SB Nation - Mike Adams

Rox host hot Friars to kick off final homestand

Poseidon's Fist — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:02:04 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

For the last month, San Diego has been as hot as a team can be without having even one 5-game win streak.

As I mentioned ad nauseum in the NL West Report yesterday, the Padres have managed to go four consecutive weeks without suffering a losing week. Look at the roster and the schedule, and you had better respect that. In fact, San Diego has won 10 of their past 13 series (and 12 of 16), with two of the losses coming against the mighty Cardinals. Four of the wins came against playoff contenders on the road.

Their pitching has stabilized dramatically, but also, as with many young teams, some of the youth in the lineup has started to figure things out at the plate. Chase Headley, Everth Cabrera, and Will Venable have all been steadily improving. You could point to their 30-45 record on the road as a big weakness, but I wouldn't let you without understanding that they are 17-14 on the road since the ASB, including being winners of 11 of 16 away from PetCo.

Then consider Kevin Kouzmanoff could finally return this series, meaning Bud Black doesn't have to use guys like Edgar Gonzalez in the outfield. Is there reason to be optimistic? Well, duh. The Rockies are much better team, they dominate at home (especially lately), and Colorado has the starting pitching edge in each game. Plus, San Diego was busy playing an extra inning game in the eastern time zone while the Rockies sat comfortably through an off day in Denver following a day game. Rest is on our side. I just wanted to worry you a little. We really ought to win this series, San Diego's recent history be damned.

In light of Rox Girl's article this afternoon, I'll leave out the Scoreboard Watch that debuted last week, but I will remember to include the link to Gaslamp Ball.

San Diego Padres (69-82, W3, 4th, 21.5 GB)

Friday-Sunday: 3-game series at Coors Field

The Bats: D+

As I mentioned last time, the Padres do not appear to be a good offensive club statistically. They are at or near the MLB cellar in batting average, runs, stolen bases and wOBA. But even the Yankees and Phillies would look terrible playing in PetCo Park. The team just scored 11 runs yesterday on the road - a game in which youngster Chase Headley had five hits - and their 94 team OPS+ almost makes them an average NL offense.

The return of the Kouz could help. He has been out since September 8th with a calf strain but took batting practice and was given an "outside shot" to return to the lineup yesterday. He did not, but I infer that means he should be back this series. The return of the third baseman would allow Chase Headley to slide back to left. Here's the lineup:

LINEUP	Avg	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA	OPS+
Everth Cabrera - SS	.267	2	30	.352	.377	.330	102
David Eckstein - 2B	.264	1	45	.321	.338	.295	83
Adrian Gonzalez - 1B	.273	39	92	.398	.557	.398	161
Kevin Kouzmanoff - 3B	.257	17	84	.304	.421	.313	99
Chase Headley - LF	.266	12	61	.342	.408	.333	107
Will Venable - RF	.270	11	33	.337	.463	.349	119
Nick Hundley - C	.233	7	27	.309	.401	.309	95
Tony Gwynn Jr - CF	.266	1	17	.344	.333	.302	89

That's not an intimidating lineup, but they aren't really pushovers either. Judging from the multitude of stats, A-Gone is a bona fide All-Star while Will Venable is a very strong MLB starter. Headley and Cabrera are competently average if not slightly stronger, and Nick Hundley is young an improving to the average area. Gwynn and Eckstein are below average, but they aren't dragging the offense down as much as most lineups we have seen recently.

Drew Macias (.174, 1, 6) and Luis Durango (4-for-6) are the backup OF, though Oscar Salazar (.310, 3, 8) and Edgar Gonzalez (.205, 4, 13) are IFs that have also recieved starts in the outfield. Luis Rodriguez (.211, 2, 16) joins Salazar and Gonzalez as IF relief options while Eliezer Alfonzo (.180, 2, 8) and Henry Blanco (.236, 5, 13) fill the roles as the typical September backup catcher duo.

Hop after the jump for the scouting report on the arms, the D, the pitching matchups, the hot/cold players and injuries.

The Arms: D+

I feel like I'm having serious de ja vu. First, we face Lincecum/Zito/Cain in order in a series twice in two weeks. Now we're facing Mujica/Stauffer/Richard in order. Again. The last time it happened, the Rockies eeked out one additional win the second go-round. If they do it again, that means a series win.

The above phenomenon points to something San Diego hasn't had much this season - stability, and that's always a plus. They still have a staff tRA north of five, but as we saw last time, they can still be a threat. Mujica, Stauffer and Richard held the Rockies to just 4 runs on 8 hits over 15 IP. Past that, the bullpen is improving its stability and talent as well. They just got setup man Mike Adams back, finally. Of the 13 pitchers in the bullpen, only 3 have ERA+'s south of 100. Take of that what you will.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Heath Bell	6-4	64	0	0	0	39	5	65.2	49	21	21	3	22	72	2.88	1.08

Wade LeBlanc (95 ERA+), Joe Thatcher (155), Cesar Ramos (3.0 IP, 0 ER) and Aaron Poreda (0.2 IP, 0 ER) are Bud Black's left-handed options, a rich goodie bag that will help against a left-handed dominant Rockies team. The right side of the pen is inhabited by Mike Adams (434 ERA+), Luke Gregerson (127), Adam Russell (100), Greg Burke (86), Ryan Webb (100), Luis Perdomo (81), Ernesto Frieri (has not appeared), and Sean Gallagher (5.0 IP, 0 ER).

The D: C-

San Diego's 87 errors places them right in the middle of the NL, but they have the second-worst UZR only to the Mets. Fangraphs' UZR based rating system places them just shy of average. Should Kouzmanoff return, he'll provide a boost defensively on the infield, but Headley isn't an asset at Coors in LF.

Probable Pitchers:

Tonight, 6:40 pm MDT

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP

2009 - Edward Mujica 3-4 65 2 0 0 2 1 85.2 85 37 32 12 16 68 3.36 1.18

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Edward Mujica	3-4	65	2	0	0	2	1	85.2	85	37	32	12	16	68	3.36	1.18

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jorge De La Rosa	15-9	30	29	0	0	0	0	174.2	162	86	81	20	77	179	4.17	1.37

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP

2009 - Jorge De La Rosa 15-9 30 29 0 0 0 0 174.2 162 86 81 20 77 179 4.17 1.37

Mujica will be making his third career start, his first coming the last series the teams met. He has yet to pitch into the fifth inning, but that's mostly because he hasn't been stretched out after 63 big league relief appearances this year. He went over 70 pitches his last time for the first time in his career, allowing 2 ER in 4.2 IP against Arizona, a solid start after his scoreless debut vs Colorado. This will be a rematch of the first game of the last series, the game Colorado scored four times off Heath Bell in the ninth. De la Rosa dominated that start, allowing one run in seven innings, part of a September that has just been on fire for him. He has allowed just three runs total in his four September starts (3-0, 1.04 ERA). That has dropped his ERA 55 points to a season low 4.17, giving him a shot to fall below 4.00. Inconceivable! Favors: ROCKIES very strongly

