Padres-Dodgers: Costly Error Leads to Padres Loss

After everything seemed to be going right for the San Diego Padres to start the 2009 season, it's all come crashing down around them.

The Padres had won 9 of their first 13 games and looked to be one of the biggest surprises of the season, but going into their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night, the Padres had dropped six of their last eight games and were hoping to get back on the right track.

Padres' starter Josh Geer didn't have the greatest start for San Diego, giving up four runs, three of which came on back-to-back home runs from Orlando Hudson, a two run shot, and Manny Ramirez, on seven hits and striking out four without walking a batter in six innings of work. He would depart with the Padres behind 4-3, but an RBI double by Adrian Gonzalez and fielder's choice groundout by Kevin Kouzmanoff put the Padres ahead 5-4, putting Geer in line for the win if their bullpen could hang on.

That lead would be short lived. Padres' reliever Luke Gregerson came on in the seventh and promptly gave up back-to-back singles to Matt Kemp and Casey Blake and would then face former Padre second baseman Mark Loretta. Loretta made his former team pay, lining a game tying RBI single to right center, scoring Matt Kemp.

After getting Rafael Furcal to strikeout, Orlando Hudson would single to right. Right fielder Brian Giles came up throwing but the ball not only got past catcher Nick Hundley but also pitcher Luke Gregerson, who was backing up the play, allowing Casey Blake to score the go ahead run.

Gregerson stayed in the game just long enough to intentionally walk Manny Ramirez, who had homered earlier in the game, and then would be replaced by Edward Mujica who got Andre Ethier to ground into an inning ending double play.

The Dodgers would get to Mujica in the eighth inning, getting an RBI double from Matt Kemp and RBI single from Casey Blake to put them even further ahead, 8-5.

In the ninth, the hard throwing Jonathan Broxton would come in and after allowing a lead walk to outfielder Scott Hairston would strike out Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley looking and Kevin Kouzmanoff swinging to end the game and finish off his seventh save in eight chances.

For the Padres, it's another of many frustrating games they've been through. They've gotten the offensive output, something they didn't get in 2008, but it's been their starters and their bullpens that have give up leads or given up too many runs for their offense to overcome.

General Manager Kevin Towers is going to have to make some changes to their bullpen because besides closer Heath Bell, the rest of their guys just aren't getting it done. After the Padres' bullpen posted an 2.52 ERA in their first twelve games, they've posted a 6.87 ERA in the last ten games, a stretch that has seen this team go from 9-3 to 11-11, a 2-8 record.

In that same ten day stretch, the bullpen has given up 26 earned runs in 25 2/3 innings.

A change that did happen last night was right fielder Brian Giles being moved from the number three spot in the lineup to the leadoff spot after struggling to a .169 average going into the last night's game. That change didn't help much as Giles went hitless (0/3) for the third straight game, dropping his average down to .163.

If this continues, the Padres may look to Triple-A Portland and move Giles to reserve outfielder role until they can either trade him or place him on waivers.

The Padres and Dodgers will be back at it tonight from Dodger Stadium. Padres' ace Jake Peavy (2-3, 5.74) will try to rebound from two straight bad outings against a team he usually dominates.

The Dodgers will counter with Clayton Kershaw (0-2, 7.29) who the Padres dealt with earlier in the season and were handcuffed. Kershaw held the Padres to just one run through five innings, giving up just two hits while striking out six.

Additional Padre notes: Adrian Gonzalez extended his hit streak to twelve straight games with a single in the top half of the second inning. He's now reached base safely in all 22 games.

Padres-Pirates: Peavy Struggles Again, Padres Lose 8-3

Jake Peavy cruised through the first three innings, striking out four batters and only giving up two hits and with a 2-run home run from first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, his seventh of the year, it looked like the Padres would have an easy time in the rubber match against the Pirates.

