Richard on target. Padres batters are not.

Saturday April 10, 2010

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Clayton Richard showed why the Padres had enough confidence in him after a mediocre showing in spring training to give him the #4 slot in the rotation.

Even in a losing cause, Richard kept the Padres in the game with 7 innings of effective pitching. He gave up 7 hits and 3 runs while striking out 4 and walking 3 in the thin Colorado air.

Meanwhile the Padres batters could manage just 1 hit off Colorado Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa. Other than a single by Everth Cabrera, the Padres seemed baffled by De La Rosa's change up, often swinging at pitches a foot or more out of the zone.

The Padres batters didn't fair any better off the Rockies bullpen, getting just one hit in the final two frames off Rafael Betancourt and rookie Esmil Rogers.

Sean Gallagher sealed the Padres fate by coming in and surrendering 5 hits and 4 runs including a 3 run blast to Clint Barmes in the 8th inning.

Although he was once one of the most promising pitching prospects in baseball and has seen time in the major leagues for parts of 4 years, Gallagher showed today why the Padres felt he was not ready to be a starter.

The final score was 7-0 Colorado and the Padres dropped to 1-3 on the season.

Beat LA Part Two

Wednesday September 30, 2009

OUTSTANDING!

Can you think of anything better than watching the Padres keep the Dodgers from clinching the division for a night?

How about TWO nights in a row?

The Padres win tonight 5-0 and sweep the Dodgers in this short 2 game series.

I absolutely love it!

Clayton Richard threw 7 shutout innings giving up just 1 hit and 3 BB.

How did the Padres batters do?
Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a laser of a 3 run home run in the 3rd off Garland.
Nick Hundley went 3 for 4 to raise his average to .246 on the season.
Chase Headley went 2 for 4, drove in a run and scored a run.

And Loretta put a figure 4 leg lock on Everth Cabrera as he tried to get back to 3b in a 4th inning rundown and was called for obstruction. Cabrera scores!

The Padres have played very good baseball the 2nd half of this season and I am excited about their chances of contending in 2010.

Now lets see if the Rockies can go into Chavez Ravine, take 3 games from them in LA and complete the Dodgers humiliating end of the season.

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.

Padres win 4-1 over Nationals

Tuesday September 1, 2009

The San Diego Padres guaranteed their 3rd straight series win with a 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals at Petco Park tonight.

The up and down Clayton Richard pitched a very nice game, giving up just 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 over 6 2/3 innings for his 8th win of the season and 4th as a Padre. He is now 4-1 with a 4.50 ERA in a Padres uniform.

Will Venable made a great defensive play in RF to save a run in the 6th and stroked an RBI single to drive in Kevin Kouzmanoff in the 2nd. Kouzmanoff went 1 for 4 with a double, a sac fly to drive n a run and a run scored. Oscar Salazar continued his hot hitting off the bench with a pinch hit solo home run in the 7th.

The key play for the Padres may have been a pick off of Elijah Dukes in the 7th. With the score 2-0 Richard picked Dukes off 1st base for the 2nd out. The next batter, Josh Bard, crushed a home run to LF. It would have been a tie game with 1 out, but for that pick off play.

With the win the Padres improved to 58-76 on the season and the Nationals fell to 48-87.

Richard & defense sharp as Padres break losing streak

Friday August 21, 2009

Clayton Richard threw 6 shutout innings and Nick Hundley crushed a 3 run shot to lead the San Diego Padres to their first win over the St Louis Cardinals in 10 tries.

Richard allowed just 5 hits and 3 walks while striking outing 6 and lowered his ERA as a Padre to 3.67 to claim the win, his third straight decision.

After Albert Pujols narrowly missed catching a foul ball to shallow RF off Nick Hundley's bat in the 2nd, Hundley drove a pitch deep to LF to drive in Will Venable and Kyle Blanks. Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in Tony Gwynn with a single to center field in the 8th to pad the lead.

The Padres bullpen threw 3 perfect innings to preserve the win for Richard.

6-6, SIX FOR SIX!

Tuesday August 11, 2009

Adrian Gonzalez went 6 for 6 and the Padres 3-4-5 hitters went 12 for 16 to lead a 22 hit attack to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 13-6 tonight at Miller Park.

It was a season high for hits and runs and Adrian entered the Padres record book by becoming one of only 4 to ever have a 6 hit game.

Of Padres starters, only David Eckstein did not have multiple hits. Will Venable continued his hot streak going 2 for 5 with a solo blast in the 2nd.

The newest Padre, Clayton Richard finally went 6 full innings to earn the win tonight.
His line: 6 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K and 2 HR. His ERA is now 4.15, but an error by Gwynn was later changed and 2 runs added to his tally or his ERA would be lower.

Pads Win, Pads Win, Pads Win

Thursday August 6, 2009

The Padres recorded double digit hits for the 3rd time in this home stand, new Padre Clayton Richard got his first win with the team and they defeat the New York Mets 8-3 tonight at Petco Park.

Adrian Gonzalez continued his hot hitting with a sac fly and a 2 run home run, his 29th of the season, to drive in 3 runs. Henry Blanco went 3 for 4 and David Eckstein walked, hit a double and scored 2 runs.

The only blemishes on an otherwise great game on both sides of the ball was 3 walks by starter Richard and an error by Tony Gwynn Jr with 2 out in the 6th inning.

Richard pitches well in his 2nd outing

Thursday August 6, 2009

In an otherwise outstanding outing against the New York Mets at Petco tonight, 3 walks and an error by Tony Gwynn Jr. in the 6th inning limited Clayton Richard's 2nd start as a San Diego Padre to 5 2/3 innings.

The Padres offense put up 7 runs in the first 3 innings paced by Adrian Gonzalez's 29th home run and 3 rbi to stake Richard to a big lead and he responded with 5 strong innings.

His line - 5.2 IP/5 hits/3 runs/0 earned runs/4 walks/5 k's/0 home runs.
Richard threw 99 pitches, 60 for strikes, before being pulled after walking Omir Santos.

Yahoo seems to think that the runs were earned, but since there was an error, none of the runs that followed are earned. Regardless, if the bullpen can hold the lead, Richard will end the evening with his 2nd win in a Padres uniform.

5 straight wins!

Saturday August 1, 2009

The San Diego Padres won their fifth straight game tonight 4-2 over the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park.

The newest Padre, Clayton Richard, threw 5 2/3 innings of 2 hit ball, Kevin Kouzmanoff went 2-3 and drove in his 58th RBI and Will Venable hit his 4th home run of the season.

And Krasovic says this is the least talented team in baseball?

I can't wait to see what this team can do when they stay healthy.

Believe it or not, the Padres now have a .500 record at home - 26-26.

Can the Padres get the sweep over the slumping Brewers?

Newest Padre carries No Hitter into the 5th

Saturday August 1, 2009

The newest Padres pitcher, Clayton Richard, carried a no hitter into the 5th inning against the Milwaukee Brewers before having it broken up by a 1 out single by Mike Cameron.

He also had a shutout through 5 2/3. Then with 2 out in the 6th, Fielder crushed a ball to RF and that was all for Richard. His line: 5 2/3 IP, 2 hits 3 BB, 5 k and 1 run.

All in all he did very well in his Padres debut.

Then the bullpen came in and it took one whole pitch to blow it.

I don't know if anyone noticed, but the left handed Richard threw as hard or harder than Peavy, hitting 94-96 consistently with his fastball. How long has been since a Padres lefty threw mid 90's ?