Wednesday, September 23, 6:40 MDT

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP

2009 - Tim Stauffer 4-7 13 13 0 0 0 0 68.1 68 29 27 8 29 50 3.56 1.42

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP

2009 - Jason Marquis 15-11 35 30 2 1 0 0 201.1 199 92 86 14 69 105 3.84 1.33

Stauffer is quietly studly. He was off in his last start in Pittsburgh more than any start this year, allowing 3 runs in 3 IP. But in 13 starts this season, he has held his opponent to 3 ER or less, including his last four starts. He has been Mr. Consistency all season, with his only "blowups" being two consecutive 4 ER outings vs the Cards. The labrum surgery survivor was the 4th overall pick in 2003's draft. Marquis has gone from annoying me to outright pissing me off. The Rockies have lost 4 of his last 5 starts. His "best" start of those four came last time out, when he allowed 4 ER on 6 hits and 5 walks in 6 innings. His ERA hasn't been this high since June, when he finished that complete game shutout in Los Angeles. Favors: ROCKIES slightly

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Tim Stauffer	4-7	13	13	0	0	0	0	68.1	68	29	27	8	29	50	3.56	1.42

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jason Marquis	15-11	35	30	2	1	0	0	201.1	199	92	86	14	69	105	3.84	1.33

Thursday, September 24, 6:40 MDT

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Clayton Richard	4-2	10	10	0	0	0	0	51.0	52	28	27	6	29	44	4.76	1.59

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jason Hammel	9-8	31	28	1	0	0	0	163.1	188	88	79	14	41	117	4.35	1.40

Clayton Richard took a nice stride by allowing just one unearned run in his last start, on the road, but that was vs Pittsburgh. Before that he was 1-2 with a 10.69 ERA away from Petco Park with San Diego, averaging just 4.0 IP per start. How does that sit with you? Okay, so it's just four games, and he was a better road pitcher with Chicago...All things considered for the season, he has been...average. At the time of this writing, Jason Hammel is the scheduled starter for this game, though Jim Tracy has hinted he may go with some combination of Jose Contreras and Aaron Cook. Assuming it's Hammel, it would probably surprise you to know the Rockies are 10-3 in Jason Hammel's starts at Coors Field this year, but it's true. In fact, Colorado is 9-1 in his last ten at home. Sure, his ERA is north of 5 at Coors, but look at that record! Earlier on, he battling the hit-bug, but in his last eight starts, he has a WHIP of 1.14. Favors: ROCKIES moderately.

Adrian Gonzalez has five home runs this month, including one yesterday. Chase Headley, Nick Hundley, Oscar Salazar and Will Venable each have two, with the H-men hovering around .300 for the month of September. Everth Cabrera is working a modest six game hit streak. Luke Gregorson, Aaron Poreda, Joe Thatcher, Mike Adams, Sean Gallagher, Ryan Webb and Cesar Ramos have combined to allow just 3 ER over their combined 41 September appearances.

Heath Bell blew another save last night in Pittsburgh, giving him three blown saves in his last five chances. He seems to be the only reliever getting hit around these days. In fact, he is. Only he (6.00) and Adam Russell (4.05) have a Sept ERA higher than 4. Luis Rodriguez is hitless in 14 straight AB's.

Outfielders Brian Giles and Kyle Blanks are on the 15-day DL, though neither will return this season. 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff is questionable for tonight's game with a calf injury. RHP's Cha Seung Baek (forearm), Chris Young (shoulder), Shawn Hill (elbow) and Mark Worrell (elbow) are on the 60-day DL along with Cliff Floyd (shoulder).

Poll

Ryan Webb has apparently unleashed Tinkerbell's pixie dust on his teammates. Can pixie dust survive at altitude?

Of course it can you idiot...pixie dust is for flying. The Padres will sweep.

6 votes

Enough. I don't see why we're any better off than the teams the Padres have steamrolled lately. They'll take two games

10 votes

Yorvit's magic touch is stronger. Or maybe it's just our starting pitching. Rox win the series.

65 votes

You kidding? This team smells blood. There will be no mercy this time. Rox sweep

54 votes

135 votes | Poll has closed

San Diego beats Milwaukee 6-5, game recaps continue

Dex — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:04:13 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Nick Hundley and Heath Bell are something not unlike best pals for life. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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I wonder how often SB Nation will check in on us to see if we're still doing game recaps. I'm figuring we just keep at it until something falls off.

So the Padres won again. The Mashin' Macedonian, Kevin Kouzmanoff, went 3-4 with a couple of RBIs. RBI is a meaningless stat and one game is a small sample size, so even though Kevin Kouzmanoff is awesome, you can use those statistics to come to the conclusion that he sucks if you want. Hater.

Mike Adams doesn't seem to want to give up any runs. This game carried his current streak with no runs allowed into another day. His current streak started on June 19th and just keeps on going.

Is it just me or does Nick Hundley have some trouble with attraper la balle? I want to be discrete, which is why I used la langue française, instead of good old American in that last sentence. But seriously, hang onto the tough ones every now and then.

Trevor Hoffman still looks like a young man, doesn't he? If you put him and Heath Bell side by side, who would you guess is the elder? One dude's like 50 and still looks amaze with his shirt off. The other dude relies on a Wii Fit regiment. Just saying.

Ooh! Far and Away is on Encore Westerns right now. I'm gonna watch this.

"Just say... ye like... me hat."

Padres vs Brewers coverage
Brew Crew Ball
Padres vs Brewers recap

Angels, Marlins Lead Pursuit For Heath Bell

Matt Buggenhagen — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:19:39 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

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The Marlins and Angels are now the leaders to acquire Padres closer Heath Bell, this according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

It was reported that the Marlins and Padres were discussing potential deals, but the latest had the Padres requesting Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller in return for Bell, and the Marlins quickly rejected that deal.

The Angles could be a sleeper in this whole Bell deal. The Angels have been quiet up to this point, but rumors that the Rangers are heavily working the phones could entice the Angels to get a bit more aggressive.

Here's a few other notes from Center:

Heath Bell just signed a new one-year lease on his home in San Diego. I wonder what the refund policy is?
The Boston Red Sox are still the leading candidate for Adrian Gonzalez, but the price will be very high.
The Brewers had interest in Padres pitcher Kevin Correia , but that seems to have cooled.
The Minnesota Twins have showed interest in Padres second baseman David Eckstein.
Padres manager Bud Black said that if Bell is traded the team would move Mike Adams into the closer roll.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Heath Bell	3-1	38	0	0	0	25	1	40.1	28	9	9	1	15	48	2.01	1.07

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:02:44 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Nyjer Morgan hit a leadoff home run last night, but at least the Nats didn't go back-to-back.

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Some things to read while not showing up so early.

Time is running out before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and while the Brewers seem to be headed downhill, Doug Melvin says he's still looking to buy. Trevor Hoffman, meanwhile, says the Brewers have enough to win now. Hoffman, for whatever it's worth, has played on six winning teams in 17 seasons, but also five that lost 90 or more games.

If the Brewers are in fact buying, they may have another hole in the starting rotation to fill. Jeff Suppan underwent an MRI yesterday and was diagnosed with an oblique strain. (Also noted in FanShot.) He hasn't been ruled out for his scheduled start on Saturday, but this is Jeff Suppan we're talking about: do you really want him pitching at less than full strength?

With two games left against the Nationals the Brewers have already clinched a losing homestand, and several more blogs are ready to throw some dirt on the 2009 season:

The Brew Town Beat says the season ended on Sunday.
Brew City Sports thinks the Brewers should be sellers at the deadline.
The Bucky Channel has also left the Brewers for dead.
Miller Park Drunk, though, is still holding out hope.

