The San Diego Padres are officially in a tail spin and it's only going to get worse before it gets better, as we all saw last night in their 9-6 loss to the Rockies, the team's 12th loss in their last 14 games.
The Rockies jumped on Padres' starter Kevin Correia early, getting two runs in the second and another two in the third, taking a 4-0 lead heading to the home half of the third inning, making it look like the game could be over early.
In the home half of the third, the Padres would pick up three runs to pull within a 4-3 score, one of those runs coming as a result of a throwing error by Rockies' pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, scoring Henry Blanco who led off the inning with a walk.
In the fifth, with two on and two out and the Padres trailing 5-3, Scott Hairston launched an 0-1 fastball from De La Rosa to left field for a three run shot, his fourth of the year, to put the Padres ahead 6-5.
"It just put us ahead by a run," Hairston told MLB.com. "We knew that there was plenty of time left in the ballgame, there was no time to let up after that happened. You know, Colorado's a good team, they have a really good lineup."
Edwin Moreno would shut down the Rockies in the sixth, but got himself into trouble in the seventh, loading the bases with one out prompting manager Bud Black to bring in sidewinder Cla Meredith to face Rockies' catcher Chris Ianetta. Meredith worked the count to 2-2 but left a fastball up in the zone and Ianetta didn't miss it, hitting it over the left field wall for a grand slam to put the Rockies ahead for good 9-6.
Rockies' closer Houston Street would pitch a perfect ninth inning for his third save of the season.
Although the Padres did score six runs last night, it's not that much when you realize just how they got to that number. The Padres' offense finished the night with six runs on just four hits, four runs and three hits came off the bat of outfielder Scott Hairston, an RBI single in the third and his three run home run in the fifth. The rest of the offense could muster just one hit.
With the loss, the Padres will drop to 11-14, good for third place in the National League West behind the front running Los Angeles Dodgers (18-8) and 2nd place San Francisco Giants (12-11).
It sad to think that just a few weeks ago, this same Padres team was 9-3 and looking like they were going to be one of the more surprising teams in baseball. But that has come to a screetching hault, going 2-12 in their last 14 games, you have to believe that frustration has to be building in the Padres' clubhouse. It may just be a matter of time before that frustration boils over and some major changes are made.
"That was the type of game where everybody needed to do their job, and that didn't happen," manager Bud Black told MLB.com. "On any given night, you need the consistency from man-to-man."
The two teams will be back at it again tonight from Petco Park. The Rockies will have right hander Aaron Cook (1-1, 7.11) on the mound, the Padres will go with their young right hander Josh Geer (0-0, 5.29).
Showing posts with label Edwin Moreno. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edwin Moreno. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Padres-Rockies: Young Can't Stop the Bleeding, Padres' Loss
The last time Padres' ace Jake Peavy struggled, their number two man Chris Young came out and was dominant in his outing. Only problem was he left with a no decision and the Padres ended up losing that game to the Giants.
This time around, both pitchers struggled and both in a big way. After Peavy gave up five runs against the Pirates on Sunday afternoon, the Padres were hoping Chris Young would be able to come out and stop the bleeding and keep the team from their third straight loss and sixth loss in their last seven games. Unfortunately, it didn't go the way they or Young had hoped as the Padres were thumped by the Colorado Rockies 12-7 from Coors Field on Monday night.
The Rockies jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the very first inning, but the Padres would rally for four runs in the third inning to take a 4-2 lead, a lead that Chris Young usually holds, but not on this night.
Young would give up eight runs (all earned) on seven hits in just three innings of work, his ERA now up to 5.74 in just four starts. If you were to tell me that Jake Peavy and Chris Young would both have an ERA close to 6.00 after just four starts each, I would have told you the Padres would be struggling mightily, and they are.
With Chris Young's loss last night, it marks the fourth straight game the Padres have lost with either Peavy or Young on the mound, both pitchers sporting a 5.74 ERA and it marked Young's second implosion in his last three starts.
