Padres Celebrate Jackie Robinson Day with a Win

WARNING: This blog may contain extreme optimistic bias.

Much like this blog post.

Today was a great day for baseball. As everyone knows the story of Jackie Robinson, we can give him a standing ovation from our computers as we read this for what he did for the game of baseball.

As the Padres took on the Dodgers tonight for the first time since last Wednesday's brawl, one would have though thought tensions would be high and some dirty baseball might by played. Fortunately, for those of us who enjoy watching the game of baseball for baseball, the game was overall clean.

Nine Padres trotted out donning Jackie Robinson's #42 and they seem to have a different sense about them. I saw plenty of times they had patience at the plate (0-2 walks by Everth and Denorfia in the 7th), leaving balls in the dirt, hitting the ball solid overall and seeming to make me have faith in everyone in the lineup to get a hit tonight (including the pitcher Eric Stults with a 3-run jack in the second).

The Padres were able to compile 9 hits and 9 walks tonight in the 6-3 victory as 7 starters came away with a base knock. Yes, this includes Cameron Maybin, Sexi Alexi Amarista and recently called up Kyle "The K Man" Blanks.

Even the pitching seemed to be on point. It is no secret that the Padres have had their trouble with pitchers going deep in the game. Stults started off the same throwing over 20 pitches in the 1st, his stat line ended up quite well going 6IP, 9 hits, 4K's and 3 ER, giving the Padres their second quality start in a row. Although the hits were high, he was able to battle out of jams, including a first inning bases loaded one, in which he struck out Eithier to end the inning. He consistently was able to hit his spots and give the Padres a chance to win.

The bullpen actually did their job for once! Brad Brach pitched the 7th striking out Kemp looking and getting Gonzalez to GIDP, Luke Gregerson pitched a shutout 8th and Huston Street came in for the save. 3 IP, 0 runs. That is what good bullpens do.

Poor Kemp. Not really.

It is amazing when you do the right things and play to the ability to team has, they can actually win. 17 runners reached base, pitching did their job an and the defense yielded no errors. Do this a lot, and you will win some games.

What made me most stoked overall this game? Consistency. Padres were able to continuously get batters on base in every inning, including a lot of leadoff men. This is how you score. With patience at the plate drawing walks and sac bunting them over, the Padres played smart baseball and were able to get some runs without having to do to much.


Leaves a good taste in my mouth tonight with the hopes Chase Headley makes it to LA tomorrow to make his season debut.

Yes, you will hit many balls that way, Chase.

Horseshoes and Hand grenades: Tough loss at Petco.

Well, this was probably the most exciting loss I have seen in a while at Petco Park as this game had a little bit of everything including a flare for the dramatic.

As I enter Petco today, I am greeted with a leadoff Carl Crawford home run as I make my way to my seat in right field. Cool. There goes Stults shutout streak at 5 innings. And Crawford's homerless streak. He hadn't hit one since August 2012.

"But look at my 2005 stats tho."

I thought the Padres were maybe going to catch a break today due to Billingsley hadn't started a game since August of last year. Wrong. He did well. 6IP, 1 ER, and a W.

But as I was saying earlier, the exciting stuff. I will touch up on the highlights:

-Padres pitchers struck out 8 and got out of several big jams late in the game. Bullpen went 4 shutout innings.
-Nick Hundley went 4-4. Yes, the starting catcher and Yasmani Grandal's replacement Nick Hundley. Kudos.
-Chris Denorfia was awesome once again. Went 2-5 with and RBI and threw a runner out at second from left. Oh yeah, he struck out in the 9th but still reached base and scored a run. Dude is sick.
-Yonder Alonso started the 9th inning at 2nd then moved to 3rd then moved back to second base as Kotsay pinch hit for Amarista in the 8th. Unfortunately, on Kotsay's PH AB, he was robbed of a potential RBI single by a diving catch by Skip Schumaker.

"Yes Yonder, 2nd base"

-Padres scored 2 runs in the ninth on clutch hitting and running only to fall short on a Yonder Alonso flyout with 2 on with a full count.

Enough bullet points and game recap, now for my personal analysis.

As fun as the game was, I was somewhat disappointed in the San Diego crowd in many ways. As usual, they got out-cheered by Dodger fans. By a longshot. Petco was quiet. They had a decent amount to cheer about tonight as well. They had 11 hits, solid pitching, and late inning near-heroics and I feel I could have had a conversation with a fan in the next section over.

Attendance was dreadful. This is a Dodgers series and Petco barely made it to half full with 22k fans tonight. I know it was a Wednesday, but that much of a drop off in one day after a big win? I want to know what it would have been like if they were playing the Rockies. Can't see it breaking 20,000 considering half the people were from LA.

Lastly, I was very confused by some of the calls by Bud Black this game. Failing to hit and run early in the game resulting in a double play, questionable substitution which resulted in bad placement by Alonso late in the game which almost cost a run and clearing the bench of all replacements. If the Padres did manage to send it to extras, they would have lost because they didn't have anyone left. Just odd few moves and throw in Bud Black pinch-hitting Eric Stults yesterday leaves me scratching my head. I guess he knows better than I do though.

2-6, but not as bad as it sounds. I can see some good blossoming. I want to see a lot more of Chris Denorfia and I want to see the bat of Nick Hundley continue to stay hot. Hold off for a tiny bit longer and our savior will be back in the lineup at third base.

Hits .400. Backs up Maybin

Go Padres.