Padres continue to take it to division foes

Thursday September 24, 2009

The San Diego Padres came back from an early 3 run deficit to defeat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 tonight at Coors Field in Denver. The victory gave the Padres their 4th series win in the last five against division foes.

Padres starter Clayton Richard was shaky in the 1st inning allowing a 3 run home run to Tulowitzki after and Everth Cabrera throwing error and a Todd Helton single put men on 1st and 2nd.

Richard settled down after that to throw 5 scoreless innings, but did not get the decision. His line on the night: 6 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 2 walks, and 2 strike outs.

Luke Gregerson rebounded from giving up his first runs in the last 2 months in his last outing to throw 1 2/3 innings and record his first ML save. Adam Russell got the win for recording a single out in the 7th.

Cabrera's error was his 19th of the season. It sure seems that Cabrera only commits errors when the play is totally routine and the play tonight was about as routine as they come.

The Padres 6-7-8 hitters went 7 for 12 with 3 rbi and 4 runs scored to pace the Padres offense. Actually, Salazar (2-4 including a triple), Hundley (2-4 with his 8th HR of the year and a stolen base in the 8th inning), and Gwynn (3-4 with the game winning rbi in the 8th) pretty much WERE the Padres offense. Eckstein was his usual pesky self going 2-4 with a sac fly and Headley hit a single in the 8th, advanced to 2nd on a Venable sac bunt and scored on a Hundley single.

The sac bunt by Will Venable was a thing of beauty and I expressed on twitter at the time that I hoped he would teach Gwynn how to follow suit.

The Padres should give an assist to Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler for a total lack of hustle on a shallow hit to center in the 8th that allowed Chase Headley to score the tying run. Fowler jogged in on the ball hit in front of him and then made a lackluster toss to second base instead of trying to gun down Headley at the plate. Even if he hustled the play would have been close with Headley running from 2nd, but to not make any attempt was inexcusable.

Rockies starter Jason Hammel went 6 1/3 innings giving up 2 runs on 6 hits with no walks and 6 k's. Reliever Joe Beimel took the loss.

The Padres have now taken 2 series against the Rockies and one against the Dodgers and Giants in the month of September. All three are playoff contenders.

In fact the only team to take a series from the Padres this month are the last place Diamondbacks.

I really like what I have seen from the Padres in the 2nd half of this season. With 8 games to play the Padres are now 71-83 on the season. 8 games better than 2008. Playing .500 ball the rest of the way will the Padres 75 wins, an even dozen games better than 2008.

That has GOT to make you feel good about the prospects of a winning season in 2010 if the Padres go out and get a decent bat and one innings eating pitcher in FA or in trade.

New Padres show mettle & bats come alive

Tuesday September 8, 2009

One Padres rookie and one new Padre showed that they could get the job done in a pressure situation tonight against the San Francisco Giants at Alphabet Park.

Luke Gregerson has shown in many situations this year that he can be counted on to protect a lead and tonight was only different in that he earned his first major league win by pitching 2/3 perfect innings, but this was the 1st time we have seen Ryan Webb in a close game and he looked very good with his fastball topping out at 96 and his slider popping.

Kevin Correia had another quality start giving up 3 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk in 6 innings. After an outstanding outing in his last start, Correia struggled with his control at times tonight, had to pitch from the stretch in each inning except the 6th. He ended up throwing 115 pitches to get through 6 innings in earning a no decision.

Chase Headley, Kevin Kouzmanoff hit solo home runs off Giants rookie Madison Bumgarner and Will Venable crushed a solo shot to deep center to lead the charge for the power charge for the Padres. Headley drove in the winning run with an opposite field single in the 8th.

Headley went 3-4 and looked very good at the plate, stroking a ball out over the plate for a home run to LF in the 1st and fighting off inside pitches for both singles.

Kouzmanoff went 2-5 before leaving the game with a left calf strain after an at bat in top of the 9th. If the season ends today for Kouzmanoff, he will have enough Total Chances to qualify for the MLB record for fielding percentage by a 3B.

On his 26th birthday, Nick Hundley closed out the game playing left field, that's correct left field, and caught a fly ball from Eugenio Velez for the final out of the game. It was the first time Hundley has ever played the outfield professionally.

The Padres now have 18 games with double digit hits in their last 36 games.

Bumgarner got a no decision for San Francisco in his first major league start, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk with 4 k's in 5 1/3 innings pitched. All in all, a very good showing for the Giants top prospect.

Baek on the road back

Monday June 29, 2009

Padres pitcher Cha Seung Baek is once again n the road back to the starting rotation.

After spending the entire season so far on the DL, Baek joined the Padres in San Diego today and threw a bullpen session. If he rebounds well from it, he could start a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday July 11th.

Baek, who was expected to break spring camp as the #3 starter in the Padres rotation, went on the 15 day DL on March 30th and then was transfered to the 60 day DL on May 15th after suffering a setback in a minor league start for Portland on May 9th.

If all goes well Baek could join the Padres as soon as the Nationals series in late July.

By early August the Padres starting rotation could be Peavy, Young, Correia, Gaudin, Baek. It sure makes you wonder what if.

In other Padres injury news:
Reliever Luke Gregerson also threw a bullpen session at Petco today and is expected to start a rehab assignment by this weekend.