Over the past few seasons, it's been the offense that has given their pitchers a lack of support, only scoring one or two runs a game. This time, it's their pitching that can't hold leads.
The offense had given them leads against Philadelphia just a few weeks ago, a lead that disappeared in just one inning, a game they eventually lost.
They had a lead against the Pirates on Sunday afternoon after a two run home run from Adrian Gonzalez, a lead Jake Peavy quickly gave up and then some.
And then there was last night, down 2-0 after one inning, to come back and score four runs in third to give your starter a 4-2 lead just for him to turn around and give those four runs right back and have the lead vanish just like that.
So, if Peavy can't stop the bleeding and neither can your number two guy in Chris Young, who is going to step up and take the initiative? Will it be Kevin Correia, who seems to be the Padres' most affective pitcher to this point? Will it be Josh Geer, who had a terrific first start last week but had a disastrous relief appearance on Sunday afternoon? Or will it be Chad Gaudin, the man who is slated to start against Colorado after being called up from Triple-A Portland yesterday?
The Padres need to figure out something and quickly. Their starters have only worked into the seventh inning just a few times this season, one of those being Josh Geer's start last week. Their bullpen is overworked, which would explain the struggles of Duaner Sanchez (7.11) and Edward Mujica (4.15), not to mention Luis Perdomo (6.43).
Since the Padres 9-4 start to the season, they've lost six of their last seven and they currently sit at 10-10 with no sign of recovery in sight.
All this team can do is hope that Chad Gaudin can hold the Rockies in check and let their offense do what they've done well so far this season, put up runs. If they can do that and if Gaudin can work into the seventh inning and hand the lead over to the Padres' bullpen, San Diego might be able to stop the free-fall they're currently experiencing.
If he can't stop the losses, don't expect that same free fall to end any time soon.
Additional Padre notes: Padres' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez extended his hit streak to eight straight games with an RBI double in the top half of the sixth inning. He has reached base safely in all 20 games this season.
This time around, both pitchers struggled and both in a big way. After Peavy gave up five runs against the Pirates on Sunday afternoon, the Padres were hoping Chris Young would be able to come out and stop the bleeding and keep the team from their third straight loss and sixth loss in their last seven games. Unfortunately, it didn't go the way they or Young had hoped as the Padres were thumped by the Colorado Rockies 12-7 from Coors Field on Monday night.
The Rockies jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the very first inning, but the Padres would rally for four runs in the third inning to take a 4-2 lead, a lead that Chris Young usually holds, but not on this night.
Young would give up eight runs (all earned) on seven hits in just three innings of work, his ERA now up to 5.74 in just four starts. If you were to tell me that Jake Peavy and Chris Young would both have an ERA close to 6.00 after just four starts each, I would have told you the Padres would be struggling mightily, and they are.
With Chris Young's loss last night, it marks the fourth straight game the Padres have lost with either Peavy or Young on the mound, both pitchers sporting a 5.74 ERA and it marked Young's second implosion in his last three starts.
Over the past few seasons, it's been the offense that has given their pitchers a lack of support, only scoring one or two runs a game. This time, it's their pitching that can't hold leads.
The offense had given them leads against Philadelphia just a few weeks ago, a lead that disappeared in just one inning, a game they eventually lost.
They had a lead against the Pirates on Sunday afternoon after a two run home run from Adrian Gonzalez, a lead Jake Peavy quickly gave up and then some.
And then there was last night, down 2-0 after one inning, to come back and score four runs in third to give your starter a 4-2 lead just for him to turn around and give those four runs right back and have the lead vanish just like that.
So, if Peavy can't stop the bleeding and neither can your number two guy in Chris Young, who is going to step up and take the initiative? Will it be Kevin Correia, who seems to be the Padres' most affective pitcher to this point? Will it be Josh Geer, who had a terrific first start last week but had a disastrous relief appearance on Sunday afternoon? Or will it be Chad Gaudin, the man who is slated to start against Colorado after being called up from Triple-A Portland yesterday?
