It's no secret by now that the Padres have one of the best, if not the best, 1-2 combos in the majors when it comes to starters. Jake Peavy and Chris Young got off to an amazing start and if it wasn't for a pesky injury after the All Star break, Young may have been a stronger Cy Young candidate.
With Greg Maddux coming back we have a solid enough No. 3 starter that he should guarantee us at least 10 wins once again, despite the fact that Maddux is clearly not the pitcher he was. However, his years of experience have made it possible for him to remain effective.
Any fan worth his weight knows the biggest question for the Padres is who will fill the last two spots in the rotation. Low budget signings Randy Wolf and Mark Prior should be adequate to fill the roles if they can remain healthy, but that's the $64,000 question this season.
Both Wolf and Prior tend to be fly ball pitchers and their home run to fly ball ratios should see the most improvement because of their new surroundings. Should the need arise, both Justin Germano (last year's No. 5 starter) and Clay Hensley headline a list of youngsters who will be itching for another chance to earn a full-time rotation gig.
It remains to be seen how effective Germano really can be - is he more of the pitcher we saw in the first half (only 1 loss), or is he closer to the guy we saw struggle in the second half? A similar questions could be asked of Hensley, but he too is also trying to battle back from injury.
Regardless of who fills the last two spots, someone is going to have to step up in a big way.
Showing posts with label Clay Hensley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clay Hensley. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
2007 recaps: Starting pitching
Alright, so it's been almost another week between posts so I guess it's time to get to my thoughts on the starting pitching in 2007.
What started out as one of the team's strongest parts became somewhat of a problem as things wore on. If Jake Peavy doesn't win the Cy Young, it will be a tragedy as he was clearly the best NL pitcher this year. Not only was he the only starting pitcher in the majors with an ERA under 3.00 ( he finished with 2.54), he also led the NL in wins and strikeouts - the pitcher's triple crown. But behind him was one roller coaster of a staff.
Competing with Peavy for the Cy Young through the All Star break was teammate Chris Young, however he tailed off after an oblique injury early in the second half of the season. Once the injury hit, you never knew how good Young would be for how long and it showed in his stats. On July 24, Young was 9-3. Then after the injury he went 0-5 (to finish with a 9-8 record) and the Pads went 2-8 during that span.
Greg Maddux had a similar situation happen to him where he had five consecutive losses but he followed that up with five wins in his next six starts and finished with a 14-11 record. Maddux clearly wasn't the Maddux of old and for a long time it seemed that he needed to be pulled by either the sixth inning or 65 pitches, whichever came first. But he picked it up in the second half and threw less than 65 pitches only once.
After Maddux the rotation was a complete mess. Clay Hensley battled early season injuries and was never able get going once he was healthy. David Wells was like Maddux but compounded, needing to be pulled by around 50 pitches before he imploded. He was so ineffective that he was eventually released. And while Justin Germano came up huge at the start of the season he eventually wore down and was no better or worse than any of the other pitchers the Pads were trying to get quality starts out of every now and then.
All of this inconsistency eventually wore down the pen and contributed to SD missing the playoffs, but that is more of a discussion for the breakdown of the pen. With Peavy and Young back healthy, the top spots of the rotation are obviously taken care of but after that its anyone's guess as to who will fill out the spots in '08. Maddux has a player option and would again be a good back-of-the-rotation guy, but it is obvious the Nos. 4 and 5 spots will need to be addressed.
Hensley is probably not an option and Germano may be better suited for long relief. And from what the guys the Pads were trying out at the end of the season, none of them really seized the opportunity provided to them in a time of need. There is clearly some need here, no matter how strong it was thought to be at the beginning of 2007.
What started out as one of the team's strongest parts became somewhat of a problem as things wore on. If Jake Peavy doesn't win the Cy Young, it will be a tragedy as he was clearly the best NL pitcher this year. Not only was he the only starting pitcher in the majors with an ERA under 3.00 ( he finished with 2.54), he also led the NL in wins and strikeouts - the pitcher's triple crown. But behind him was one roller coaster of a staff.
Competing with Peavy for the Cy Young through the All Star break was teammate Chris Young, however he tailed off after an oblique injury early in the second half of the season. Once the injury hit, you never knew how good Young would be for how long and it showed in his stats. On July 24, Young was 9-3. Then after the injury he went 0-5 (to finish with a 9-8 record) and the Pads went 2-8 during that span.