Ryan Braun has home runs in each of his last two games, and Monday's shot made him the first Brewer ever to hit 20 in each of his first three major league seasons. A recent poll of his peers also ranked Braun the fifth most likely young player to eventually make it to the Hall of Fame. (h/t FanShot)

Meanwhile, after beating the Brewers twice, the Nationals have won four straight games for the first time in 2009, and Ben Goessling of the Washington Times wonders if their luck has turned around.

If you've been watching this week's games, you've probably seen Pat Listach coaching for the Nationals. On top of being one of just three Brewers to steal 50 bases in a season, Listach also holds the major league record for longest at bat to lead off a game. He forced Ron Darling to throw 17 pitches while drawing a walk on September 26, 1992.

Just one minor league note today: Maverick Lasker is the Prospect of the Week over at Between the Green Pillars.

Around baseball:

Astros: Placed LaTroy Hawkins on the DL with shingles.
Giants: Nate Schierholtz has been placed on the DL with a strained hip, and Randy Johnson has been moved to the 60-day DL with tearing in his rotator cuff that will keep him out until at least September.
White Sox: Acquired Mark Kotsay from the Red Sox for outfielder Brian Anderson.
Yankees: Chien-Ming Wang will have season ending shoulder surgery today.

I also found a couple of notes of interest in the most recent Baseball America Minor League Transactions:

The Brewers signed a pitcher out of the independent leagues: lefthander Donald Brandt, who had been pitching for San Angelo of the United League.
Former Brewer farmhand Adam Pettyjohn was released by the Reds (and later signed by the Mets).

Obviously, making the Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor for the players involved, but it's also a huge income opportunity. The Wall Street Journal has a look at the extra revenue made by Hall of Famers, which is especially significant for players from earlier eras who played for much less money. (h/t Beyond the Box Score)

The Brewers travel to LA next week, and if you get the chance, listen to Vin Scully call the game for a few innings. Scully is reportedly retiring after the 2010 season, so you might not get many more opportunities.

Here's a first for the "Odd Ballpark Promotions" file: Cheezburger Night at Safeco Field.

Nyjer Morgan may have hit a leadoff home run last night, but on this day in 1975 the Brewers one upped him, as Don Money and Darrell Porter went back to back to lead off the game. The Brewers won the game, 4-0.

Happy birthday today to Mike Adams, who pitched in 61 games for the Brewers between 2004 and 2006 and turns 31 today. Also, happy birthday to the other Ryan Braun, who turns 29.

Oh, and if you still have some time to kill this morning, here's a nine minute video on counting the M&M's in a jar.

Drink up.

Reds fail to extend their winning streak to 2 but are somehow still in contention, lose to the Padres 3-2

BK — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:51:18 -0000

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

The Padres bullpen. After gaining a 3-2 lead in the 7th, Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, and Heath Bell each pitched a perfect inning, including a stretch where they struck out 6 Reds hitters in a row. I'm still not sure why Jim Day refers to this team as the "Battlin' Redlegs".

Key Plays

The Pads struck first, with Kevin Kouzmanoff doubling in Tony Gwynn Jr., who tripled to lead off the game.
The Reds answered in the bottom of the 2nd, when Jonny Gomes drove in Edwin Encarnacion to tie the game, and Craig Tatum's grounder bounced off of 1st base to drive in Laynce Nix and give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
Adrian Gonzalez, who has seemingly killed the Reds this season, blasted a solo shot halfway up the moon deck to tie the game in the 3rd.
Tony Gwynn Jr. doubled to lead off the 7th, and after Nick Masset came in with runners on 1st and 3rd, Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a sac fly to give the Pads the lead. Ball game.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

Craig Tatum had his first major league hit. Whoopee.
How long is it going to take before something happens with Ryan Hanigan? Not being able to pinch hit for Tatum in the 9th was a minor inconvenience.
The leadoff combo of Willy Taveras and Alex Gonzalez was a combined 0-for-8. I'm sure Dusty is shocked by this, but nobody else should be. I fully expect to see the same two players at the top of the lineup tomorrow, because "they're due".
Edwin was 2-for-4. I guess that's something.
The scouts in the stadium saw what we've been seeing of Bronson Arroyo all season. He had a quality start, going 6 1/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits, but wasn't anything spectacular. Just solid, and threw a ton of pitches.
I'm not going to go on a tirade against Dusty because he's done much worse than this, but leaving Bronson in to pitch the 7th with 112 pitches under his belt probably wasn't a good idea.
Pete Rose was in attendance, with a woman who looked like a prostitute. This was much more exciting than the game.
The Reds have now lost 6 of their last 7. Since they didn't win consecutive games, the baby goes back under the basket. Sorry kid, you were so close to freedom.

The First Overall Pick In 2010 Better Be Worth It...Washington Nationals Lose 6-2 To San Diego Padres.

Ed Chigliak — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:16:59 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

4 months ago: Washington Nationals' Cristian Guzman (15) circles the bases after hitting a solo homer against San Diego Padres pitcher Mat Latos in the first inning of a baseball game in Washington, Friday, July 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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Errors On Parade...

E: 91 - The only reason Washington Nationals' right-hander Garrett Mock wasn't charged with two errors in the first is that they have another stat called passed balls to describe the fastball in the dirt Mock threw by DC backstop Josh Bard after giving up a leadoff single to the son of Tony Gwynn. Everth Cabrera tried a sac bunt with Gwynn on second, but Mock turned it into a single, throwing high to first and pulling Nick Johnson off the bag for the Nationals' 91st error and runners on first and third. RESULT: Gwynn scores from third on Adrian Gonzalez's sac fly, Cabrera scores on a two-out double by Padres' left fielder Chase Headly. 2-0 San Diego after a half...

E: 92 - With one out in the second and DC down 2-1 after Cristian Guzman's HR to center in the Nationals' first, Adam Dunn misplays a grounder that gets by Ryan Zimmerman at third and rolls into the corner, allowing Padres' catcher Eliezer Alfonzo to take third on the one-out double. RESULT: Garrett Mock gets two groundouts to strand Alfonzo on third, no harm Du...done. (ed. note - "E: 92.5 - To Garrett Mock for the 3-1 fastball to Luis Rodriguez in the fourth, which Rodriguez drilled to right to put San Diego up 3-1 after Guzman's 1st inning dinger had cut the early 2-0 lead in half.)

More errors after the JUMP...

Padres win, 6-2 final.

Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

Check Out The SB Nation's Padres Blog: Gaslamp Ball GameThread...

BACKPAGE:

• E: 93

• E: 94

• Don't Toss The Bat, Zim...

• A Moment With Cristian Guzman.

For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP....

Nationals now 28-68.

BACKPAGE: (Under Construction)...

• E: 93 - Fourth inning, Josh Bard tries to catch a foul ball popped up just down the third base off Kyle Blanks' bat, Bard slides on his knees but just flat-out misses it...a flying bat barrel was involved...RESULT: Nothing, really, but Luis Rodriguez did hit a HR in the next at bat to make it 3-1 Padres...