The Padres need to figure out something and quickly. Their starters have only worked into the seventh inning just a few times this season, one of those being Josh Geer's start last week. Their bullpen is overworked, which would explain the struggles of Duaner Sanchez (7.11) and Edward Mujica (4.15), not to mention Luis Perdomo (6.43).
Since the Padres 9-4 start to the season, they've lost six of their last seven and they currently sit at 10-10 with no sign of recovery in sight.
All this team can do is hope that Chad Gaudin can hold the Rockies in check and let their offense do what they've done well so far this season, put up runs. If they can do that and if Gaudin can work into the seventh inning and hand the lead over to the Padres' bullpen, San Diego might be able to stop the free-fall they're currently experiencing.
If he can't stop the losses, don't expect that same free fall to end any time soon.
Additional Padre notes: Padres' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez extended his hit streak to eight straight games with an RBI double in the top half of the sixth inning. He has reached base safely in all 20 games this season.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Padres-Giants: Padres Drop Third Straight, Swept By Giants
Padres' starter Chris Young bounced back from his bad start against the Phillies (3.2 IP, 7 ER) and kept the Giants off the scoreboard, giving up just two hits through his seven innings of work. The only problem was, the Padres offense took the night off.
Giants' catcher hit a game-winning RBI double in the tenth to give the San Francisco Giants a 1-0 win and a two-game series sweep of the Padres, this coming after the Padres swept the Giants in San Diego during the first week of the season.
Barry Zito also rebounded from two straight bad outings, shutting out the Padres on just six hits through seven innings, like Young, earning himself a no decision but a start that he can build on for his next scheduling outing.
The Padres had their chances to break through and put the game away in both the sixth and eighth innings, but the same problem that has reared it's ugly head the past few seasons bit them again on Wednesday night.
In the sixth, David Eckstein would be on third base with two outs but Kevin Kouzmanoff would pop up to end the inning
In the eighth, Hairston led off the inning with a ground rule double and would then be sacrificed to third by David Eckstein but Giants' reliever Jeremy Affeldt would strike out both Brian Giles and Adrian Gonzalez to end the inning and the Padres' threat.
Both bullpens would hold through the eighth and ninth innings. Padres' reliever Luke Gregerson, who took over for Chris Young to start the eighth, didn't give up a hit through his two innings while striking out three.
Giants' relievers Bob Howry and Jeremy Affeldt combined for an inning and two-thirds giving up just one hit.
In the tenth, Padres' reliever Edwin Moreno, who had given up a walk-off game winning home run to Phillies short stop Jimmy Rollins, would get Juan Uribe to ground out and then a one out single to Andres Torres.
After Torres stole second base, Moreno would get Eugenio Valez to strike out and it looked like Moreno might get through the inning unscathed. But after an intentional walk to Fred Lewis, catcher Benjie Molina stepped to the plate and roped a ground rule double to left center, scoring Andres Torres and sending the Giants' fans home happy and sending the Padres back to San Diego with their third straight loss.
This was not a game the Padres could afford to lose, especially going back to San Diego for a three game series against a Pirates team that is coming off a sweep of the Florida Marlins. The same Marlins team that was off to the best start in the big leagues just a few days ago.
Instead, they'll send Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.09) to the hill to try and end the Padres' three game losing streak starting Friday night against Ian Snell (1-2, 4.24) of the Pirates.
In game two on Saturday night, the Padres will have right hander Shawn Hill (1-0, 3.60) against Zach Duke (2-1, 2.95).
The two teams will finish up their three game series with a Sunday afternoon affair. The Padres will have ace Jake Peavy (2-2, 5.13) against Pirates' right hander Ross Ohlendorf (1-2, 3.00).
Giants' catcher hit a game-winning RBI double in the tenth to give the San Francisco Giants a 1-0 win and a two-game series sweep of the Padres, this coming after the Padres swept the Giants in San Diego during the first week of the season.
