Category: Dailies

13 runs?? 23 hits??

The Padres won 13-6 yesterday.

No, I’m not kidding.

It was the most ridiculous game I’ve seen the Padres play this season, especially with the way we have been playing. This game was a completely joke, but it was so much fun!

Somehow, someway, we got an insane amount of bat power. We took a lead, lost the lead, and came back and took over the lead. We didn’t give up. We didn’t shut down. We were on fire!

We got eight runs in the top of the eighth. Simply nuts. We had 23 hits. Jason Bartlett and Cameron Maybin both went 4-for-6.

Even though this was the only game that we won in the three-game series, it was a seriously great win. Hopefully that momentum will continue as we go to Colorado. Who I am kidding? Of course it’s going go carry over! We’re going to Coors Field!

But you know what I just realized is that the opening game is on Friday the 13th. Colorado has not been a good place for us, ever. It all started with Game 163, and really strange things have been happening to us there ever since. I hope we get out okay.

In other news, MLBlogs.com is getting a make-over, which means that you might not be able to access my blog this weekend. I definitely won’t be able to, which means no exciting posts from me this weekend. I just wanted to let you know that there may be some issues, but everything should be back up on Monday and I will have a blog full of fabulous new features thanks to WordPress. I can’t wait!!

I hope we have a great series against the Rockies. I think it’s about time that the last-place Padres should cream the first-place Rockies.

GO PADRES!!!!!!!

Unlikely Heroes

Rob Johnson, Eric Patterson, Mat Latos. Not your average Home Run Derby winners.

Since the entire regular Padres lineup has had no success at anything close to hitting and scoring runs, it’s refreshing to see some unlikely guys stepping up and getting the job done. It’s almost like they were sitting there patiently while all the rest of the guys were floundering at the plate, and then when they finally got their chance, they were just like, watch how it’s done.

In last night’s game at Petco Park against the Pirates, these three guys really stepped up and helped us win a great game. We overcame two Pittsburgh leads, which was huge.

Latos started the game, and he didn’t do too badly. He actually threw a lot better than he has been lately. He went six innings, allowing only two runs on six hits with five strikeouts. And, he hit a solo home run in the third inning for our first run of the game. His average is .111.

An out later, Patterson hit a solo homer. He only had two hits in 28 at-bats before last night’s game, which was not good at all. His average this season is .133.

The Pirates scored three runs in the top of the seventh to overtake our lead of 5-2. In the bottom of the seventh, we got two runs: one on a bases loaded walk, and one on a double play.

In the bottom of the eighth, Johnson hit a solo home run to take the lead, 6-5.

Heath Bell got the save, extending his streak of straight saves to 41, which also ties Trevor Hoffman for the longest streak by a Padre.

You’re going to hear the word “unlikely” a lot about this game. And it’s definitely the best word to describe it. But if the guys who are playing every day aren’t stepping up, why shouldn’t these other guys get the big hits when we need them?

I think it was great. And I think that these guys deserve a little more playing time.

So, the series is tied. I think it would be huge if we were able to get the win today for the series win. We seriously need it. And we get to face our old friend Kevin Correia, who has a record of 4-2. It’s going to be fun.

GO PADRES!!!   

Time to get winning…

We lost again. Okay, I guess we did win two games before that. But then we couldn’t overcome a one-run lead at the end of the game last night.

First of all, Aaron Harang allowed four runs in the top of the first, which was instant doom for us. There’s no way that we can overcome four runs, especially when it comes so early in the game.

Granted, we were able to get three runs throughout the game, which was an accomplishment, but we weren’t able to get just one more to tie it. Jorge Cantu hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning for our first two runs, and then Ryan Ludwick singled in Will Venable in the bottom of the eighth for our third run. But of course, we left seven runners on and were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Currently, we are in last place in the NL West with a record of 11-18 and we’re 7.5 games behind. It is lovely.

Latos is pitching tonight, which is worrying because he has not been good. Not been good at all. I really really hope that he can find his pitching mechanics ASAP, because we have enough to worry about without having to worry about our star pitcher.

GO PADRES!!!! WE’D BETTER WIN!!!!

It’s all Brad Hawpe’s fault…

When a baseball team is going as bad as the Padres are, you just have to have something to blame it all on.

I blame it on Brad Hawpe.

I guess it’s not entirely his fault, but everywhere I turn, he seems to be messing up here and there and helping us lose. It’s pretty frustrating.

In yesterday’s game, Mat Latos started and stunk. But of course, Hawpe helped out a lot. With two outs in the top of the second, he made a fielding error that cost us two runs right away, and then three more later in the inning. Way to go buddy.