Greg Maddux had a similar situation happen to him where he had five consecutive losses but he followed that up with five wins in his next six starts and finished with a 14-11 record. Maddux clearly wasn't the Maddux of old and for a long time it seemed that he needed to be pulled by either the sixth inning or 65 pitches, whichever came first. But he picked it up in the second half and threw less than 65 pitches only once.
After Maddux the rotation was a complete mess. Clay Hensley battled early season injuries and was never able get going once he was healthy. David Wells was like Maddux but compounded, needing to be pulled by around 50 pitches before he imploded. He was so ineffective that he was eventually released. And while Justin Germano came up huge at the start of the season he eventually wore down and was no better or worse than any of the other pitchers the Pads were trying to get quality starts out of every now and then.
All of this inconsistency eventually wore down the pen and contributed to SD missing the playoffs, but that is more of a discussion for the breakdown of the pen. With Peavy and Young back healthy, the top spots of the rotation are obviously taken care of but after that its anyone's guess as to who will fill out the spots in '08. Maddux has a player option and would again be a good back-of-the-rotation guy, but it is obvious the Nos. 4 and 5 spots will need to be addressed.
Hensley is probably not an option and Germano may be better suited for long relief. And from what the guys the Pads were trying out at the end of the season, none of them really seized the opportunity provided to them in a time of need. There is clearly some need here, no matter how strong it was thought to be at the beginning of 2007.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
An official apology
So I just realized that I have been hard on the guys lately. I ragged on them when they blew a game against the Mets earlier this week and even when they beat them the next night I was still critical.
I don't want this to come across as an excuse (but it sounds like one anyway) but with all of the changes that have been going on in my life lately I feel like I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been to the bigger picture. I didn't realize the Pads took 2 of 3 from NY while increasing their lead in the Wild Card race.
Last night's drubbing added even more padding to securing a playoff spot and from the looks of it, it seems Milton Bradley's return to the lineup has helped out guys like Adrian Gonzalez.
I won't apologize for the comments I have made about the pitching because I still think we need more consistency all around at the moment but I will say I shouldn't be so hard on these guys are they have gotten things going in the right direction. Another drubbing of the Phillies would be great, but it hasn't been Clay Hensley's year so who knows what the outcome will be.
I don't want this to come across as an excuse (but it sounds like one anyway) but with all of the changes that have been going on in my life lately I feel like I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been to the bigger picture. I didn't realize the Pads took 2 of 3 from NY while increasing their lead in the Wild Card race.
Last night's drubbing added even more padding to securing a playoff spot and from the looks of it, it seems Milton Bradley's return to the lineup has helped out guys like Adrian Gonzalez.
I won't apologize for the comments I have made about the pitching because I still think we need more consistency all around at the moment but I will say I shouldn't be so hard on these guys are they have gotten things going in the right direction. Another drubbing of the Phillies would be great, but it hasn't been Clay Hensley's year so who knows what the outcome will be.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
With August here, still some tinkering left to do
The Padres are in the home stretch, in second place in the NL West and while we would like to think that SD has to be one of the favorites to win NL, there are still a couple of things that need to be corrected for a postseason run.
The David Wells horse has been beat to death and it seems there is a possibility he could be released. The only problem is, Greg Maddux has no stamina and can't get past the sixth, Justin Germano has been struggling after a hot start and Clay Hensley never got things together after suffering through some early season injuries. And with Chris Young still hurting, there is not much starting pitching to rely on at this point. It also appears that any future starters that are laboring in the minors are not quite ready to make the jump up to the majors (Tim Stauffer anyone).
I think one thing we thought the Padres had an abundance of this year was pitching but it seems like the starters have hit a wall, and with Bud Black still trying to find a consistent starting lineup it seems like the wheels could be coming off this thing in a hurry.
The Padres seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place right now with Wells struggling so much but if a couple of guys could get hot as the season winds down, they may be able to get things going in the right direction and have enough momentum entering the playoffs that a deep postseason run may still be possible, even if the offense still doesn't come around completely.
Hopefully a solution will present itself soon but if it doesn't, I fear the Padres will be at home watching the playoffs like the rest of us.
The David Wells horse has been beat to death and it seems there is a possibility he could be released. The only problem is, Greg Maddux has no stamina and can't get past the sixth, Justin Germano has been struggling after a hot start and Clay Hensley never got things together after suffering through some early season injuries. And with Chris Young still hurting, there is not much starting pitching to rely on at this point. It also appears that any future starters that are laboring in the minors are not quite ready to make the jump up to the majors (Tim Stauffer anyone).
