Seventeen Innings of Solitude

Monday, April 30, 2007
by Geoff Young
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 ...
Keep reading >>

Posted in Game Recaps, Minors | 36 Comments »

Gonzalez, Greene Ruin Big Unit’s Return

Wednesday, April 25, 2007
by Geoff Young
That was fun. Two old guys serving up meat, and plenty of it? What's not to love. Randy Johnson made his 2007 debut and looked a bit rusty. He had the good stuff, but his command wasn't quite there and the Padres took advantage. Jose Cruz Jr., Adrian Gonzalez, and Khalil Greene all had field days at the plate against Johnson and a slew of relievers. With the Padres down 2-0 in the third, Cruz drew a one-out walk. One out later, Gonzalez hammered a 2-0 fastball clocked at 93 mph out over the wall in left field to tie the game. According to the TV guys, this marked the 24th homer allowed to a lefty in 19 seasons by Johnson. Greene pretty ...
Keep reading >>

Posted in Game Recaps, Minors | 10 Comments »

Padres tickets  Chargers tickets  Sports tickets

Checking In on the New Guys

Monday, April 23, 2007
by Geoff Young
The Padres lost on Sunday, and I have surprisingly little to say about it. They didn't really do anything wrong other than run into Jason Hirsh, who is pitching very well right now. I liked what I saw from Greg Maddux. Again. Actually, I like what I'm seeing from a lot of the new guys: Marcus Giles has a bizarre approach to batting leadoff, but it seems to be working so why fight it? Jose Cruz Jr. is playing well on offense and defense; he looks like a solid fourth outfielder to me. Heath Bell? Kevin Cameron? Yes, please. About the only newcomer that hasn't contributed yet is Kevin Kouzmanoff. There's a huge disconnect between the way he's swinging the bat ...
Keep reading >>

Posted in Minors, Open Thread | 36 Comments »

Padres Take Second Straight Series, Face Giants Next

Monday, April 9, 2007
by Geoff Young
The Padres returned to their winning ways on Sunday, beating the Colorado Rockies, 2-1, in 10 innings. Jake Peavy held the visitors mostly in check for seven of those innings while waiting for the offense to break through against Aaron Cook, whose nasty sinker baffled the Padres for most of the afternoon. With two out in the eighth, Jose Cruz Jr. laid into a Cook offering and drilled a solo homer just above the yellow line in front of Petco porch. The ball didn't travel very far, but Cruz demonstrated to all who were watching that if you hit the ball in the right direction, you don't need to hit it a long way. Something to remember when batting at Petco Park. The Padres then ...
Keep reading >>

Posted in Game Recaps, Notes and Links | 28 Comments »