Long, depressing story short, we lost 7-0. And yes, Brad Hawpe did ground into a double play to end the game.

I know that the whole team is in a bad slump, with the exception of most of the pitchers, but seriously. We need to get something going here. Of course, Tommy Hanson, who started the game for the Braves, had 10 strikeouts.

Right now, we have a collective team batting average of .208.We have struck out 213 times, which leads the majors. We also have the worst record in the majors at 9-16. We really, truly are detestable.

Well, we do have an off-day today, so maybe that will help things. Then we get to limp into LA and get creamed by the Dodgers. Can’t wait.

GO PADRES!!!!!

WALK-OFF HOMER!!!!!

1. Congratuations to Brad Hawpe for going 2-for-5 with a double, a single, a flyout, a grounding into a double play, and then almost almost almost hitting a home run. You, sir, have raised your average to .125. Props.

2. Well, it took us 13 innings, but we got the bats going and got a huge win. Ryan Ludwick had a two-homer game, including the two-run game winner in the 13th. It was so great. Nick Hundley walked before that, and in the top of the 13th, Chris Denorfia made the catch of the year for the Padres out in right field. It was incredible. First of all, he made an outstanding catch, and then doubled off the runner at first. It was so great.

3. We had seven hits in the game and scored five runs, which I think is a huge improvement. It was only one game, but man, it was big. We needed this one a lot, and thankfully, we were able to get it with a bang.

GO PADRES!!!!

Ummm…anyone seen the Padres’ bats??

I have never seen such a bad Padres team in my entire five-year Padres fan career. This is just awful. The guys have never looked so utterly hopeless at the plate. They literally look like they have no chance against anyone – ace or not.

We just got swept in four games to the Phillies. At home. For the first time that I remember. It’s bad enough that it was completely humiliating, but the fact that we had no chance, never even put up a fight, hurts a lot more.

Look, I understand that it’s early and that we’re going through a little slump. But currently, our entire everyday lineup is hitting pathetically. Not suprisingly, we are at the bottom of all Major League teams for batting average with the lovely .212.

And Brad Hawpe is now batting .098. AND HE’S IN THE STARTING LINEUP FOR TONIGHT’S GAME!!!!!!!!!

All I’ve got to say is, we’d better get our game on. We’d better get our bats going and score some runs already!

GO PADRES!!!!!!

Crazy for them, but they drive me crazy

My relationship with the Padres is pretty odd. On one hand, I love them like crazy. They are my all-time favorite team. They always will be. I’ll never stop being a Padres fan, no matter what. But at the same time, they cause me a ton of pain. It’s not easy being a Padres fan. Not easy at all. But through all that, I’ll never abandon them.

As strange as it seems, I think this a really good analogy for real-life relationships. I believe that Hollywood is very deceptive in its message of “happily ever after” relationships. Those don’t exist. Anyone who’s been in a relationship knows that. Sure, there’s a lot of happiness in a solid relationship, but there will always be hard times and trials. There will always be times when you don’t feel like loving the other person. You may even feel like you’ve “fallen out of love” with the other person.

Those are the times when loving the other person really matters the most. That’s pretty much what relationships are all about. We’re all taught that relationships are just peachy, so when something goes wrong, we assume that we made the wrong choice and that we are released from pursuing the relationship. Not so. In reality, the strength of the relationship is revealed in the way that it reacts to hard times. It’s all about unconditional love.

That’s kind of how it is for me and the Padres. As a Die-Hard Fan, I am obligated to love them in the good times and the bad times. Just because they’re not doing so great does not mean that I am released from my fanhood. I’m stuck here. I have an obligation to stick with this team no matter what, and I am going to honor that. I’m not going to give up on my boys.

But the amazing thing is, all this is just a picture of something so much bigger. Long, long ago, at the beginning of time, God had a contract with man. Man was perfect, and he lived in perfect harmony with God. But then, man broke the contract at the Tree. He disobeyed God and ran and hid from Him. Sin had entered the world.

God then enacted a new contract with man. He said that He would send someone who save us. We couldn’t do it ourselves.

Every single one of us has fought against God. Even if you think that you are neutral to God, that in itself is a choice. We are all dead in our sin. We are all hopeless and helpless. We can’t keep our part of the contract. God asked us to be in an unconditional relationship with Him, but we can’t do it on our own. We’re too sinful, too selfish, too stubborn.

We needed help. We needed someone to bridge the gap between us and God. We needed someone to fulfill the side of the contract that we couldn’t. That person was Jesus, whose death and resurrection we are celebrating this weekend.