But it wouldn't go the way the Padres, or ace Jake Peavy, wanted it to go as the Pirates got to Peavy for five runs in the fourth and fifth inning as they beat the Padres 8-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The trouble started for Peavy in the fourth inning, giving up a lead single to left fielder Brandon Moss and then walking first baseman Adam LaRoche, both runners advancing on a wild pitch. Peavy then got Eric Hinske and Andy LaRoche to strike out and just when it looked like he would get out of the inning unscathed he would give up a two out two run single to Robinson Diaz, tieing the game at 2-2.

In the fifth inning, Peavy got himself in trouble the same way he did in the fourth inning, giving up a lead single Nyjer Morgan and walking Ramon Vazquez. He would get Brandon Moss to pop out for the first out of the inning, but Adam LaRoche put the Pirates ahead for good as he launched a first pitch fastball to right for his fourth home run of the year to put the Pirates up 5-2. LaRoche would add his second home run of the game, and fifth of the year, off rookie Luis Perdomo in the ninth inning.

For Peavy, it wasn't the start he or his team wanted to see from their ace. With the loss, he'll drop to 2-3 on the year and his ERA is 5.74 which is not Peavy-like at all and something that may concern manager Bud Black. Peavy showed his frustration after the game saying, “This is as frustrating as it gets. We have to come in today with a better effort and that starts with me.”

This was a loss this team couldn't afford, they wanted to build their momentum back up as they finished their three game home stand against the Pirates, but they will head back out on the road after losing two of three and five of their last six games.

The Padres will start the first of a three game series Monday night against the Colorado Rockies (6-11) from Coors Field in Denver before coming back out west to Dodgers Stadium for a three game set against the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers (13-6).

The Padres will turn to their number two man, Chris Young, to stop the bleeding and keep the Rockies at bay and hope that the offense gives Young some breathing room.

On Tuesday night, Chad Gaudin will make his San Diego Padres debut as he makes his first start since being signed by the team to a minor league deal. Gaudin has looked strong through two starts for Triple-A Portland, not giving up a run on just four hits through both of his starts (8.2 IP).

In the final game of the series on Wednesday night, the Padres will have right hander Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.50) on the hill. The one thing that has gotten Correia in trouble is the same thing that got Peavy into trouble on Sunday afternoon, the amount of walks he's issued. If he can keep those down, he should be ok but if he elevates the wrong pitches and the Rockies get the ball into the thin Colorado air, it won't go well for Correia.

This should be the series to get the momentum back as the Rockies are coming off losing two of three from the Dodgers and getting outscored 74-46 from April 11-25, their team batting average dipping to .222 during that stretch before breaking out Sunday afternoon in a 10-4 win over the Dodgers where they got to Clayton Kershaw for nine runs through just four and two-third innings.


Additional Padre notes: Edgar Gonzalez, older brother of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, also homered in yesterday's game, his first of the year.

Speaking of Adrian, he continued his hitting streak in Sunday's game. His home run in the first inning extended his hitting streak to eight straight games, it was his fourth home run in the last seven games. Gonzalez also has at least 1 RBI in five of his last seven games.

After right hander Shawn Hill was put on the disabled list, Kevin Towers was quoted as saying that he is not going to look outside the organization to address their pitching needs. They have already called up Chad Gaudin to start on Tuesday night against Colorado.

With Gaudin coming up, the Padres will have to make a roster move to make room for Gaudin. They could part with reliever Eulogio De La Cruz who walked five batters and allowed two runs against the Pirates. He currently has an ERA of 5.40.

Chad Gaudin to Make First Start Saturday in Portland

The San Diego Padres' newest addition, right-hander Chad Gaudin, is scheduled to make his first start for the Portland Beavers when they play their home opener on Saturday April 17th. To make room for Gaudin, the Beavers placed pitcher Josh Banks on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle.

Gaudin was signed to a minor league deal by the Padres on April 12th after being released by the Chicago Cubs on April 5th. The only way Gaudin was going to sign with the Padres was being given the chance to be a starter. So, Kevin Towers signed him knowing he could be an insurance arm should they lose Kevin Correia, Walter Silva or Shawn Hill to injury.