I think one thing we thought the Padres had an abundance of this year was pitching but it seems like the starters have hit a wall, and with Bud Black still trying to find a consistent starting lineup it seems like the wheels could be coming off this thing in a hurry.
The Padres seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place right now with Wells struggling so much but if a couple of guys could get hot as the season winds down, they may be able to get things going in the right direction and have enough momentum entering the playoffs that a deep postseason run may still be possible, even if the offense still doesn't come around completely.
Hopefully a solution will present itself soon but if it doesn't, I fear the Padres will be at home watching the playoffs like the rest of us.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Still walking a slippery sloap
April was good, May was better, June was okay.
Then came July and it seems that any momentum SD has built this year has vanished. Not only are the Padres losing games against teams they should be beating, but they are getting hammered. SD's run differential in July? The Padres have been outscored 113-68 as of Thursday's 7-1 loss in Houston.
I know I have suggested this before but with the call-up of Clay Hensley and the struggles of David Wells, I think it is time to move Wells to the pen and give Hensley another shot at starting. Even though Hensley has been struggling this year in the majors and minors, he looked like he was turning things around as he pitched 3 shutout innings Thursday.
My biggest question is, what could this switch hurt. Wells obviously doesn't have the stamina he used to and giving up 7 runs in 3 innings shouldn't be too hard for a guy like Hensley to top, who has had success before in the majors. It is a known fact that Wells can only go about 5 innings anyways so why not let him pitch fewer innings and keep his arm fresh for the postseason.
It's obvious more changes need to made, and that does not necessarily mean making a trade. Bud Black has tried shaking up the lineup and now I think it's time to shake up the pitching staff. The Padres have not had a lot of success from their starters of late so a change like this could help stir the guys up and get them going in the right direction again.
What do you guys think needs to be done? Is a change in the rotation a good move? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
Then came July and it seems that any momentum SD has built this year has vanished. Not only are the Padres losing games against teams they should be beating, but they are getting hammered. SD's run differential in July? The Padres have been outscored 113-68 as of Thursday's 7-1 loss in Houston.
I know I have suggested this before but with the call-up of Clay Hensley and the struggles of David Wells, I think it is time to move Wells to the pen and give Hensley another shot at starting. Even though Hensley has been struggling this year in the majors and minors, he looked like he was turning things around as he pitched 3 shutout innings Thursday.
My biggest question is, what could this switch hurt. Wells obviously doesn't have the stamina he used to and giving up 7 runs in 3 innings shouldn't be too hard for a guy like Hensley to top, who has had success before in the majors. It is a known fact that Wells can only go about 5 innings anyways so why not let him pitch fewer innings and keep his arm fresh for the postseason.
It's obvious more changes need to made, and that does not necessarily mean making a trade. Bud Black has tried shaking up the lineup and now I think it's time to shake up the pitching staff. The Padres have not had a lot of success from their starters of late so a change like this could help stir the guys up and get them going in the right direction again.
What do you guys think needs to be done? Is a change in the rotation a good move? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Flashback Friday: Justin Germano
Ok, I realize I never got a flashback up last week and I apologize - things get crazy, life happens and it becomes Friday. For this week, I decided to flashback to the not so distant future of 2004, a time when people had just finished watching the first season of the new hit show, The O.C. (ok, when teenagers started watching it) and gas prices were still less than $2.00 a gallon. Oh I remember the days.
Anyways, on May 22 a young pitcher named Justin Germano made his major league debut for the Padres, giving up 4 earned runs in 5 innings while picking up the win, 9-6 over the Phillies. After the Padres had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, Germano gave up four runs in the third. San Diego then chiseled away at the lead and had retaken it by the time Germano was pulled. Both teams combined for 15 runs and 23 hits and used most of their pens to try and win the game.
Germano would only start four more games and pitch in seven total the rest of the season, finishing with a 8.86 ERA, 16 K's and he gave up 31 hits in 21 1/3 innings. The next season Germano was traded along with pitcher Travis Chick to the Cincinnati Reds for IF Joe Randa.
Germano pitched 6 2/3 innings for the Reds in 2006, finishing 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 8 K's. He was then traded to the Phillies at the trade deadline for Rheal Cormier.
