Padres Weekly Preview: Tough Homestand Ahead

The Padres still have over a month of baseball to play – and can still impact division races. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Week Ahead

If the Padres were looking for a breather after a disappointing week in which they only won 2 games – this is not it.

Coming to town are the NL Central Leading Brewers in the midst of one of the best pennant races in baseball. After that, the NL West leading Dodgers come to town fresh after taking 2 of 3 from the Padres in Los Angeles. So while the comfort of their own beds might provide some reprieve to the weary, heading to the ballpark will not. However, as the Padres continue to try out new players in new positions, and with all of the injuries the Padres have had this season, most Padres shouldn’t really feel that tired. Seth Smith has been the offensive leader this season and one of the few starters who has not the DL at some point this season.

So, the season trudges on, with tickets to still sell and statistics to be built. Do not think that the Padres are no longer a relevant team. Well, for their purposes they are – but the Padres will have a big impact on the other playoff races that are going on as they finish the year against the Dodgers, Giants, and Brewers.

The Brewers strong staff looks to keep it up in San Diego this week. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Brewers Overview

The Brewers continue to defy the odds and sit in first place in the NL Central with a record of 72-58. This is of course only 1.5 games ahead of the surging Cardinals, a team that made some bold pitching moves over the trade deadline and just always seems to be in the playoffs. Yet it is in fact the Milwaukee Brewers, who we last heard of in the playoffs in 2008 when C.C. Sabathia put on the best trade deadline performance by a pitcher since Randy Johnson in Houston in 1999. Their star slugger Ryan Braun of course was disgraced last season after being found guilty (still? again?) of PED use after vehemently denying the charges after he was first round guilty following his MVP title. Braun this season after suspension? Hitting only .278 with only 16 homers.  I say only because in 2012 he hit 41 and .319.

Yet the Brewers this year have been led by their catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who is garnering MVP talk and hitting .304 with 13 home runs of his own. Last year he hit .280 with 18 home runs, so the progression is not without warning. Throw in some Carlos Gomez at the top of the lineup, and some great pitching they have gotten this season from Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza, and the emergence of Wily Peralta, who is 15-8 on the season with a 3.56 ERA and you have a recipe for a surprise team that seems built for years to come. Wily Peralty, like Taylor Swift, was born in 1989.

So here they come to pitcher friendly Petco Park. Kyle Lohse returns from missing a start in game 1 opposing Eric Stults who wishes that August can last forever. Yovani Gallardo, who was supposed to be the ace this season, has only gone 8-7 despite a 3.38 ERA. He will get the call in game 3, with youngster Jimmy Nelson getting his 9th start of the year in the second game.

I say Lohse is refreshed for his start, and he puts an unfortunate end to Stultzmania(isn’t that going on?). Tyson Ross shuts down the rookie in game 2, and Game 3 Odrisamer Depaigne gets back on track to defeat Gallardo.

Puig returns to Petco this weekend. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Dodgers Preview

Are you tired of the Dodgers yet? How just when you think you have a chance to beat Clayton Kershaw with Tyson Ross on the mound Just Turner beats you? It doesn’t seem quite right does it? How they can put in their “B” lineup against your left-handed pitcher and still trot out former All-Stars like Matt Kemp? I don’t like it much either, but it the Padres are going to be able to provide any retribution to the Dodgers this year it will be by being spoilers and counting on the Giants to win as well.

The Giants at one point this season had a nearly 10 game lead, but the Dodgers then turned on the after-burners and now are threatening to run away with the division over the final month. The Padres have a shot to at least slow down what seems to be the inevitable division title rocket that is the 2014 LA Dodgers. The Padres do miss Kershaw this time around, as he will pitch Wednesday as the Dodgers try and beat up on the D’backs, something that the Padres could not take advantage of.

It’s really amazing his name fits on that jersey. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Padre to Watch This Week:

The Padre to watch this week will be Kevin Quackenbush. Last week he picked up his first major league save and many were calling already to get rid of Benoit. Woah, woah, I say, not so fast! Though I have been enthralled with his stuff, poise, and performance so far this season, let’s not kick the veteran out of the closer’s role for 2015 just yet – large contract or not. I would like to see a full season or at least a half season until the trade deadline of Quackenbush setting up Benoit for the 9th before we get rid of a proven closer for the Kid. Many teams prove year after year (Oakland, Tampa Bay, St. Louis!) that in general the closer’s gig is over-rated, and that often you can find one on your own staff. Yet for every team that does that – a team is stuck in closer purgatory for years (including Benoit’s previous team Detroit) after getting cocky that they too can concert a catcher to a closer(see LA Dodgers).

So, while Benoit is hurting some, I would like to see the Quack get more chances to close out games, but let’s make sure we aren’t getting too caught up in one save and wait until we see 10 or so. At the very least, let’s see a few blown saves and recory before jettisoning Benoit.