Gaudin has played all or part of the last six seasons with Tampa Bay (2003-04), Toronto (2005), Oakland (2006-08) and the Cubs (2008), posting a 28-25 record and a 4.45 ERA in 185 appearances (50 starts).

With Silva struggling to get out of the 5th inning against the Mets on Monday night, giving up four runs and being unable to finish the inning, we may see Gaudin in San Diego sooner rather than later.

I know the Padres are anxious about Kevin Correia's start tonight and they're hoping he doesn't struggle with his command like he did in his first start against the Dodgers in which he walked four batters including walking in the Dodgers first run of the game. He would finally settle down and get his command back, but received a no decision in a 4-3 Padres win.

Shawn Hill, former Washington National, isn't scheduled to start again until Saturday night in Philadelphia against the Phillies. The Padres like Hill and what he brings to the club, if he can impress the way he did in his first start against San Francisco, he may have a permanent role in the rotation.

Why The San Diego Padres Could Win The NL West

So the headline caught your attention, as it would a lot of baseball fans, especially those that are fans of teams in the National League's Western Division. A division that, and maybe rightly so, has been called the weakest division in baseball over the past few years. Well, regardless of whether or not that's true, it makes it a much more interesting race as October draws nearer.

All the talk at the beginning of the 2009 season was about the Los Angeles Dodgers and how they were the odds on favorite to win the division. Well, not to steal a line from ESPN College Gameday's own Lee Corso but, "not so fast my friend." Could the San Diego Padres possibly make a run at the Dodgers in 2009? I think they can and I believe they will.

After a 2008 season that saw the San Diego Padres lose 99 games, Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers knew that they would have to make some changes if they were going to improve on that record and make sure they didn't have a season like that again. It didn't start the way he or the team had hoped with all the rumors swirling around ace Jake Peavy and his possible trade to a team like Atlanta or Chicago. Just as it looked like Peavy might be headed to the Cubs, negotiations broke off and Peavy remained in San Diego.

As Spring Training began, there were more questions than answers. The rotation was anything but set, the bullpen had more holes than a golf course fairway after I've played and the Trevor Hoffman era would come to an end after 15 seasons when the team elected not to re-sign the long time closer. So where would Kevin Towers turn and who could he possibly bring in to fill those holes?

As spring wore on, the team began to take shape, new faces started to emerge and the roster was widdled down until there were down to their official 25-man roster as Opening Day was just a few days away. New faces like David Eckstein, Duaner Sanchez, Walter Silva and Kevin Correia would try and put the Padre fans at ease, try to prove that they could help this team win.

It wouldn't take long for any of those guys to make their presence known. Eckstein has already had a few key hits, especially in a come from behind victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 9th when the team rallied from 3-1 down to win 4-3.

Duaner Sanchez has done his job out of the bullpen, having yet to give up a hit in either of his two appearances.

Walter Silva made his first start for the Padres on April 8th against the Dodgers and would be equally as impressive, pitching five strong innings giving up two runs on five hits but getting a no decision in a 5-2 loss.

Kevin Correia would make his own mark in his first start as a Padre against the San Francisco Giants. Although he struggled with his command at times, he still kept the Padres within striking distance of the Dodgers and it eventually led to their come from behind 4-3 victory over the Dodgers. Correia would go six innings giving up three runs on five hits and striking out five.

The one thing that this Padres team lacked over the last few seasons has been their offense. Leaving runners in scoring position, not getting the timely hits when they needed them and not giving their pitchers any run support. Through their first three games, it looked like it was going to be the same old story, but a come from behind victory over the Dodgers and two straight wins over the Giants and it looks like they have a new found confidence.

There's no doubt that Jake Peavy and Chris Young will anchor the Padres' rotation, but when guys like that have the confidence to pitch six or seven innings,getting run support from their offense, lights out pitching from bullpen guys like Duaner Sanchez, Cla Meredith and new closer Heath Bell, it could make the Padres a team to be reckoned with in 2009.

