San Diego Padres: Andy Green Was The Man Of The Mexico Series

The San Diego Padres have won back-to-back games for only the third time this season.  Give some credit to Andy Green and his managerial decisions.

Before winning last weekend’s series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres were 11-22, languishing at the bottom of National League West standings. They entered having won just one game out of their last five.

In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Andy Green had this to say about the direction of the team and the decisions he has personally made,

“The needle is moving in key areas,” Green said a few days ago in reference to some young players showing more discipline at the plate and on the bases. “I have no expectation of anybody on the outside to care about that. They care about winning baseball games – and rightfully so. That’s what the job is. We’re not in that right now. We have to take responsibility for that. But when you’re trying to build something special, you have to move the things that eventually move the win-loss record in the full term and not just in the short term.”

The lack of wins and number of questionable decisions led some Friar fans to openly vent their clear frustrations with Green, throwing out the idea that the Padres should fire him. However, a number of positive managing decisions helped lead this Padres’ team to a series win of the Dodgers.

Andy Green has been more proactive.

In the last couple of games, we have seen a more proactive rather than a reactive Andy Green.

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Bryan Mitchell was his usual self against the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing three walks and yielding three runs in 2.1 innings. Andy Green immediately made a pitching change, handing the ball over to Robbie Erlin. The southpaw was highly effective, going 2.2 innings while giving up three hits, no earned runs and striking out one.

With the game tied at three in the sixth inning, Green made another pitching change and brought in Adam Cimber. Cimber was not his usual self, allowing a hit and a walk, quickly putting two runners on with one out. Green then turned to Kirby Yates to finish out the inning, limiting the damage to just one run.

Green did not make the same mistake that he had committed a few days earlier, bringing in Brad Hand too early. He let Craig Stammen pitch two frames and Hand closed out the ninth. The Padres went on to win 7-4.

Next: Have The Padres Found Their Leadoff Hitter?

Green seems to be playing the right cards at the right time. He will need to continue to do that and much more when the surging Washington Nationals come to town Monday night. The Padres need to ride the current wave of momentum to string together some good wins. Let’s see if Green continues to make smart decisions, especially with this taxed bullpen.