• E: 94 - Tony Gwynn, Jr. hits a groundball back to the mound to lead off the seventh, DC reliever Jason Bergmann fields and makes an awkward throw to first that's high, Gwynn reaches first safely on the Nationals' 94th error. RESULT: Everth Cabrera gets a sac bunt down to move Gwynn to second. Jason Bergmann gives Adrian Gonzalez the intentionals and Kevin Kouzmanoff doubles to score Gwynn and make it 6-2 Padres, which is how it would end.

Final Results: 4 Errors = 4 Runs, Nationals lose by 4....

• Don't Toss The Bat, Zim...

Padres' starter Mat Latos struggled to throw anything other than his mid-90's fastball for a strike today, but he nonetheless held the Washington Nationals to 5 hits and 2 ER, both on HR's, in 5.2 IP in which the 21-year-old right-hander struck out 5 and walked 2. Pitching to Cristian Guzman in the first, Latos started with a fastball outside for a called strike one, and he followed with a change inside and high that Cristian Guzman lined to deep center for a solo HR that was gone in a hurry. The second HR and only other run Latos gave up, was hit on a 3-2 change left up in the zone to Ryan Zimmerman, who launched it so far to center it almost hit Big Head Abe Lincoln where he stood in the stands greeting fans. Zimmerman got all of it and he knew it, but with the Nationals down 5-1 at that point, with the season they're having, not to mention the last few months Zimmerman's had at the plate, I think the bat toss was a little out of place. I understand it was a huge HR, but it only scored one run in what was then a 5-2 game, so maybe save the theatrics for a HR to ties or maybe wins a game, otherwise you're just showing up a rookie, who's in the midst of dominating and earning his first professional win.

A Moment With Cristian Guzman...

Hi, Cristian. I've always liked you, even after the unproductive first few years off the turf, but the next time you swing at three-straight balls with the bases loaded like you did in the seventh inning tonight, I'm going to start siding with the "Cristian Guzman's quit on us" crowd...That being said, Padres' reliever Luke Gregorson did have nasty stuff...but in that situation...just take one, please...

GAME REPORT:

San Diego Padres At Washington Nationals. Game 95 Of 162.

Tony Gwynn Jr. splits the right center gap with a line drive single on a 3-1 pitch from DC starter Garrett Mock. Everth Cabrera, the Padres’ shortstop up next, and Mock throws a fastball by the Nationals’ backstop Josh Bard, to move Gwynn to second. Cabrera’s sac bunt moves Gwynn to third, and Mock throws high to first allowing Cabrera to reach safely. Adrian Gonzalez flies out to score Gwynn from third, 1-0 Padres. Cabrera steals second, beating Bard’s throw. A 2-2 bender to Kevin Kouzmanoff gets a swinging K for the second out. Chase Headley doubles to right to score Cabrera for an early 2-0 lead. Kyle Banks stares Mock’s curve all the way in for strike three to end the Padres’ first...Mat Latos is throwing mid-90’s heat to Willie Harris and Harris eventually lines a full-count pitch out to center. Cristian Guzman gets a hold of a high heater from Latos and launches it to straight-center and GONE!!! HR for Guzman, 2-1 Padres. Adam Dunn gets jammed and pops up to first, Adrian Gonzalez’s catch ends the first.

Luis Rodriguez grounds a 1-0 pitch out to Alberto Gonzalez at second. Adam Dunn misplays a double down the third base line into a triple for the Padres’ catcher Eliezer Alfonzo. Mock gets Latos to ground out to short and gets Tony Gwynn Jr. to ground to first, and that’s more like it, Mock...Nick Johnson hits a trademark single to center to start the Nationals’ second. NJ™. Josh Willingham K’s swinging with Nick Johnson running, and it’s a strike’em out, throw’em out to erase the leadoff single. Josh Bard K’s trying to hold up.

Everth Cabrera flies out to Adam Dunn in left. Adrian Gonzalez grounds out to Alberto Gonzalez and Mock’s got two down quickly in the third. Kevin Kouzmanoff flies out to left on a 2-2 pitch and Mock’s got a scoreless third...Alberto Gonzalez pops out to the infield. Garrett Mock K’s staring a Latos’ curve. Willie Harris takes a mid-90’s fastball outside for a called strike three, and he doesn’t like the call at all.

Chase Headley grounds to first, Nick Johnson fields and steps on the bag. Kyle Banks K’s staring a two-strike bender all the way in up high. Luis Rodriguez lifts a 1-2 hanger to right field and over the out-of-town scoreboard for a solo shot and a 3-1 Padres’ lead. Eliezer Alfonzo flies out to center to end San Diego’s fourth...Cristian Guzman singles through second for a leadoff single in the fourth. Ryan Zimmerman punches a single through second and Guzman up a bag. Adam Dunn grounds to second, Luis Rodriguez to Everth Cabrera to Adrian Gonzalez, double play. Nick Johnson uses his Discerning Eye™ to draw a two-out walk. Josh Willingham grounds out to third, and a promising inning provides nothing.

Garrett Mock gets the Padres’ pitcher Mat Latos, punched out looking. Tony Gwynn Jr. singles to center on a 1-2 slider, but gets nailed trying to steal second with Everth Cabrera at bat. Cabrera walks. Adrian Gonzalez up, and Mock catches Cabrera leaning and picks him off first to end the Padres’ fifth...Josh Bard vs Latos in the fifth. Bard grounds out to Adrian Gonzalez. Alberto Gonzalez gets tagged out Adrian Gonzalez when Padres’ shortstop Everth Cabrera’s throw to first on a grounder is wide. Garrett Mock goes the other way with a groundout to second to end the fifth.

Adrian Gonzalez starts the sixth with a leadoff single to center. Cristian Guzman dives for Kevin Kouzmanoff’s grounder but comes up empty as it rolls into left. Adam Dunn can’t get to a bloop single down the left field line. Bases loaded on the Chase Headley hit. Kyle Blanks swings over a 1-2 curve off the outside edge. Luis Rodriguez with one out and the bases loaded. Line drive to right and it falls in for a two-run single, 5-1 Padres. Eliezer Alfonzo will face Jason Bergmann, and he pops out behind first. Alberto Gonzalez with the catch. Mat Latos stays in to hit, but grounds out to second to end the top of the sixth...TAWH does not want to believe in the Ump’s zone, punched out again. Cristian Guzman flies out to left. Latos leaves a curve up for Ryan Zimmerman who takes it deeeeep to left center and GONE!! Ryan Zimmer--THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! 5-2 DC. Mat Latos is done. Nick Johnson pops up a pitch from Luke Gregerson, foul of third to end the sixth.

Tony Gwynn, Jr. grounds back to the mound, Jason Bergmann throws to first, high, Nick Johnson pulled off the bag, Gwynn safe. Everth Cabrera’s sac bunt moves Gwynn to second. Adrian Gonzalez gets the intentionals, and Kevin Kouzmanoff makes DC pay with an RBI double to left to score Gwynn and chase Bergmann. 6-2 Padres. Ron Villone turns Chase Headley around to the right side of the plate. Headley pops out to first. Kyle Blanks takes ball four and walks to load the bases again. Luis Rodriguez flies out to right to end the threat...Josh Willingham flies out to Tony Gwynn in center. Josh Bard drops a one-out single into short right. Alberto Gonzalez pops out to the infield. Austin Kearns takes a two-out walk to bring up TAWH!! Willie Harris gets hit on the foot. Cristian Guzman K’s swinging at an 0-2 pitch in the dirt.