Barry Zito also rebounded from two straight bad outings, shutting out the Padres on just six hits through seven innings, like Young, earning himself a no decision but a start that he can build on for his next scheduling outing.
The Padres had their chances to break through and put the game away in both the sixth and eighth innings, but the same problem that has reared it's ugly head the past few seasons bit them again on Wednesday night.
In the sixth, David Eckstein would be on third base with two outs but Kevin Kouzmanoff would pop up to end the inning
In the eighth, Hairston led off the inning with a ground rule double and would then be sacrificed to third by David Eckstein but Giants' reliever Jeremy Affeldt would strike out both Brian Giles and Adrian Gonzalez to end the inning and the Padres' threat.
Both bullpens would hold through the eighth and ninth innings. Padres' reliever Luke Gregerson, who took over for Chris Young to start the eighth, didn't give up a hit through his two innings while striking out three.
Giants' relievers Bob Howry and Jeremy Affeldt combined for an inning and two-thirds giving up just one hit.
In the tenth, Padres' reliever Edwin Moreno, who had given up a walk-off game winning home run to Phillies short stop Jimmy Rollins, would get Juan Uribe to ground out and then a one out single to Andres Torres.
After Torres stole second base, Moreno would get Eugenio Valez to strike out and it looked like Moreno might get through the inning unscathed. But after an intentional walk to Fred Lewis, catcher Benjie Molina stepped to the plate and roped a ground rule double to left center, scoring Andres Torres and sending the Giants' fans home happy and sending the Padres back to San Diego with their third straight loss.
This was not a game the Padres could afford to lose, especially going back to San Diego for a three game series against a Pirates team that is coming off a sweep of the Florida Marlins. The same Marlins team that was off to the best start in the big leagues just a few days ago.
Instead, they'll send Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.09) to the hill to try and end the Padres' three game losing streak starting Friday night against Ian Snell (1-2, 4.24) of the Pirates.
In game two on Saturday night, the Padres will have right hander Shawn Hill (1-0, 3.60) against Zach Duke (2-1, 2.95).
The two teams will finish up their three game series with a Sunday afternoon affair. The Padres will have ace Jake Peavy (2-2, 5.13) against Pirates' right hander Ross Ohlendorf (1-2, 3.00).
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Padres-Phillies: Phillies Have Comeback of Their Own in Win Over Padres
I thought it was the San Diego Padres that were the king of comebacks. Well, this afternoon, the Phillies showed they were just as capable of coming back as Rual Ibanez hit a walk-off two run home run of Padres' reliever Edwin Moreno for a 5-4 Phillies win.
Through most of the game, it looked like the Padres were going to win their ninth in ten games, getting a strong pitching performance from recently called up Josh Geer. Geer pitched seven strong innings, giving up two runs (1 earned) on six hits, struck out for and didn't walk a single batter.
The Padres got on top first thanks to an RBI single from outfielder Jody Gerut and an RBI triple from second baseman Edgar Gonzalez to put the Padres on top 2-0. An RBI groundout from Brian Giles, scoring Gonzalez, gave the Padres a 3-0 lead after three innings.
The Padres would extend that lead even further in the top half of the fifth when Adrian Gonzalez unloaded on former teammate Chan Ho Park and sent his fifth home run of the year deep to right field for a 4-0 San Diego lead.
Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley would get the comeback started with a two run shot, his second in as many days, in the home half of the sixth, cutting the lead in half to a 4-2 deficit.
Jimmy Rollins was next, hitting a pinch hit solo home run in the home half of the eighth off Padres reliever Edward Mujica, the Padres lead was only 4-3 heading to the ninth inning.
After Padres' closer Heath Bell had already made three straight save appearances, manager Bud Black allected to go with reliever Edwin Moreno in the ninth inning.
Moreno allowed a lead off single to Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard to start off the home half of the ninth, bringing up outfielder Raul Ibanez. Moreno missed on a first pitch slider and again with a changeup, but Moreno tried to throw another changeup and Ibanez was looking for it, sending it deep into the right-field seats and sending the Phillies' fans into a frenzy. A walk-off two run home run and a 5-4 Phillies victory.