Padres-Dodgers: Adrian, Edgar Gonzalez lead Padres to victory

The Padres have come up with late inning heroics before, but it didn't look like it was going to come this afternoon. With the Padres trailing 3-1 heading into the home half of the eighth, it seemed the Padres were going to mail it in, having only scored 1 run on three hits, two of those coming off the bat of 2nd baseman David Eckstein.

That's when the drama started, the comeback began and the Gonzalez brothers stepped to the plate. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez got things started, hammering a 2-2 fastball deep into the left field seats to pull the Padres to within one run. Two batters later, older brother Edgar Gonzalez tripled to right-center before being replaced by pinch runner Everth Cabrera who would score on a Nick Hundley single to left, tying the ballgame.

By the time the inning ended, the Padres had taken a 4-3 lead thanks to an RBI double from third baseman Luis Rodriguez. But the drama wasn't over then.

Out sprinted Padres' closer Heath Bell to try and close out the game and the win for the San Diego Padres. It didn't start the way he hoped, giving up a leadoff triple to Orlando Hudson. Bell would re-group, getting Manny Ramirez to ground out and leaving Hudson at third. He would intentionally walk Andre Ethier, electing to face Dodgers' catcher Russell Martin.

Bell got the better of the match up, getting Martin to ground into a game ending double play, sending the Padre fans home happy and salvaging a series split.

Padres' starter Kevin Correia and Dodgers' starter Clayton Kershaw were impressive, both however would get no decisions.

Correia would pitch six strong, giving up three runs on five hits, walking four and striking out five. Kershaw would go five innings, giving up one run on three hits, he also walked four and struck out five Padre batters.

Up next for the Los Angeles Dodgers, they will travel to Phoenix, AZ for a three game series, to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks who had today off after losing two of three at home to the Colorado Rockies.

For the San Diego Padres, they will remain at home as they welcome in the San Francisco Giants for a three game set. New Padre starter Shawn Hill is expected to make his San Diego debut Friday night against Giants' left-hander Barry Zito.

Padres-Dodgers: Pitching, timely hitting sends Padres past Dodgers

After sprinting in from the bullpen Padres' closer Heath Bell knew he had to calm down and be in control as he stepped onto the mound in the ninth inning. His team had just handed him a 4-2 lead and it was up to him to shut the door, and shut the door he did as he struck out the side to end the game.

There was a different feeling in the air as Bell came out of the bullpen, no longer was there the sound of AC/DC's "Hells Bells" blaring from Petco Park's sound system, no longer was there the slow methodical jog and no longer was there the familiar announcement of #51 Trevor Hoffman.

A new era has started in San Diego and it couldn't have started on a better note than Bell closing out a 4-2 win over the rival Dodgers. Not only that but doing it as only Bell can do, throwing heat and striking out the side.

The Padres also got great work from their bullpen, new Padres Edwin Moreno and Duaner Sanchez pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth innings before turning the ball over the Bell.

On the offensive side, the Padres got the run support for starter Chris Young that they didn't get for ace Jake Peavy a night earlier. It looked like it might be the same story from the night before as the Padres trailed 2-1 going into the sixth inning.

Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff led off the inning with back-to-back singles, then Chase Headley laced a liner just inside the third base line, scoring both Gonzalez and Kouzmanoff to give the Padres a 3-2 lead. Headley would eventually score an insurance run on a Luis Gonzalez sacrifice fly, giving Bell all the breathing room he needed.

The Padres and Dodgers will continue their four game series with game three tonight at Petco Park. Right-hander Walter Silva will make his San Diego Padres debut tonight against Dodgers' right-hander Chad Billingsley.

Lack of offense dooms San Diego in 4-1 loss to LA

We have talked about this subject for the past few seasons, the team's lack of offense has cost the San Diego Padres so many games, games they could have easily won.