But it’s not just about His death and resurrection. It was the 30+ years before that that are also essential for us. He not only died for us, but He lived the perfect life for us. He lived the life that we couldn’t.

I know that we all wish we were perfect. A lot of us probably think that we’re basically good, but what we like to bury is the deep knowledge that we are absolutely broken. Most of us are really good at putting up a good face on the outside, but ultimately, we all know that we have no hope. We’re just wandering this earth with no purpose, no meaning. 

That’s where Jesus steps in. He didn’t die for us because we had it all together. He died for us because we have absolutely nothing to show for ourselves. We try to scrape together some self-worth, but our hands come up empty. We bring nothing to the table but our utter ugliness.

We can’t keep up our side of the contract. But Jesus did that for us. So for me, Easter is a reminder of how helpless I am. And it’s an overwheming reminder of the grace that has been given to me.

I don’t deserve it. I know my heart. I reject God day after day, minute after minute, second after second. This verse of the song “How Deep the Father’s Love For Us” gets me every time I hear it:

“Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom”

Why should I gain from His reward?? I cannot give an answer. It’s just amazing grace. Thank you Lord. Help me to live my life in gratitude to You.

I hope you all have a blessed Easter, and I hope that you too become overwhelmed with the amazing grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

cross.jpg

 

WANTED: A first baseman who doesn’t have an average of .116

bradhawpe.jpgNot only is our hitting non-existent, but I’ve realized that our defense is really shoddy as well. We’ve had so many errors in the last week, and I’m sure many of them have led to game-winning runs.

Last night we played the Phillies at home, and it was really bad. Going into the ninth inning, we had three hits. Three total in the whole game. And the Phillies led 3-0. We did get a couple of runners on in the ninth (of course), but we didn’t get the clutch hit (of course).

I really don’t know what to say. We are in a horrible slump, and it’s really early. I don’t know if I should be settling in for a looooooong hard season or if I should keep hoping game after game that we will score some runs, at least. I’m used to cheering for a losing team, but that does not make it any easier.

One of the worst players on this team right now is Brad Hawpe. I’ve never, ever liked this guy. I couldn’t stand him when he was on the Rockies, especially because he was involved in Game 163. Then, he was so good that I couldn’t stand him. Now, he’s so bad that I want to storm into the Padres’ front office and make them release him. His average right now is the lovely .116. Buddy Black brilliantly stuck him in the game in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on and two outs. Did he honestly think that Brad would be able to like, get a hit? Drive in a run? Impossible! I would have taken my chances with Alberto Gonzalez.

Brad Hawpe has played in 16 games and he has five hits with two RBIs. Alberto Gonzalez had only played in 10 games and he has five hits with three RBIs. Alberto is hitting .238. I think the choice is obvious, but of course Buddy put in Hawpe, and he convieniently struck out to end the game. WAY TO GO, BRAD. WE REALLY APPRECIATED THAT.

I don’t know about this, guys. We are pretty pathetic right now. And *sob* we’re in the cellar of the NL West. I hate the cellar. We were never in the cellar at all last year, and it makes me really sad that we’re back down there in that dark, sad, depressing place.

Get it back together, boys. No matter what, I will always be a Padres fan. I’m going to cheer for these guys no matter what, but I would apprieciate a good win every once in a while, if you can muster that. Thanks.

Oh, yeah, and Happy Good Friday 🙂

GO PADRES!!!!!!! 

(Photo: Associated Press)

WANTED: Guys who can actually support their pitchers with a few runs!!!

I think I’ve figured out what our problem is. For those of you who haven’t been watching the Padres, we are 4-6 in our last ten games, and we are in a serious slump right now. Ever since we won our opening series against the Cardinals, we have lost two series and split two more.

Last night, we lost the first of three games to the Cubs 1-0 in 10 innings. It was so bad! The only problem with this team right now is that we can’t hit. Like, at all. Sure, we do break out the bats like every three games, but the rest of the time, nothing’s going.

But the thing is, our pitching is fine. Our pitching is amazing! Tim Stauffer threw seven innings last night, only allowing four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. But he got zero run support.

Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson, and Chad Qualls also threw, but Qualls was the one who allowed the run for the Cubs’ win.

As of right now, we are completely out of it. Even if we were winning, the Colorado Rockies are on fire. They’re blowing away everyone in the division with a record of 12-4. The Giants are behind them with a record of 9-7 and three games behind. We are currently in fourth place and five games behind.

But I guess we’ll just have to see how the season goes. We’ve still got a ton of season left, and a lot can happen. But we’d better get our bats going ASAP!!!!

GO PADRES!!!!!

(Photo/ESPN.go.com)