The Padres then claimed him off waivers as the Phillies tried to option him to the minors March and after optioning him themselves, the Padres called him up when Clay Hensley went on the DL. Since his call up March 30, Germano is 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA, 10 K's and a 0.81 WHIP.
While it still remains to be see how important of a role he will secure with San Diego, the Padres certainly have brought Germano back into the fold at the right time.
Anyways, on May 22 a young pitcher named Justin Germano made his major league debut for the Padres, giving up 4 earned runs in 5 innings while picking up the win, 9-6 over the Phillies. After the Padres had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, Germano gave up four runs in the third. San Diego then chiseled away at the lead and had retaken it by the time Germano was pulled. Both teams combined for 15 runs and 23 hits and used most of their pens to try and win the game.
Germano would only start four more games and pitch in seven total the rest of the season, finishing with a 8.86 ERA, 16 K's and he gave up 31 hits in 21 1/3 innings. The next season Germano was traded along with pitcher Travis Chick to the Cincinnati Reds for IF Joe Randa.
Germano pitched 6 2/3 innings for the Reds in 2006, finishing 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 8 K's. He was then traded to the Phillies at the trade deadline for Rheal Cormier.
The Padres then claimed him off waivers as the Phillies tried to option him to the minors March and after optioning him themselves, the Padres called him up when Clay Hensley went on the DL. Since his call up March 30, Germano is 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA, 10 K's and a 0.81 WHIP.
While it still remains to be see how important of a role he will secure with San Diego, the Padres certainly have brought Germano back into the fold at the right time.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Shipwrecked
The problem with David Wells' performance wasn't the fact that he gave up two runs - it was the fact he lasted only five innings while putting nine runners on base and making only 67 pitches.
I know I have mentioned this before but I will again mention it again - Wells is valuable as a teacher for the younger guys on staff, but he may no longer be starting material. And with Kevin Towers dead set on keeping more pitchers than he needs on his roster, a solution needs to be found for when Clay Hensley comes off the DL. Justin Germano is not going anywhere and it makes no sense that if Hensley is being developed as a starter to send him back to the pen, so the solution seems to be sending down Justin Hampson or Kevin Cameron and finding a spot for Hensley.
Again, I propose the solution of moving Wells to the pen and making him the No.1 option for if or when Hensley or Germano gets in trouble and needs to come out early. It keeps Wells on staff in a position that he can still tutor the younglings, it keeps the younglings in the starting rotation and it gets one of our unused relievers some playing time, even if it is at a lower level.
It also seems to give the Friars the best chance to win. The Padres have lost 4 of the last 6 Wells has started and they can't afford to lose games to the lowly Bucs, especially when the Los Angeles Dodgers are in front in the NL West.
I know I have mentioned this before but I will again mention it again - Wells is valuable as a teacher for the younger guys on staff, but he may no longer be starting material. And with Kevin Towers dead set on keeping more pitchers than he needs on his roster, a solution needs to be found for when Clay Hensley comes off the DL. Justin Germano is not going anywhere and it makes no sense that if Hensley is being developed as a starter to send him back to the pen, so the solution seems to be sending down Justin Hampson or Kevin Cameron and finding a spot for Hensley.
Again, I propose the solution of moving Wells to the pen and making him the No.1 option for if or when Hensley or Germano gets in trouble and needs to come out early. It keeps Wells on staff in a position that he can still tutor the younglings, it keeps the younglings in the starting rotation and it gets one of our unused relievers some playing time, even if it is at a lower level.
It also seems to give the Friars the best chance to win. The Padres have lost 4 of the last 6 Wells has started and they can't afford to lose games to the lowly Bucs, especially when the Los Angeles Dodgers are in front in the NL West.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A good problem
I was reading Nick Canepa's column this morning on the Clay Hensley/Justin Germano situation and it got me thinking. Kevin Towers said both would remain on the roster when Hensley comes back from the DL but he probably would lose his spot in the rotation.
Now Hensley will probably take the roster spot of Kevin Cameron but why does that mean he has to fill his spot in the pen? Now this may be blasphemous but couldn't David Wells go to the pen instead? I know Wells is coming off a gem where he pitched 8 innings and gave up only 1 earned run, but look at his other starts this year.
In 45 innings he has given up 56 hits? That seems a little excessive. Now Hensley hasn't been any better this year but at least his excuse is injury and not age.
