Throwdown Thursday

Every Thursday, we at Chicken Friars will pick the two best Padres performers over the past week and analyze what they accomplished. Then we will leave it up to you, the fans, to decide who earned the week’s Throwdown Thursday’s honor.

In the season debut of Throwdown Thursday, we pit the Padres’ top run producer against the only Padres starting pitcher to earn a win so far this season: Jesus Guzman vs. Clayton Richard.

   Jesus Guzman- Guzman picked up where he left off last season as a force in the  Padres’ anemic lineup. In the season’s first six games, Guzman is batting .200 with no homeruns and 4 RBI. Those numbers may not be mind-boggling but where Guzman really shines-and he always has- is with runners in scoring position, where he is batting .400 with 3 RBI and a double. Guzman (a first-baseman by trade) has started all five games in left field and has looked decent making the routine plays.

Clayton Richard– In his first start of the season, Richard has proved his surgically repaired shoulder is completely healthy. Richard was dominant in his start against the Dodgers, going 7 innings giving up 2 hits and 2 unearned runs. He spotted his fastball effectively,  hitting the inside and outside corners. His only blemish was the 2-run homerun he allowed to the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp. But that homerun didn’t dampen Richard’s day as the club still pulled out a W for him.

Now Padres fans, vote in our poll for the Padres performer of the week.  Is it Guzman or Richard?