Eliezer Alfonzo lines the first pitch from Sean Burnett out to right. Pinch hitter Oscar Salazar grounds to third, Zimmerman’s got the glove low, and he fields and throws on the mark. Sean Burnett drops a brutal two-strike curve on Tony Gwynn, Jr. for a swinging K...Padres’ righty Mike Adams gets Ryan Zimmerman swinging over a two-strike slider outside. Adam Dunn K’s swinging. Nick Johnson goes down swinging as well as Mike Adams mows the Nationals down.

Logan Kensing gets Everth Cabrera swinging to start the ninth. Adrian Gonzalez flies out to Adam Dunn in left. Willie Harris catches the final out of the seventh off of Kevin Kouzmanoff’s bat...Josh Willingham vs Greg Burke in the ninth. The Hammer grounds out to short. Josh Bard pops out behind second. Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to short, and the Padres win, 6-2 final.

Nationals now 28-68.

36-35, Game Notes

Jeff — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:46:31 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

"I have legs?"

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With the way Don Wakamatsu's talking, it's beginning to look like Brandon Morrow is here to stay. Which - I can't get over how quickly everybody seemed to change their minds on this. Morrow was ticketed for AAA. The story was everywhere. There were quotes from everyone from the coaches to the front office to Morrow himself acknowledging the plan. And then it never happened, and the whole idea just kind of got swept under the rug. Every additional start he makes up here makes it that much less likely that he ever goes back to the minors. So now I guess we have to live with this. If Brandon Morrow goes on to have a successful career, it'll be a testament to how raw talent can overcome even the craziest development process. And if he doesn't, then we'll be left to wonder what if.

But anyway, as long as he's here, we might as well talk about him as a Major Leaguer. And while it's hard to gauge his progress when he's going up against the Padres, he did make it up to a season-high 87 pitches while throwing 66% strikes and his last fastball at 95.1mph, which is something. I didn't think he started very well. He fell behind four of the first five batters he faced, and his first couple breaking balls missed the mark badly. His battle against Kouzmanoff was a lousy one, and he couldn't have put his 3-2 heater in a worse location. But then he settled in and started to look better. I liked his fifth inning at bat against Everth Cabrera in particular. After falling behind 2-0 on fastballs, a mound meeting calmed him down and he threw three straight tough sliders to get the punchout. Not a lot of righties trust their slider that much behind in the count against a lefty, but whether by design or by necessity since his changeup isn't very good, Morrow made it work. All in all, he probably wanted to get through more than five innings, but considering everything he's been through and how he's looked, tonight was all right. Would've liked to see him throw more offspeed stuff, but this is what happens when you try to develop a guy in the Majors. We'll look for more progress his next time out. That one'll come against an actual lineup.

Along the way, Morrow turned in the easiest double play I've ever seen. With a man on first, Tony Gwynn tried to lay down a bunt, but he popped it up towards the first base side of the infield. Continuing along the natural path of his follow-through, Morrow jogged to his left to make the catch and then sprinted to first to beat Cabrera back to the bag. I don't know how many 1-unassisted double plays have been turned in the history of baseball, but it doesn't get any simpler. Most double plays require at least one throw, and even the unassisted ones usually require someone to catch a line drive. All Morrow had to do on this one was catch a bunt and run in a straight line. Of all balls ever hit into play, this one might've been the most impossible to screw up, and it was worth twice as many outs as normal.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, third base umpire Angel Hernandez rung up Griffey on a 2-2 check swing. Problem #1: Griffey didn't go around. Problem #2: Hernandez' gesture was shamefully emphatic. When faced with this sort of situation, most umpires either make the safe sign or indifferently raise their fist. Hernandez threw an animated haymaker and yelled something. Randy Marsh had to follow Griffey back to the dugout to make sure nothing escalated between Hernandez and the guy Hernandez basically told to go fuck himself. I wonder, though, what Marsh was really thinking, because at some point you have to get tired of covering for the same umpires over and over again. People have been complaining about Angel Hernandez trying to put himself in the spotlight ever since he first started umpiring, and it's only a matter of time before somebody loses control. I look forward to that happening.

Mark Grant, first inning: "Junior's put on some lb's."

Josh Geer fell behind 14 of the 27 Mariner batters he faced tonight. His pitch distribution after falling behind in the count? 19 fastballs, 9 sliders, 20 changeups. That's less than 40% fastballs after falling behind. Why? Because the M's aren't a sufficiently disciplined team to make opposing pitchers give them pitches to hit. I'm not going to criticize their productivity tonight, since they put up a line of .344/.400/.594, but it's interesting to see how people go to work against this lineup. They don't give it a lot of respect.

Ronny Cedeno's single tonight was his first hit since June 7th. It was a grounder through the 5-6 hole. I absolutely love the fact that he has a fierce-looking tattoo on his arm. He's ruining fierce-looking tattoos for everybody. Although I suppose I shouldn't give him too much of a hard time tonight since he did such a phenomenal job of tracking down that Scott Hairston pop-up in the sixth. His route wasn't perfect, but pop-ups behind the bag aren't easy to follow when you turn your back to home plate, and Cedeno made a hell of a catch. I wonder if tonight's effort might give him a little bit of confidence. He's going to need it, since he might be looking at sustained playing time now that...

...Yuniesky Betancourt is out with a pulled hamstring. As if Zduriencik wasn't anxious enough to find a shortstop before. Yuni overall has been the least valuable member of the team, but I'll be honest with you - this was a bad time for him to get hurt, because he's finally been showing some improvement. Not only has his effort in the field been markedly improved, but since coming back from his stint on the bench, he's put up an OSwing% of 26.8% and a ZSwing% of 68.0%. Compare that 2.5 ratio to his 1.8 ratio in May and 1.7 ratio in April. I don't know if that's real or an anomaly, but to the naked eye, it seemed as if Yuni had taken Wakamatsu's lectures to heart, and so to interrupt his progress with a potentially serious injury doesn't do us much good. I mean, yeah, I'd welcome a new long-term shortstop with open arms, but I'd like to find out if there's any salvaging the old piece of crap we already had. I hope he's not out for too long. The good news is that his hamstring injury didn't appear nearly as dramatic as Willie's.

Two things are true about Edward Mujica: he pitches in every game the Padres play, and I never notice that he pitched until I look at the box score later on.

Mike Adams was absolutely perfect in his showdown with Branyan in the seventh. Started him off with a slider on the low-inside corner, then pounded him with a couple low-inside fastballs. Three low-inside pitches, three called strikes. The last two were a little off the plate, but when you hit your spots with that kind of precision, the ump is usually going to give you the benefit of the doubt. That was an annoying but wonderfully executed at bat.

Mike Sweeney was one of the guys who helped carry Yuniesky Betancourt off the field and towards the tunnel. Do players usually do that? I feel like players don't usually do that. I'm having a lot of trouble seeing how the front office could DFA this guy. This is a guy who carries injured players off the field and babysits for other players on the road when they want a night on the town. He hasn't hit very well, but I guarantee you he's beloved by pretty much every single person in the clubhouse, and there's no way any of the players would understand his being let go. The front office probably couldn't be happier that Griffey is starting to produce, but the Sweeney situation is almost equally delicate.

