San Diego Padres Week in Review

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Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Week Recap

I refuse to get too excited yet. You can’t be a baseball team that wastes as many scoring opportunities as the Padres have this season, leave as many runners on base as they have, and score as few runs as the Padres did in the first half, and consider yourself a contender in late August. Too late to make a comeback at this point, leave the races to the teams like the Pirates and Braves who have been battling for spots all season. Surely they deserve it and you, the team that was setting offensive ineptitude records should just plan for next year. Especially after sending away your closer, 3B and face of the franchise, and starting outfielder.

Yet, it’s hard not to have some excitement for this late 2014 San Diego Padres Baseball Club. The new faces are fitting in seamlessly, and providing critical roles for the team. The former shutdown 8th inning guy continued the shut down pitching in the 9th. The rookie who has gone between Triple-A and San Diego about 18 times this season is now the shut down 8th inning guy, with a movie clip intro to boot. The rookie who started the year in the bigs, got sent down then back up after an injury is raking in Tommy Medica, and a spare part pick-up in Chris Nelson provided what might be the play of the year Tuesday night, by falling into the stands and catching the ball all Derek Jeter -like. (I think we know Medica didn’t actually need to fall into the stands on the next play don’t we?).

Then there is the prospect who started the year in Double-A, hitting a ball into the third story restaurant in the Western Metal Supply building in Rymer Liriano. So while we should temper our expectations for 2014, it’s OKAY to get excited about what is playing out with the Padres right now.

Though they lost 3 of 4 to the Cardinals in what could have been a HUGE boost, they played tough and showed a fight they had been lacking earlier in the year.

GM A.J. Preller is feeling great, while former GM Josh Byrnes is wondering where all this was before. On to the weekly recap.

The Rockies pitching couldn’t stop the revamped Padres offense. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Rockies Recap

Don’t get me wrong, I fully expected to beat up on the Rockies. Yet I have to think that more than just a sweep was going on here in this series. Now, when the Padres dig an early deficit, they actually expect to come back. Expect it! A team that had a stat about scoring 4 runs and winning – which tells as much about how SELDOM they scored 4 runs than much else – now seems to be able to do that at will and as the situation dictates.

Take Monday night for example. They’ve been winning some games, feeling pretty good about themselves. Youngster Jesse Hahn on the mound, who we are used to being so dominating, and he actually gives up some runs. The Rockies Corey Dickerson hammered a homer and the Padres were down 3-2 at the 7th inning stretch. Never fear though, Yangervis Solarte is here! Making fans forget all about Chase Headley, he crushed a homer to left field and gave the Padres that magic 4-run mark. Cue the Emilio Estevez led Mighty Ducks “Quack” chant and enter Kevin Quackenbush after Nick Vincent rescued Hahn, and threw in another inning of shut down relief for good measure. Three straight strikeouts. Enter Joaquin Benoit in the 9th, and he gets 3 more. Seven strikeouts to end the game. Well done.

Tuesday, the defense took over in the 8th inning, with Chris Nelson and Tommy Medica making back-to-back catches where they fell into the stands to make the plays. These are the Padres? The smiles were all around, and continued as the Padres won 5-1.

Wednesday the story was rookie Rymer Liriano‘s monster home run into left field, as this rookie is getting play after the trades, the injuries, and may just be the best option yet for the Padres in right field. It’s an important last two months for Cameron Maybin, after his drug suspension to prove if he can be the everyday center fielder for this club next season.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals Recap

The Padres traveled to St. Louis knowing that at worst, they needed to get a split with the Cardinals. The fight was evident in the series opener Thursday as they clawed their way back into the game and appeared to have tied it in the 9th when Alexi Amarista came running home…but he was called out. Even after instant replay which did not show conclusively he was tagged in my opinion – the play stood and Tommy Medica struck out to end the game. A tough loss that would’ve put the Padres within 5.5 games of the second wild card spot.

Friday it was staff ace Tyson Ross (You didn’t think it was still Andrew Cashner did you?) the Friars turned to right the ship again and start another winning streak. Well, the night certainly did not start out right, with the bases being loaded before an out was recorded. Two of those runs scored, before Ross would settle down and only allow one more run through 6 innings – his 11st straight quality start. Unfortunately Lance Lynn was on this night, and the Cardinals won 4-2.

Saturday, the Padres found themselves down by 4 after 2 innings and needing to fight back once more. Early in the season, I say they lose this game 4-0. This bunch however bounced back, charging back with 4 of their own in the 3rd and loading the bases in the 7th down 5-4. Then Jedd Gyorko uncorked a grand slam to put the Padres on top for good. Once again, credit the bullpen for 3 1/3 innings of allowing no runs. Alex Torres got the last out of the 6th to pick up his second win of the season. Nick Vincent pitched a scoreless 7th to collect his 11th hold on the year.

Sunday, the Padres had a chance to collect a series split, but AGAIN got into an early hole and down 5-0 after 2 innings. Yet again they fought back with two in the 5th, 2 in the 6th to pull within 1 before Tim Stauffer allowed two more in the bottom half. Matt Carpenter went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored for the Redbirds. In the 9th, the Padres showed patience as closer Trevor Rosenthal had trouble finding the strike zone. A bases loaded single by Solarte got the go-ahead run on first base with only 1 out. Up came the Padres best hitter this season Seth Smith. Alas, he grounded out and though it did advance the runners and put the go-ahead run on 2nd, Yasmani Grandal flied out to end the game and the threat. St. Louis now has a 1.5 lead for the top wild card spot and still just 3 back of the Brewers in the NL Central.

. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Wild Card Attainable?

The Padres went on a nice winning streak there, but needed to do better against the Cardinals. When looking at the wild card race, the key is not so much how many games back you are, but how many teams. Right now the Cardinals and Giants hold the two wild card spots. After that, there are the Pirates, Braves, Marlins, Reds, Mets, and THEN the Padres. Beating the Cardinals was an easy way to gain some ground. They do end the season with 6 games against the Giants in the final two weeks, but that is the only direct games they have against their wild card competition. In that scenario, it makes it difficult to have much control except going out and playing winning baseball.

The other intangible of it all of course is the confidence factor. As the youngsters like Solarte, Rymer Liriano, and Tommy Medica get everyday playing time, they begin building a major league track record that will serve them well next season. Playing well is important too, but there shouldn’t be a reason why these players won’t get everyday playing time especially with so many of their “starter” counterparts have had such horrible seasons anyway. Would you rather play Will Venable who has shown to be the same player for 5 years minus 2/3 of a season last year or a rookie who can blast third deck home runs in Liriano? Easy answer. There is still a good amount of baseball left, and the Padres have plenty to play for and a lot to be excited about in 2015.

View from the landing spot of Rymer Liriano’s home run ball Wednesday night. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Weekly Awards

This week’s Padres Player of the Week goes to:

Rymer Liriano. Admittedly based mostly on that monster home run he hit on Wednesday, but the rookie all in all had a good first week. Excited what he can do the rest of the way, as so far as the “bigness” of the major leagues doesn’t seem to phase him in the least.

Week That Was…Never Supposed to Happen

Schedule