The 2009 season opener went like a lot of games did in 2008, a good pitching effort but a lack of offense.

San Diego Padres' ace Jake Peavy went seven innings giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out eight. But, just like a lot of his starts in 2008, it was the offenses lack of production that led to this quote from Peavy. "Today's game was nothing new. I'm not knocking the hitters we've had before or the ones we have now. We're just going to play low-scoring games."

This offense will score more runs, but when you get off to the kind of start this team got off to last night, with the same pattern that was so familiar to fans in 2008, it's hard to believe this is going to get any better.

David Eckstein was a big factor in last night's game, getting a sacrifice bunt early in the game as well as working a 10-pitch at bat against Dodgers' starter Hideki Kuroda. Catcher Henry Blanco also showed something Padre fans aren't used to, throwing out a base runner as catcher Henry Blanco threw out Andre Etheir at second base.

Three guys that the Padres really needed were non-factors last night. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and outfielder Chase Headley were a combined 1-for-10 with two walks and two strikeouts, both coming from Headley. They need those three guys to be more productive or this pattern is going to continue to happen.

Pitching wise, the Padres did show flashes of their 2007 form. Peavy had his bumps last night, but as the game wore on, he seemed to get stronger and his pitches were breaking that much more. The bullpen looked strong as well, Edward Mujica and Luke Gregerson combined for two scoreless innings giving up just two hits and striking out three.

The two teams will be back at it tonight at Petco Park. The Padres will face left-hander, and former teammate, Randy Wolf and will counter with 6'10" right-hander Chris Young. Game time is scheduled for 7:05pm PST.

Towers still looking for late inning help

Although we're just a few days away from Opening Day, Padres' GM Kevin Towers is still tinkering with the roster.

According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, Towers is looking for pitchers to add to their bullpen and especially a late inning power arm that can be the set up man for closer Heath Bell.

The Padres could go with recent addition Duaner Sanchez, who served as a setup man in his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers, or even submarine right-hander Cla Meredith who isn't your prototypical setup man, but he has the stuff to get the job done.

Towers is going to be looking for that player that is out of minor league options or has been placed on waivers already. A move could be made as soon as this afternoon, so keep an eye out for updates as the day progresses.

Starting rotation takes another hit

If the Padres' rotation wasn't in another trouble, it just took another hit over the weekend.

Cha Seung Baek, slated to be the team's #3 starter, left the Padres' game on Saturday against the Dodgers with what the team is calling a "strained forearm." Baek will undergo more tests to make sure the injury isn't more severe.

Padres' trainer Todd Hutcheson, "All of the testing we did, it looked like a strain. I would say it's mild."

The Padres' right-hander isn't slated to start until April 8th at Petco Park when the team will take on those same Los Angeles Dodgers. They want to make sure Baek rests the arm until then and may throw a bullpen session just to make sure he's good to go prior to his first start of the 2009 season.

Cla Meredith having a dominate, but quiet, spring

Don't look now, but submarine right-hander Cla Meredith hasn't allowed a hit or a run in 8 Cactus League innings, showing that if current closer Heath Bell can't get the job done, that he could be the guy to look to if the team needs him.

As for right now, Meredith will be Bell's setup man in the 8th inning when the season opens in just a few short weeks.

For those of you who are worrying about the Padres' current 4-15 record in Cactus League play, I'd recommend that you not freak out about games that don't mean a thing. The team has been without Adrian Gonzalez, Edgar Gonzalez, Scott Hairston, Heath Bell and Jake Peavy for the better part of three weeks. When the season opens, the Padres will have their full roster and will be at 100%, barring any injuries to Jake Peavy or Heath Bell as they finish up their stint with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

The team will open the season on April 6th against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and will close out their opening home stand on April 12th against the San Francisco Giants.