And with Hensley getting his career going and Wells winding his down, maybe the Padres could get more for their money but letting Hensley fill the No. 5 starter role. Wells would be valuable in long relief when Hensley, Germano or even Greg Maddux has an off game and needs to come out early and the rotation would get some consistency for the next couple of years is both of the young guys were able to battle through this situation.
Ultimately I trust whatever decision Towers makes - after all when it comes to pitching he has built a reputation as being one of, if not the, best - but this scenario could certainly make for an interesting summer.
Now Hensley will probably take the roster spot of Kevin Cameron but why does that mean he has to fill his spot in the pen? Now this may be blasphemous but couldn't David Wells go to the pen instead? I know Wells is coming off a gem where he pitched 8 innings and gave up only 1 earned run, but look at his other starts this year.
Last 10 Games:
 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| DATE | OPP | W | L | ERA | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO |
| APR 07 | COL | 0 | 0 | 2.70 | 0 | 6.2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| APR 13 | @LAD | 0 | 1 | 7.00 | 0 | 2.1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| APR 18 | ARI | 0 | 0 | 5.06 | 0 | 7.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| APR 24 | @ARI | 1 | 0 | 6.00 | 0 | 5.0 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| APR 29 | LAD | 0 | 0 | 6.23 | 0 | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| MAY 05 | @FLA | 0 | 0 | 6.03 | 0 | 5.1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| MAY 10 | @ATL | 0 | 1 | 6.32 | 0 | 5.2 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| MAY 15 | CIN | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 0 | 8.0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| ||||||||||
| Totals | 1 | 2 | 5.40 | 0 | 45.0 | 56 | 27 | 11 | 24 | |
In 45 innings he has given up 56 hits? That seems a little excessive. Now Hensley hasn't been any better this year but at least his excuse is injury and not age.
And with Hensley getting his career going and Wells winding his down, maybe the Padres could get more for their money but letting Hensley fill the No. 5 starter role. Wells would be valuable in long relief when Hensley, Germano or even Greg Maddux has an off game and needs to come out early and the rotation would get some consistency for the next couple of years is both of the young guys were able to battle through this situation.
Ultimately I trust whatever decision Towers makes - after all when it comes to pitching he has built a reputation as being one of, if not the, best - but this scenario could certainly make for an interesting summer.
Monday, May 14, 2007
The (non) Weekend Update
So I've been a little lax this weekend in posting my thoughts, I am sure many out there are disappointed ... and more probably didn't even notice.
Jake Peavy has to be the best pitcher in baseball right now and if he had gotten the proper support in that no decision against the Diamondbacks where he struck out 16 there probably would be a number of stories detailing his life history on ESPN since they like to jump on what's hot. We knew he was good, even when he struggled last year, but I don't think any of us expected his season to go this way this early.
And it's nice to know that when a starting pitcher goes down, a guy like Justin Germano is hanging around in Portland ready for his next shot. After giving up only one run in his first start against Atlanta, Germano pitched seven innings of shut out ball on Sunday - which is huge considering Greg Maddux, David Wells and Clay Hensley have been so unpredictable. That trio has been very up-and-down and so to see Germano see pretty steady in his first two starts says a lot.
It was also nice to see the bullpen not have to work so hard against the Cardinals as they had to against the Braves. And three games at Cincinnati should not be too taxing either.
The only other thing I loved about the weekend series was retro night. Gaslampball.com has some great pictures from retro night (go check them out) but the only image you need to see is this one I found of Peavy.
Got to love the yellow and brown uni's. Now let's beat those Reds.
Jake Peavy has to be the best pitcher in baseball right now and if he had gotten the proper support in that no decision against the Diamondbacks where he struck out 16 there probably would be a number of stories detailing his life history on ESPN since they like to jump on what's hot. We knew he was good, even when he struggled last year, but I don't think any of us expected his season to go this way this early.
And it's nice to know that when a starting pitcher goes down, a guy like Justin Germano is hanging around in Portland ready for his next shot. After giving up only one run in his first start against Atlanta, Germano pitched seven innings of shut out ball on Sunday - which is huge considering Greg Maddux, David Wells and Clay Hensley have been so unpredictable. That trio has been very up-and-down and so to see Germano see pretty steady in his first two starts says a lot.
It was also nice to see the bullpen not have to work so hard against the Cardinals as they had to against the Braves. And three games at Cincinnati should not be too taxing either.