The Padres had a few good notes from this afternoon's game, they know that Josh Geer has forgotten all about his struggles during Spring Training, the same struggles that had him starting the year in Triple-A Portland.
Adrian Gonzalez also continued his hot streak, hitting his third home run in five games, his fifth home run of the year. He's currently hitting .289 with five home runs and twelve RBI's.
The two teams will finish their series on Monday night Philadelphia, PA. The Padres will have Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.09 ERA) on the mound while the Phillies will go with Jamie Moyer (1-1, 6.55 ERA)
Through most of the game, it looked like the Padres were going to win their ninth in ten games, getting a strong pitching performance from recently called up Josh Geer. Geer pitched seven strong innings, giving up two runs (1 earned) on six hits, struck out for and didn't walk a single batter.
The Padres got on top first thanks to an RBI single from outfielder Jody Gerut and an RBI triple from second baseman Edgar Gonzalez to put the Padres on top 2-0. An RBI groundout from Brian Giles, scoring Gonzalez, gave the Padres a 3-0 lead after three innings.
The Padres would extend that lead even further in the top half of the fifth when Adrian Gonzalez unloaded on former teammate Chan Ho Park and sent his fifth home run of the year deep to right field for a 4-0 San Diego lead.
Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley would get the comeback started with a two run shot, his second in as many days, in the home half of the sixth, cutting the lead in half to a 4-2 deficit.
Jimmy Rollins was next, hitting a pinch hit solo home run in the home half of the eighth off Padres reliever Edward Mujica, the Padres lead was only 4-3 heading to the ninth inning.
After Padres' closer Heath Bell had already made three straight save appearances, manager Bud Black allected to go with reliever Edwin Moreno in the ninth inning.
Moreno allowed a lead off single to Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard to start off the home half of the ninth, bringing up outfielder Raul Ibanez. Moreno missed on a first pitch slider and again with a changeup, but Moreno tried to throw another changeup and Ibanez was looking for it, sending it deep into the right-field seats and sending the Phillies' fans into a frenzy. A walk-off two run home run and a 5-4 Phillies victory.
The Padres had a few good notes from this afternoon's game, they know that Josh Geer has forgotten all about his struggles during Spring Training, the same struggles that had him starting the year in Triple-A Portland.
Adrian Gonzalez also continued his hot streak, hitting his third home run in five games, his fifth home run of the year. He's currently hitting .289 with five home runs and twelve RBI's.
The two teams will finish their series on Monday night Philadelphia, PA. The Padres will have Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.09 ERA) on the mound while the Phillies will go with Jamie Moyer (1-1, 6.55 ERA)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Padres-Mets: Padres Have List of Firsts in Win Over Mets
The San Diego Padres were the first visiting team in the New York Mets' new stadium, Citi Field, on Monday night and they wasted no time introducing themselves to the new park.
The first batter of the night, Padres' outfielder Jody Gerut, sent the third pitch he saw over the right field fence for a solo home run. It marked the first time a lead off batter had ever hit a home run in a new ballpark in Major Leage history. “Very cool,” Gerut said. “Maybe at the end of the season when I look back on this, I’ll have a greater sense of what happened here. But at the time, all I’m thinking is that it put us ahead.”
The Padres jumped all over Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey, putting up five runs on eight hits through just five innings and just when it looked like the Padres were going to get an easy win in the first game ever at Citi Field, back came the Mets.
With two men on in the home half of the fifth inning, Daniel Murphy would single to right bringing Gary Sheffield around to score to make it a 5-2 game. Then David Wright would tie the ball game with one swing of the bat, sending a deep shot to left field for a game-tying 3-run home run off Padres' starter Walter Silva.
The Padres would re-take the lead in the top half of the sixth thanks to a 3-base error, allowing Padres' shortstop Luis Rodriguez to advance to third and then a balk by pitcher Pedro Feliciano would bring Rodriguez home to give the Padres a 6-5 lead.