Andruw Jones could be looking for new team

I know this isn't a Padres story, but it caught my attention immediately. Andruw Jones could be looking for a new team for the 2009 season, because according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, Jones will not make the Rangers squad out of Spring Training. That's not to say he won't take an assignment to their AAA club, but I think he would rather go somewhere where he has a chance to start.

I know San Diego isn't exactly looking for outfielders, but if they can make a deal to send Kevin Kouzmanoff somewhere for a few prospects, move Chase Headley to 3rd, you can get Jones for cheap, slide him to left, since the Dodgers are paying him a huge chunk of his contract from 2008.

Takers anyone?

Padres drop 3-2 decision in series finale

The San Diego Padres had plenty of opportunities to put the Dodgers away, but the same problem this team had last year, came up to bite them again. In more than 3 innings, the Padres had runners in scoring position, but failed to bring them in.

Not only that, but Brian Giles was thrown out twice at the plate. The first time coming on a fielder's choice in the home half of the 1st inning, then again in the home half of the third. Both came off the bat of Tag Iguchi.

Starter Chris Young had his typical good outing for the Padres. Going 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks and striking out eight. Only problem is, Dodgers starter Derek Lowe matched him, going 6 innings giving up 2 runs (1 ER) on 5 hits and striking out six. Both starters didn't factor in the decision since the game was tied at 2 after 7 innings.

In the 8th, Heath Bell worked his way out of trouble and the Padres handed the ball to Trevor Hoffman in the 9th. For the 2nd time in 4 appearances, Trevor couldn't hold a team at bay. Dodgers' catcher Russell Martin would open up with a leadoff single and would be sacrificed over to 2nd. Then Chin Lung-Hu would single, scoring Martin from 2nd and giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the 9th, which was secured by closer Takashi Saito for his first save of the 2008 season.

The Padres will board a charter plane tonight bound for San Francisco for a 3-game set against the Giants. Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf and Justin Germano are all scheduled to pitch this week.

Peavy dominates, Padres win

If there was a question about whether or not Jake Peavy could repeat his performance of 2007, he's answered it over his last 2 starts of the 2008 season.

Peavy's last 2 starts, he's combined for 16 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, good for a 0.56 ERA and improved to 10-1 in 19 career starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers after a 4-1 victory on Saturday. Peavy added a new pitch to his repertoire in the offseason, a changeup. Although he only used it a few times against the Astros in his first start, he mixed it in well against the Dodgers tonight.

Catcher Josh Bard, “He threw a couple on opening night, but I thought he did a really good job tonight. It gave him another pitch. Guys like Kent and Martin have seen his slider a lot, and it’s still the best slider in the game, but sometimes they’re cheating for it. We threw a little wrinkle in there. You can’t say enough.”

There was some controversy tonight, however. Padres' closer Trevor Hoffman had been warming up in the bullpen and was ready to go, but manager Bud Black decided to let Peavy go out and finish up his complete game. Jake said it was no disrespect to Hoffman, but more the confidence Black had in Jake.

Padres' pitcher Jake Peavy, “We have the best closer of all time down there, man. The guy’s as good as it gets. Division opponent, save situation. It’s tough to get back out there, but I appreciate Buddy showing the confidence in me. That’s absolutely no disrespect for No. 51. I just appreciate the confidence that Buddy showed in me. It was a good win for the boys. No doubt, we had to have it. Got to win this one to have a chance to come out tomorrow and win the series.”

Manager Bud Black, “We would have felt good either way. It was good to give the bullpen a day off and I think it was good that Jake felt good about his stuff. You combine all that and our decision after eight that he felt strong.”

The Padres will finish up the 3-game set against the Dodgers tomorrow afternoon from Petco Park. The Padres will have big 6'10" right-hander Chris Young on the mound while the Dodgers will counter with Derek Lowe. Game time is 1:05pm.

Series Preview: Padres v Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers come to town tonight for the first of 3 games ending on Sunday afternoon.