On the San Diego broadcast, they ran a promo with David Eckstein encouraging fans to come out to the ballpark on July 4th for a game and free beach towels. I can't tell if I'm supposed to work for a joke here, or if the image is already funny enough on its own.

The same goes for Ronny Cedeno's pep talk with Aardsma in the ninth.

Jarrod Washburn and Wade LeBlanc in a 1:40 matinee. Ever wonder what Jamie Moyer would look like without the special little something that makes Jamie Moyer Jamie Moyer? Tune in to find out!

NL West Report: Randy Johnson wins 300, Dodgers Stadium gets its own zip code

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Randy Johnson holds his prized left arm high after recording his 300th career win

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Due to some comments from last week's KYF, I have decided to commandeer the front page by separating the weekly NL West Report to a separate article so it doesn't get lost in the series previews.

300

The biggest news of the week is undoubtedly Randy Johnson reaching 300 wins. He was slated to go Wednesday night at Washington, but weather pushed his start to Thursday, in the first game of a double header. Fueled by the event, Johnson retired the first 10 Nationals he faced on his way to allowing just 2 hits and an unearned run in 6 innings of work. Jeremy Affeldt, Brandon Medders and Brian Wilson brought the win home for the Big Unit. Win 300 was one of his finest on the season.

Johnson has allowed only two runs in his last three starts, but make no mistake, that golden arm is starting to lose its luster. Randy has allowed seven runs three times this year and still sports an ERA over 5.00. Still, a very enthusiastic salute to RJ. He is easily the most doinant pitcher I have seen growing up and in person.

Jim McClennan at AZ Snakepit shares his thoughts on the next to 300. So does Tracy Ringolsby. They may disagree on who may be next to 300, but both agree it will probably be accomplished.

Padres play long again

San Diego went deep into a ball game again, this time losing to Arizona 9-6 yesterday at Petco. Some weird facts from the game:

Shortstop Josh Wilson gave up the winning 3-run HR to Mark Reynolds in the 18th. It was Wilson's third career appearance as a pitcher despite playing in only 140 big league games. Maybe Arizona had a scouting report on him. After all, he pitched a hitless inning for them earlier this season.
Reynolds had struck out with the go ahead run on second and two outs his previous two ABs before the HR. Special K indeed.
Bud Black had burned his bullpen so much he actually used starter Chad Gaudin before Wilson.
Backup catcher and former Rockie Henry Blanco played third base for the 18th inning.
Arizona actually no hit San Diego for the final nine innings.
The Padres have played five longer games in franchise history, losing all but one.
David Eckstein hit a dramatic 3-run HR with 2 outs in the ninth to send it to extras. Twilight zone...
Eighteen pitchers were used by both clubs.

NL West Report

Arizona (25-32, 4th, W1, 13 GB)

Last Week: 1-2 @ Padres, 2-1 @ Padres.

This Week: Finish off another of the stupid Fri-Mon four game series today at 8:05 MDT. Also, 3 game home series vs Astros, 3 game home series vs Giants

News: Tim Dierkes at MLBTradeRumors interviewed Justin Upton. He hit .373 with 7 HR and 21 RBI in May. He injured his shoulder in yesterday's game and will sit tonight but doesn't figure to land on the DL.

Justin Upton

#10 / Right Field / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 25, 1987

Arizona has 7 of the first 64 picks in this year's draft, which starts tomorrow at 4MDT. Their first two picks are at 16 and 17. For comparison the Mets have zero picks in the first 64. All of these high picks have led the FO to increase their draft budget, perhaps spending eight digits.

Reliever Jon Rauch has struggled mightily this season to the tune of a 5.26 ERA. Rauch and AJ Hinch had a closed door meeting regarding his ineffectiveness. The former Nationals' closer was being counted on to stabilize an weakly projected bullpen.

Arizona will honor Randy Johnson for reaching 300 wins.

The always good-for-a-laugh Kenny Mayne interviewed Dan Haren Friday.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tom Gordon	hamstring	05/04/2009
Yusmeiro Petit	shoulder	05/09/2009
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Chad Tracy	oblique	05/30/2009
Tony Clark	other-excused	05/06/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Scott Schoeneweis	other-excused	05/29/2009
Justin Upton	shoulder	06/08/2009

More on Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco after the jump by noon.

Los Angeles (39-20, 1st, L1)

Last Week: 2-1 vs Diamondbacks, 2-2 @ Phillies

This Week: 2 game series vs Padres, 3 game series @ Rangers. Weird scheduling quirk again. After playing 17 consecutive days, Los Angeles gets two days off in a span of four days.

News: The headline is true. The United States Postal Service has awarded Dodgers Stadium and its associated properties its very own zip code. The area will be officially known as Dodgertown, California and has the zip code 90090.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Will Ohman	shoulder	05/28/2009
Eric Stults	thumb	05/31/2009
Hong-Chih Kuo	elbow	04/30/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	03/30/2009
Xavier Paul	knee	05/21/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Doug Mientkiewicz	shoulder	04/17/2009
Claudio Vargas	elbow	04/05/2009

San Diego (26-30, 3rd, L1, 11.5 GB)

Last Week: 0-3 vs Phillies, 1-2 vs Diamondbacks. That's a really disappointing week for a team at home. Perhaps they are coming back to earth for real this time.

This Week: Finish off the series with the Diamondbacks tonight. 2 game series @ Dodgers, 3 game series @ Angels.

News:

San Diego Padres Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jake Peavy	infection	06/08/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Scott Hairston	biceps	06/03/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Mike Adams	shoulder	03/27/2009
Everth Cabrera	hand	04/20/2009

San Francisco (25-24, 2nd, W1, 8.5 GB)

Last Week: 2-1 @ Nationals, 2-1@ Marlins. It's always impressive when you win consecutive road series. Except maybe when those teams are a combined 29 games under .500 and 15 games under .500 at home.

This Week: Finish the fourth game of the Marlins series tonight at 5:10 MDT. 3 game series @ Diamondbacks, 3 game series vs Athletics.

News:

San Francisco Giants Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Johnson	shoulder	06/08/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Noah Lowry	ribs	03/27/2009
Joe Martinez	concussion	04/10/2009

Know Your Foe: Visiting Chase Field never looked so good

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:40:47 -0000

More photos » by Eric Risberg - AP

The frustrated Diamondbacks are there for the taking if Colorado hopes to turn their own frowns upside-down.

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The Rockies have completed four series thus far, winning one, tying one, and losing two. After a sweep punctuated by an embarrassing loss Sunday, a return to play Arizona in the desert might be just what Colorado needs. Did I just say that? Forget the past - that's history. What matters is right now, and the Rockies will be playing the coldest team in the majors, and the one team they have beaten in a series this year to boot.