That's all the room the Padres' bullpen would need. Relievers Edwin Moreno, Duaner Sanchez and closer Heath Bell would allow just two hits over four shutout innings to give the Padres the first win ever at Citi Field 6-5.
Former Mets' reliever, and current Padres closer, Heath Bell probably got the most joy out of not only a Padres' victory but also getting the first ever save at Citi Field. The Mets traded Bell to the Padres in November of 2006, telling him that he'd never be a Major League closer. Well, Bell got to prove the Mets wrong last night, closing out the Padres 6-5 win with a 1-2-3 9th inning for his 4th save of the 2009 season.
The two teams will have an off day today before playing games 2 & 3 on Wednesday and Thursday nights. The Mets will have Oliver Perez on Wednesday night and John Maine on Thursday while the Padres will counter with Kevin Correia and ace Jake Peavy.
The first batter of the night, Padres' outfielder Jody Gerut, sent the third pitch he saw over the right field fence for a solo home run. It marked the first time a lead off batter had ever hit a home run in a new ballpark in Major Leage history. “Very cool,” Gerut said. “Maybe at the end of the season when I look back on this, I’ll have a greater sense of what happened here. But at the time, all I’m thinking is that it put us ahead.”
The Padres jumped all over Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey, putting up five runs on eight hits through just five innings and just when it looked like the Padres were going to get an easy win in the first game ever at Citi Field, back came the Mets.
With two men on in the home half of the fifth inning, Daniel Murphy would single to right bringing Gary Sheffield around to score to make it a 5-2 game. Then David Wright would tie the ball game with one swing of the bat, sending a deep shot to left field for a game-tying 3-run home run off Padres' starter Walter Silva.
The Padres would re-take the lead in the top half of the sixth thanks to a 3-base error, allowing Padres' shortstop Luis Rodriguez to advance to third and then a balk by pitcher Pedro Feliciano would bring Rodriguez home to give the Padres a 6-5 lead.
That's all the room the Padres' bullpen would need. Relievers Edwin Moreno, Duaner Sanchez and closer Heath Bell would allow just two hits over four shutout innings to give the Padres the first win ever at Citi Field 6-5.
Former Mets' reliever, and current Padres closer, Heath Bell probably got the most joy out of not only a Padres' victory but also getting the first ever save at Citi Field. The Mets traded Bell to the Padres in November of 2006, telling him that he'd never be a Major League closer. Well, Bell got to prove the Mets wrong last night, closing out the Padres 6-5 win with a 1-2-3 9th inning for his 4th save of the 2009 season.
The two teams will have an off day today before playing games 2 & 3 on Wednesday and Thursday nights. The Mets will have Oliver Perez on Wednesday night and John Maine on Thursday while the Padres will counter with Kevin Correia and ace Jake Peavy.
Monday, April 13, 2009
A Successful First Week For The San Diego Padres
Looking at the schedule to open the first week of the Major League Baseball season, most "experts" would have only given the San Diego Padres 1 win, maybe two if they played well enough. I'm sure those same "experts" would have also said they wouldn't be surprised to see them lose all seven games they played during Opening Week.
Here we are a week after Opening Day and the San Diego Padres have not only proved those "experts" wrong, but they've done so with a come from behind win, timely hitting and excellent pitching performances from their starters as well as their bullpen. They've not only won more than one or two games, but they've go into the 2nd week of the season sporting a 5-2 record, good for first place in the National League West.
During Spring Training, there were a whole lot more questions than there were answers. The only sure thing about their starting rotation was the front end with Jake Peavy and Chris Young. There were young pitchers like Wade LeBlanc and Josh Geer, but with both of them not having much success, the Padres were forced to look at trades or at the waiver wire to get something done.
So, Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers would bring in right-handers Kevin Correia, Walter Silva and Shawn Hill.