In Game 1 tonight, scheduled to start at 7:05pm. Justin Germano will make his first start of 2008 for the San Diego Padres. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, they will counter with their Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda who is not only making his first start for the Dodgers but in the big leagues in general.

On Saturday, a matchup a lot of people will be keeping their eyes on, the Padres will have ace Jake Peavy making his 2nd start of 2008 and will be opposite Brad Penny for the Dodgers. Both pitchers won their first start and neither allowed an earned run.

On Sunday afternoon, Chris Young will take the ball for the Padres while the Dodgers will have Derek Lowe on the hill. Game time for Sunday will be 1:05pm.

Series Recap: Padres win 3 of 4 from Houston

The San Diego Padres got their 2008 season off to a good start this week, winning 3 of their 4 games against the Houston Astros.

On Monday, Jake Peavy outpitched Astros' ace and close friend Roy Oswalt and got help offensively.

On Tuesday, Chris Young was unusually wild, but held it together enough to get the win in a 2-1 victory with Trevor Hoffman getting the first save of 2008.

On Wednesday, it looked like the Padres were well on their way to winning their 3rd straight, coming back from a 3-0 deficit and taking a 6-5 lead into the 9th inning. Trevor Hoffman came into the game, wasn't given a called 3rd strike to one batter, Adrian Gonzalez just missed a line drive that would have ended the game and Lance Berkman made the Padres pay for it. He hit a 2-out 3 run HR off Hoffman to give the Astros a 9-6 lead, Hoffman was pulled after that bat at bat. As you might imagine, the Hoffman haters were out in full force after that game, calling the talk shows with "Trevor is done," "why is Trevor still the closer."

One night later, on Thursday night, the Padres wrapped up the series with a 3-2 victory and guess who got the save. Trevor came right back out the next night and made up for it, going right through the 9th inning with ease and picking up his 2nd save of the season. Kevin Kouzmanoff also hit his first HR of the season, a 2-run shot in the 1st inning off Astros' starter Shawn Chacon. Scott Hairston also had a big game, coming up a HR shy of the cycle, going 3-3.

Tonight, the Dodgers come to town in a matchup a lot of people are talking about. Justin Germano will get the start for San Diego (3-1) while Japanese starter Hiroki Kuroda makes his first start as a Los Angeles Dodger (2-1).

Padres' offense quiet, fall to Cubs in the 9th

Padres' starter, right-hander Greg Maddux had to exit after 2 innings of work with a thigh bruise after getting hit with a line drive off the bat of Cubs' 1st baseman Derek Lee.

Callix Crabbe and Marshall McDougall seemed to be the only highlights for the San Diego Padres this afternoon in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

McDougall hit his first HR of the spring, a solo shot in the 7th inning against left-hander Sean Marshall, he also walked 3 times and scored on an RBI single from Callix Crabbe in the 5th. Speaking of Crabbe, he had a good afternoon as well finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI. Crabbe is currently hitting .364 this spring.

Starter Greg Maddux was scheduled to pitch 4 innings, but after leaving with a thigh bruise after 2, Mark Gardner replaced him going 2 innings and giving up 1 run on 3 hits and walking 2. Wil Ledezma pitched an impressive 4 innings, giving 1 run (unearned) on 2 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.

For the Cubs, Ryan Theriot and Sam Fuld both drove in 1 run a piece, as did pinch-hitter Alex Cintron who had the game winning 2-out single in the bottom of the 9th off Padres' reliever Carlos Guevara.

Starter Jason Marquis went 4 innings allowing 0 runs on 2 hits, walking and striking out 2. Left-hander Sean Marshall went 3 innings, 2 runs (1 ER), 1 walk and 2 strikeouts for the Cubs.

Next up for the San Diego Padres, they will host the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow night at the Peoria Sports Complex. Left-hander Randy Wolf will get the start for the Padres. Game time is schedule for 7:05pm.

Also, stay tuned to San Diego Channel 4 tomorrow tonight starting at 10pm PST as the Padres will play Game 1 of 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers from Beijing, China.