Arizona Diamondbacks (4-8, L1, t-4th in NL West)

Monday-Wednesday : 3-game series at Colorado

As bitter as it tastes to be a Rockies fan after this past week, it's far worse being a D-Backs fan right now. Check it out:

Arizona managed just TWO runs in their weekend set at AT&T.
Despite allowing just four runs in three starts, Dan Haren is 0-3 - one total run of support will do that to you.
At one point last week, not a single D-Back crossed home plate for 20 innings.
Their run differential is -22, dead last in the majors (even the 1-10 Nats)
Six losses in eight games.
Rankings at the bottom of the barrel all around:

Team Stat	MLB Rank	Amt
wOBA	28th	.293
OPS	26th	.680
Average	28th	.227
Runs For	27th	40
ERA	20th	5.18
Runs Against	20th	62
K's For	25th	70

For perspective, their team wOBA is worse than Willy Taveras was last season. And those pitching stats aren't even misleading - their staff has allowed the 7th lowest BABIP in the bigs. Quite frankly, Arizona is performing like everyone thought San Diego would. DbacksSkins has issued advice to himself and his brethren. Jim McLennan at the 'Pit has 10 reasons to be fearful for Arizona fans.

Colorado faced the hottest team in the majors this weekend on the road, and now it's time to take on arguably the coldest. It will be a great opportunity to rebound while simultaneously returning the favor of sending Arizona spiralling downward in April.

Probable Pitchers:

Today, 7:40pm MDT

Battle of the new veterans:

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jon Garland	1-1	8.44	1.96	2	8

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jason Marquis	2-0	1.93	1.00	5	4

Jason Marquis looks like the better veteran rotation addition so far. Anything close to his two previous starts should be a streak-breaker. Jon Garland has never faced the Rockies in his career. Marquis is 2-3 with a 3.82 ERA vs Arizona since 2006.

Tuesday, April 21, 1:40pm MDT

Battle of the pseudo-5th starters:

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
009 - Franklin Morales	1-0	1.50	0.83	6	1

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Yusmeiro Petit	0-1	7.71	1.57	7	4

Yusmeiro Petit filled in the fifth spot in the rotation when Brandon Webb landed on the DL and struggled, while Franklin Morales returns to the fifth spot in the Rockies rotation after a scoreless outing in AAA. The Petit Unit has allowed two runs in seven innings in his career vs Colorado; Morales is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA vs Arizona in three career starts.

Wednesday, April 22, 1:40pm MDT

Battle of the unfairly winless:

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jorge De La Rosa	0-1	4.50	1.70	8	6

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Dan Haren	0-3	1.89	0.79	17	3

Dan Haren leads MLB with three losses, but he has been the victim of historically minimal run support. Jorge de la Rosa allowed no runs in his last start, but a blown save foiled his chance for his first win. Haren is 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA vs. Colorado since 2006, and DLR is 1-1 with a 3.92 ERA vs the Snakes.

Lineup:

What follows is what was considered the best line-up Arizona had to start the season, but as is evident, the struggling offense will breed a lineup shuffle in order and personnel.

Player	Avg	HR	RBI
Lopez	.370	2	4
Young	.238	1	3
Drew	.222	1	5
Jackson	.200	1	7
Tracy	.290	1	6
Upton	.185	0	1
Reynolds	.257	2	5
Snyder	.100	0	1

It's a bad sign when your best player is 0-3. Dan Haren (0-3, 1.89 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 17 K) has allowed just four runs in his three starts but lost all three of them. Felipe Lopez stayed hot after his historic Opening Day. He hit .462 last week in 26 ABs.

How about the rest of the lineup? Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes, Chris Snyder and Chris Young all failed to record as many hits last week as Ian Kinsler did Wednesday alone. The entire offense frozen, especially with runners in scoring position.

Stephen Drew left Friday's game with a left hamstring injury. He is day to day but has not played since Friday. Augie Ojeda has taken his place in the line-up, hitting leadoff and pushing the hot-hitting Lopez to the three-hole.

NL West Report after the jump

NL West Report

Arizona (4-8, t-4th, L1)

Last Week: 1-2 vs Cardinals, 1-2 at Giants. Arizona has lost every series this season, three of them at home. Getting buried early while

This Week: 3 game home series vs. Rockies, 3 game home series vs Giants

News: Brandon Webb threw a flat-ground bullpen session yesterday, and will throw off the mound tomorrow. Jim McLennan says it "doesn't seem he'll be back soon." The course of action Arizona will take with Webb is entirely dependent on his performance tomorrow.

Stephen Drew

#6 / Short Stop / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-0

Weight: 185

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Mar 16, 1983

Stephen Drew left Friday's game with a hamstring injury and has not played since, and Mark Reynolds missed Sunday's game with a left quadriceps strain.

D-Backs fans can at least take refuge in the fact that their AAA team is going strong. Until the Sky Sox won yesterday, the Visalia Rawhide were undefeated. 2008 Minor League Player of the Year Josh Whitesell is on fire, so perhaps he could see some playing time soon over struggling Tony Clark.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Stephen Drew	hamstring	04/20/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tom Gordon	elbow	03/27/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

Los Angeles (10-3, 2nd, W8)

Last Week: 3-0 vs Giants, 3-0 vs Rockies. The Dodgers have the greatest run differential in the majors at +42. That eclipses 11-1 Florida by 11.

This Week: 3 game road series at Giants, 3 game road series at Rockies. Los Angeles owns MLB's longest win streak this season, though all but two of those games came at home. Los Angeles will hit the road for their next nine games, so hopefully they will slow down away from Chavez Ravine.

News: The Dodgers are one of three teams rumored to be interested in Mark Mulder. The former Athletic and Cardinal is still a few weeks away from being ready to pitch.

Mark Mulder

#30 / Pitcher / Free Agent

Height: 6-6

Weight: 215

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Aug 05, 1977

Signed LHP Chuck Tiffany to a minor league contract and will be assigned to extended spring training. Tiffany was traded to Tampa Bay in the Danys Baez deal in 2006 and was released by the Rays last month.

The Dodgers traded OF Delwyn Young to the Pirates Wednesday for two PTBNL's. Young was out of options and injured.

Los Angeles is on a tear to start the season, but it can't last forever. Sky Kalkman ran the CHONE projections again Saturday for the remaining games, and the Dodgers finished just two games north of .500. If after the weekend sweep you want to see more bad press on the Dodgers, check out GM Ned Colletti's all-time team of players he gave up on.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Doug Mientkiewicz	shoulder	04/17/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	03/30/2009
Hiroki Kuroda	oblique	04/07/2009
Cory Wade	shoulder	04/12/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Claudio Vargas	elbow	04/05/2009

San Diego (9-4, 2nd, W4)

Last Week: 2-1 at Mets, 2-1 at Phillies. Despite facing the top two NL East favorites on the road, the Padres continue to roll. A blown save yesterday by Edwin Moreno prevented a 5-1 week. Heath Bell, who leads MLB with 7 saves (3 more than anyone else), was unavailable due to multiple recent appearances.

This Week: 1 game to finish 4 game series at Phillies, 2 game road series at Giants, 3 game home series vs Pirates.

News: 2B Trivis Denker was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox last Tuesday.

Travis Denker

San Diego Padres

Height: 5-9

Weight: 205

Born: Aug 05, 1985

Paul DePodesta answers questions regarding Denker, the sporadic use of Eulogio de la Cruz, and why the Friars carry 13 pitchers.

The Padres have surprised so far this season with their 9-4 record. If they remain in contention, they have the payroll flexibility to add a piece in a push for the playoffs.

Walter Silva strained his forearm and will head to the DL.