Kevin Correia pitched for the San Francisco Giants from 2003 - 2008, going between being a starter to coming out of the bullpen. After career highs in appearances (59) and a career best ERA (3.45) in 2007, Correia struggled in 2008, finishing with a 3-8 record and a 6.05 ERA in 25 games (19 starts).
Walter Silva, on the other hand, wouldn't have been on this had it not been for the brothers Gonzalez. During the World Baseball Classic, Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez were teammates with Silva and were impressed with what they saw from him. They called Kevin Towers and told him that Silva would be worth a look. Towers and Manager Bud Black were also impressed and eventually gave him the shot that landed him in the Padres' starting rotation.
Shawn Hill could be the better of the three pitchers added to the rotation. Hill was picked up by the Padres after being released by the Washington Nationals and didn't let the Padres down with a good first start against the San Francisco Giants. The right-hander gave up just two runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out three through his five innings of work, getting the victory in a 7-3 Padres win.
With the rotation seemingly filled out, it was the bullpen that needed to be addressed. The Padres brought in guys like former Mets' reliever Duaner Sanchez and guys most fans have never heard of like Luke Gregerson, Edwin Moreno and Edward Mujica. But regardless of how well we know these guys or how little we know about them, they have gotten the job done for the San Diego Padres. They held close leads, they've gotten those leads to closer Heath Bell or have been able to close out games where Bell wasn't needed.
It's been one guy doing his job and allowing the next guy to do his, a team effort that has led the Padres to four straight wins as they head into Citi Field for a 3-game set with the New York Mets. The Padres may not be stronger offensively than the Mets, but if they pitch like this team has against the Dodgers and Giants, it could be a very good series.
Here we are a week after Opening Day and the San Diego Padres have not only proved those "experts" wrong, but they've done so with a come from behind win, timely hitting and excellent pitching performances from their starters as well as their bullpen. They've not only won more than one or two games, but they've go into the 2nd week of the season sporting a 5-2 record, good for first place in the National League West.
During Spring Training, there were a whole lot more questions than there were answers. The only sure thing about their starting rotation was the front end with Jake Peavy and Chris Young. There were young pitchers like Wade LeBlanc and Josh Geer, but with both of them not having much success, the Padres were forced to look at trades or at the waiver wire to get something done.
So, Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers would bring in right-handers Kevin Correia, Walter Silva and Shawn Hill.
Kevin Correia pitched for the San Francisco Giants from 2003 - 2008, going between being a starter to coming out of the bullpen. After career highs in appearances (59) and a career best ERA (3.45) in 2007, Correia struggled in 2008, finishing with a 3-8 record and a 6.05 ERA in 25 games (19 starts).
Walter Silva, on the other hand, wouldn't have been on this had it not been for the brothers Gonzalez. During the World Baseball Classic, Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez were teammates with Silva and were impressed with what they saw from him. They called Kevin Towers and told him that Silva would be worth a look. Towers and Manager Bud Black were also impressed and eventually gave him the shot that landed him in the Padres' starting rotation.
Shawn Hill could be the better of the three pitchers added to the rotation. Hill was picked up by the Padres after being released by the Washington Nationals and didn't let the Padres down with a good first start against the San Francisco Giants. The right-hander gave up just two runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out three through his five innings of work, getting the victory in a 7-3 Padres win.
With the rotation seemingly filled out, it was the bullpen that needed to be addressed. The Padres brought in guys like former Mets' reliever Duaner Sanchez and guys most fans have never heard of like Luke Gregerson, Edwin Moreno and Edward Mujica. But regardless of how well we know these guys or how little we know about them, they have gotten the job done for the San Diego Padres. They held close leads, they've gotten those leads to closer Heath Bell or have been able to close out games where Bell wasn't needed.
It's been one guy doing his job and allowing the next guy to do his, a team effort that has led the Padres to four straight wins as they head into Citi Field for a 3-game set with the New York Mets. The Padres may not be stronger offensively than the Mets, but if they pitch like this team has against the Dodgers and Giants, it could be a very good series.
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