The only other thing I loved about the weekend series was retro night. Gaslampball.com has some great pictures from retro night (go check them out) but the only image you need to see is this one I found of Peavy.
Got to love the yellow and brown uni's. Now let's beat those Reds.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Money's worth
Is it me or do the Padres seem to give fans more than they pay for at least once a week? At least this time they came out on top in the 12-inning affair down in Florida.
But this can't be good. We've already seen Kevin Towers send Justin Hampson down to Portland while his tired arm recover. And we've seen him recall Hampson four days later to fill the hole Clay Hensley left with his groin injury. We've also seen the bullpen go from stellar in April to average in May because of all of the innings those guys have had to throw between early exits and extra innings.
If the Padres are going to contend this year, they desperately need their pen to come through. But if every guy in the pen is going out every night to throw two innings because the Padres can't put anyone away in nine, the season will get very long, very fast.
But if there's one thing the pen can count on Sunday, it's that most of the guys will get to rest their tired arms as ace Jake Peavy takes the mound to close out the series against the Fish.
But this can't be good. We've already seen Kevin Towers send Justin Hampson down to Portland while his tired arm recover. And we've seen him recall Hampson four days later to fill the hole Clay Hensley left with his groin injury. We've also seen the bullpen go from stellar in April to average in May because of all of the innings those guys have had to throw between early exits and extra innings.
If the Padres are going to contend this year, they desperately need their pen to come through. But if every guy in the pen is going out every night to throw two innings because the Padres can't put anyone away in nine, the season will get very long, very fast.
But if there's one thing the pen can count on Sunday, it's that most of the guys will get to rest their tired arms as ace Jake Peavy takes the mound to close out the series against the Fish.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Linebrink's turn
I thought we had another win in the bag, and then Scott Linebrink took the mound. Normally Linebrink seems to be pretty reliable but he gave up back-to-back home runs? How often does that happen when you are in a position to close out the game?
Before that the Friars learned Clay Hensley would be shelved for awhile so now we have a potential hole in the rotation - if you don't count David Wells' erratic starts this year. But one positive from today ... Mike Cameron had a huge triple that should have been the game winner. It's May and so hopefully with the warm weather Cameron's and Kevin Kouzmanoff's bats will heat up.
Now we just need to get to Sergio Mitre tomorrow, but don't let the 0-2 record fool you, his ERA is under 4.00 and the Marlins seem to have a penchant for putting up runs. That in itself is amazing since most of these guys were rookies last year.
Before that the Friars learned Clay Hensley would be shelved for awhile so now we have a potential hole in the rotation - if you don't count David Wells' erratic starts this year. But one positive from today ... Mike Cameron had a huge triple that should have been the game winner. It's May and so hopefully with the warm weather Cameron's and Kevin Kouzmanoff's bats will heat up.
Now we just need to get to Sergio Mitre tomorrow, but don't let the 0-2 record fool you, his ERA is under 4.00 and the Marlins seem to have a penchant for putting up runs. That in itself is amazing since most of these guys were rookies last year.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
More bad luck
Poor Clay Hensley. After struggling at the beginning of the year with a blister on his throwing hand, he left Wednesday's game in the third inning with a groin injury. Could your season start any worse?
Luckily for the Friars, they were able to overcome their early 1-0 deficit and beat the Nationals 7-3, thanks largely to a five-run fourth inning.
It was hard to think the Padres were going to lose this game, especially since they were facing Matt Chico, who demonstrated such command of a pitch earlier this year he made Rick Vaughn's first spring training performance in Major League look like the second coming of Nolan Ryan.
The win prevented the Nationals from winning their first series this year and helped the Padres enter their day off with a two-game winning streak. The Padres will be back to work Friday when future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux faces off against Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis. That should be quite a matchup.
Luckily for the Friars, they were able to overcome their early 1-0 deficit and beat the Nationals 7-3, thanks largely to a five-run fourth inning.
It was hard to think the Padres were going to lose this game, especially since they were facing Matt Chico, who demonstrated such command of a pitch earlier this year he made Rick Vaughn's first spring training performance in Major League look like the second coming of Nolan Ryan.
The win prevented the Nationals from winning their first series this year and helped the Padres enter their day off with a two-game winning streak. The Padres will be back to work Friday when future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux faces off against Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis. That should be quite a matchup.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Bats alive
Someone finally found the power switch to the Padres offense. After scoring more than five runs in two of the first 15 games, San Diego has scored 11, 11 and seven runs in its last three.
