
Jennings vs current Padres   237 .308 .387 .515

Todd Helton (.344/.450/.594 in 32 AB) is doing the big damage. Everyone else has been pretty quiet or else is a rookie and hasn’t faced Lawrence much. So the strategy, as always, is to pitch around Helton and concentrate on the other eight guys. Yeah, you already knew that.

For the Padres, oh my: Klesko (.382/.500/.882 in 34 AB, with 5 HRs), Dave Roberts (.417/.462/.750 in 12 AB), Brian Giles (.321/.472/.679 in 28 AB), Khalil Greene (.300/.300/.650 in 20 AB), Sean Burroughs (.406/.457/.469 in 32 AB), and Ramon Hernandez (.333/.357/.583 in 12 AB) all have Jennings’ number. So his strategy, I guess, would be to pitch around everybody. In other words, status quo.

Oh, and the D’backs and Dodgers both snatched defeat from the jaws of victory Friday night, so the Padres now have a 5 1/2 game lead in the NL West. Be nice to see ‘em extend that a little more before the break. Go get ‘em, boys!

IGD: Padres @ Rockies (8 Jul 2005)

by Geoff Young on Jul 08, 2005 (99) Comments

first pitch: 6:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Tim Stauffer (2-4, 4.78 ERA) vs Jamey Wright (5-8, 5.14 ERA)
previews: ESPN | CBS | Padres.com

Friars narrowly averted a sweep at Houston, beating the Astros 7-5 Thursday. Now it’s off to Denver for three games of Arena Baseball before the All-Star break.

Eric Young is back, Ramon Hernandez is back; Phil Nevin, Adam Eaton, and Mark Loretta are on the way. Maybe a few days of not thinking about stuff will help these guys and the Pads can go on a tear to start the second half. It’d be nice.

For the Rox, Todd Helton (.281/.404/.454) is having an off year, although he’s been torrid of late. Three of his nine homers on the season have come in the past seven games. Also, slugger Preston Wilson is supposedly headed to the Nationals.

Several former Padres now play for Colorado: Desi Relaford, Dan Miceli, Jay Witasick, Blaine Neal. Actually, Witasick is putting together a surprisingly good season for the Rockies.

Offensive numbers at Coors Field this year? Offensive:

             AB   BA  OBP  SLG
Rockies    1548 .302 .369 .468
Opponents  1596 .303 .379 .459

At least the Pads get to face them immediately before the break. Nothing like burning out your bullpen and then having to travel somewhere else to play a game the next day.

Mark Sweeney at first base tonight, Sean Burroughs at third. Eric Young and Xavier Nady ride pine.

Cesar Carrillo’s Pro Debut

by Geoff Young on Jul 07, 2005 (12) Comments

Pix now, with comments. to follow…

Made the trek up to the Diamond in Lake Elsinore Thursday evening to catch the pro debut of Padres first-round pick Cesar Carrillo. With the caveat that mine is an untrained eye, here are some of my observations.

Cesar Carrillo goes into his windup

Carrillo’s delivery appears free and easy. Not a lot of wasted motion. He looks confident on the mound. Get the ball, throw the ball.

Cesar Carrillo delivers the pitch

Carrillo faced 11 batters in his debut against the Lancaster JetHawks. He threw first-pitch strikes to eight of them.

Cesar Carrillo's first pitch as a pro: called strike to Lancaster's Neb Brown

I’m such a hack photographer, I can’t believe I actually managed to get the baseball in flight on this one. This was Carrillo’s first pitch as a pro. Called strike to Lancaster’s Neb Brown. Carrillo fanned Brown on four pitches. Carrillo fanned the second batter he faced as well and jumped ahead 0-2 to the third before surrendering a ground ball single up the middle to Miguel Montero.

George Kottaras, Stephen Drew, Cesar Carrillo

Carrillo faced megaprospect Stephen Drew once. Got Drew to pop a 1-2 pitch to shallow right to lead off the second. Drew hit a mammoth home run to right-center in the fourth off reliever Eddie Bonine. The blast was Drew’s seventh in 15 Cal League games this year.

George Kottaras digs in at the plate

Kottaras got the start behind the dish for Carrillo’s debut. A fine prospect in his own right, Kottaras singled and had three RBI in Thursday night’s contest. He also did a good job blocking the plate on a play at home to prevent a run from scoring. Kottaras isn’t the biggest guy around, but he showed no ill effects from his close encounter with a JetHawk.

Back to Carrillo, here are the final numbers for his debut:

 IP H R ER BB SO Pit
3.0 2 0  0  0  3  40

And a breakdown of his pitches:

Ball: 12
Strike: 28
  Swinging: 6
  Called: 10
  Fouled: 4
  In Play: 8 (6 ground ball, 2 fly ball)
    Ground single to center
    Fielders choice, second to short
    Fly ball to shallow right
    Grounder to first, pitcher covering
    Grounder to short
    Ground single to center
    Pop foul to third
    Grounder to short

Carrillo threw 20 pitches in the first inning, 11 in the second, and 9 in the third. He was around the plate and kept the ball low in the zone. According to the scoreboard radar, his fastball was generally 89-93 mph, peaking at 94. He also featured a curve that came in around 77-80 mph. A third pitch, which I had trouble identifying (possibly a two-seamer?) came in mid- to high-80s.

And there you have it, one untrained observer’s thoughts on Carrillo’s pro debut.

IGD: Padres @ Astros (7 Jul 2005)

by Geoff Young on Jul 07, 2005 (65) Comments

first pitch: 5:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Woody Williams (4-5, 4.14 ERA) vs Wandy Rodriguez (4-3, 6.55 ERA)
preview: CBS | Padres.com

Padres lost again, keeping the rest of the division close. Remember these games come September. Here’s your Thursday matchup:

                             AB   BA  OBP  SLG
Williams vs current Astros  223 .300 .359 .484
Rodriguez vs everybody      179 .313 .390 .547

Current Astros have hit eight homers against Williams; fortunately, five of those are off the bat of the injured Jeff Bagwell. Among the healthy, Adam Everett (.429/.429/.571 in 14 AB) has had the most success.

Rodriguez is a 26-year-old southpaw making his eighth big-league start. Don’t let the fact that he’s left handed fool you. Lefties are hitting .415/.520/.854 off him, with four homers in just 41 at-bats.

I dunno, maybe a sweep wouldn’t be all bad. Shame can be a tremendous motivating force.

I’ll be at Elsinore tonight for first-round pick Cesar Carrillo’s pro debut so talk amongst yourselves. Go Pads!