Being on the east coast and not having many of the games on TV out here, I don't know exactly what happened starting Thursday but its nice to see the Friars on a three-game winning streak where they have scored 29 runs.
It's also nice to see that even despite still dealing with the blister on his throwing hand, Clay Hensley picked up his first win of the season, meaning David Wells is the only SD starter still looking for his first win of the season.
Wrapping up their series in Colorado on Sunday, the Padres could sweep their first series of the season if Greg Maddux is on. A win will also cut the Dodgers' early season NL West lead, which is always a positive. Let's see if the Padres can put up 12+ runs in the humidor-free zone of Coors Field.
Being on the east coast and not having many of the games on TV out here, I don't know exactly what happened starting Thursday but its nice to see the Friars on a three-game winning streak where they have scored 29 runs.
It's also nice to see that even despite still dealing with the blister on his throwing hand, Clay Hensley picked up his first win of the season, meaning David Wells is the only SD starter still looking for his first win of the season.
Wrapping up their series in Colorado on Sunday, the Padres could sweep their first series of the season if Greg Maddux is on. A win will also cut the Dodgers' early season NL West lead, which is always a positive. Let's see if the Padres can put up 12+ runs in the humidor-free zone of Coors Field.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Hensley blistered
Facing the slumping Cubs should have been enough and Alfonso Soriano leaving the game in the 5th inning with an injury only down 3-1 should have been insurance for Clay Hensley's first win this season. But for some reason, the Cubs offense got going and the Padres were drubbed 12-4.
Now Hensley and manager Bud Black said the blister that had been bothering Hensley previously was not a factor but at this point, the Padres should be searching for anything that might signify why a pitcher that went 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA last year suddenly can't win a game.
With Tuesday's game ending the short series in Chicago, the team needs Greg Maddux and his veteran savvy to avoid losing its fourth straight game and second straight series. Of course a little offense would help too.
Now Hensley and manager Bud Black said the blister that had been bothering Hensley previously was not a factor but at this point, the Padres should be searching for anything that might signify why a pitcher that went 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA last year suddenly can't win a game.
With Tuesday's game ending the short series in Chicago, the team needs Greg Maddux and his veteran savvy to avoid losing its fourth straight game and second straight series. Of course a little offense would help too.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Remembering Jackie
It's no secret that MLB honored Jackie Robinson on Sunday - the 60th anniversary of his first MLB game - and for Padres fans, we got to see all of the festivities since they faced the Los Angeles Dodgers, Robinson's first team back when the Dodgers still played in Brooklyn.
And while it was a pain to see our guys lose 9-3 and drop to 7-5 on the year, it is nice to see that we have still started the season decently and it is kind of poetic that the Dodgers won a game that had so much meaning and celebration behind it.
While I had seen all sorts of columns and stories talking about Robinson's significance on the game and how good or bad it is to let anyone who wants to wear Robinson's league-wide retired N0. 42, I have to say it was pretty cool to see all of the Dodgers wearing Robinson's number.
And while the loss was the first series the Padres lost this year, it is nice to see that three of our five pitchers have won at least one game. The struggles of Mike Cameron are a little troublesome but with a solid starting staff and a bullpen that didn't allow a run in its first 29 1/3 innings it seems the Padres are in a good rhythm as things get going this season. Again, Sunday's play was disturbing but with the struggling the Chicago Cubs next on the schedule, look for the Padres to continue to build on their early success this season and look for Clay Hensley to pick up his first win of the season.
And while it was a pain to see our guys lose 9-3 and drop to 7-5 on the year, it is nice to see that we have still started the season decently and it is kind of poetic that the Dodgers won a game that had so much meaning and celebration behind it.
While I had seen all sorts of columns and stories talking about Robinson's significance on the game and how good or bad it is to let anyone who wants to wear Robinson's league-wide retired N0. 42, I have to say it was pretty cool to see all of the Dodgers wearing Robinson's number.
And while the loss was the first series the Padres lost this year, it is nice to see that three of our five pitchers have won at least one game. The struggles of Mike Cameron are a little troublesome but with a solid starting staff and a bullpen that didn't allow a run in its first 29 1/3 innings it seems the Padres are in a good rhythm as things get going this season. Again, Sunday's play was disturbing but with the struggling the Chicago Cubs next on the schedule, look for the Padres to continue to build on their early success this season and look for Clay Hensley to pick up his first win of the season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