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Everth Cabrera	other-excused	04/20/2009
Walter Silva	forearm	04/14/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Mike Adams	shoulder	03/27/2009

San Francisco (4-8, t-4th, W1)

Last Week: 0-3 at Los Angeles, 2-1 vs Arizona. It is hard to gauge San Francisco, as they faced the division's hottest and coldest teams in the same week.

This Week: 2 game home series vs Padres, 3 game road series at Arizona.

News: GM Brian Sabean is reportedly back-tracking on another bad contract. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday that the Giants are trying to unload Aaron Rowand, with the White Sox as a possibility.

Aaron Rowand

#33 / Center Field / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-0

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 29, 1977

	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Aaron Rowand	.297	.350	.541

For any trade to take place, San Francisco would have to eat a large portion of his contract. Such a trade would hurt former Rockie Scott Podsednik's chance to make a contribution in Chicago.

El Lefty Malo notes that many fans are pointing to 2010 as the year the Giants will compete. He isn't so sure.

San Francisco Giants Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Noah Lowry	shoulder	03/27/2009
Sergio Romo	elbow	03/27/2009
Joe Martinez	concussion	04/10/2009

Poll

How many games will Colorado take from Arizona this series?

0 - This team is in such disarray, even another struggling team will sweep them

10 votes

1 - That's the most you can hope for with the bottom three of the rotation in the queue

27 votes

2 - Arizona has lost every series this season and is ice cold. The Rox are struggling too much to expect a sweep, but a series win is in the bag.

54 votes

3 - We might be struggling, but Arizona is worse off than when we took two in the desert two weeks ago. The Snakes are banished to the cellar

26 votes

117 votes | Poll has closed

Know Your Foe: Rockies face '07 Rocktober victims in season's first week

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:30:08 -0000

More photos » by Rick Scuteri - AP

Brandon Webb will be the first to take on the new-look Rockies line-up.

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The regular season has arrived, and that means new things from Know Your Foe. I'll still profile what you need to know in the NL West, but this space will now also be used to look forward at who the Rockies will face in the upcoming week.

The Rockies epic Rocktober run in 2007 was truly reminiscent of a classic sports movie. If a writer was charged with the task of writing a sequel, an ideal start to the 2008 script would have been back-to-back series against the very teams the Rockies shockingly swept out of the playoffs on the way to the World Series.

The schedule-makers failed to provide that sequel last year, but the Rockies do open against Arizona and Philadelphia this season.

Arizona (82-80, no playoffs)

Monday-Wednesday : 3-game series at Arizona

After reaching the NLCS in 2007, the Diamondbacks failed to make the playoffs after fading to a disappointing 82-80 finish in 2008. Arizona is anchored by a strong rotation and hopes of success hinge on the growth of their young line-up.

However, if Spring Training is any indication, "success" won't be a word associated with the Diamondbacks this year. Our desert-dwelling division-rivals stumbled to MLB's worst Spring Training record at 11-23.

Probable Pitchers:

The marquee match-up of the series will no doubt be the earthworm genocide that will unfold this afternoon.

Monday, April 6:	Aaron Cook (2-2, 3.25)	vs.	Brandon Webb (1-2, 5.82)
Thursday, April 7:	Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0, 7.32)	vs.	Dan Haren (2-2, 4.40)
Wednesday, April 8:	Franklin Morales (3-3, 4.50)	vs.	Doug Davis (0-1, 6.23)

Lineup:

Nothing has changed in the past week. The Diamondbacks' starting lineup is worth about 4.924 runs. It's a solid lineup with some significant upside. The Rockies have had trouble handling Chad Tracy and Justin Upton in the past. Note that Bob Melvin altering the Opening Day lineup, replacing Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton with Eric Byrnes and Tony Clark just because Aaron Cook scares Melvin so much.

Order	Player	Position	AB	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
1	Felipe Lopez	2B	552	.274	11	56	.349	.400	.335
2	Chris B. Young	CF	527	.260	25	77	.336	.482	.358
3	Stephen Drew	SS	532	.276	16	66	.340	.451	.346
4	Conor Jackson	LF	469	.296	14	75	.384	.465	.375
5	Justin Upton	RF	435	.257	16	60	.349	.444	.348
6	Chad Tracy	1B	445	.276	16	60	.339	.452	.346
7	Mark Reynolds	3B	468	.254	22	81	.333	.462	.347
8	Chris Snyder	C	332	.241	13	51	.344	.419	.340

Chad Tracy (.367/.424/.567), Chris Snyder (.317/.417/.610) and Mark Reynolds (.323/.377/.516) didn't wait until April for their bats to heat up. Chad Qualls was one of the few Diamondbacks hurlers to have a thoroughly impressive spring - Qualls posted a 2.70 ERA through ten spring innings that included eight strikeouts and no walks.

Spring Training couldn't end fast enough for Justin Upton (.197/.333/.328) and Conor Jackson (.200/.280/.246), who had abysmal showings in Spring Training. Brandon Webb had a sub-par spring as well (5.82 ERA, 1.59 WHIP), as did two pivotal bullpen arms, Scott Schoeneweis (11.00, 2.44) and Tony Pena (9.00, 2.44)

Philadelphia (92-70, NL East and World Series champions)

Friday-Sunday : 3-game series at Colorado

Rockies fans don't have to wait long to see the World Series Champs at Coors Field. The Rockies' first home series will be against the Phils...and it will be the last time Philadeplhia will visit in 2009.

It won't be easy for the Phillies to repeat. Since the Yankees repeated in 2000, there have been eight different champions in nine seasons. The Red Sox have won twice but failed to repeat both times. Still, Philly Phans remain morbidly optimistic. Philadelphia returns virtually the same team, although Pat Burrell has been replaced by the underrated Raul Ibanez.

Probable Pitchers:

World Series MVP Cole Hamels missed Sunday's Season Opener due to an inflamed elbow. Hamels was pushed back and will be making his season debut at Coors Field for the Rockies home opener. Brett Myers, who got rocked on Opening Day Sunday, will pitch Saturday. Chan Ho Park beat out J.A. Happ for the #5 spot in the rotation and could pitch Sunday, but Charlie Manuel might go with Jamie Moyer, who will have had five days' rest.

Friday, April 10:	Cole Hamels (0-1, 9.39)	vs.	Jason Marquis (1-3, 10.08)
Saturday, April 11:	Brett Myers (2-2, 3.52)	vs.	Jorge de la Rosa (2-2, 6.86)
Sunday, April 12:	Chan Ho Park (2-0, 2.53)	vs.	Aaron Cook (2-2, 3.25)

Lineup:

The Phillies return their entire World Series-winning offense except for Pat Burrell. Chase Utley, who seems to have recovered from his offseason hip surgery, remains as the only head of the Rollins/Utley/Howard monster not to earn an MVP. The Philly starting line-up is indeed fierce, as it projects to score 5.202 runs/game.

But don't get too scared. That would only rank third in the "barren" NL West behind Los Angeles and Colorado.

Order	Player	Position	AB	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
1	Jimmy Rollins	SS	633	.281	18	67	.342	.452	.356
2	Jayson Werth	RF	364	.264	15	57	.365	.445	.363
3	Chase Utley	2B	571	.296	27	96	.381	.513	.391
4	Ryan Howard	1B	547	.271	46	128	.379	.576	.409
5	Raul Ibanez	LF	557	.287	26	99	.359	.488	.368
6	Shane Victorino	CF	500	.288	13	56	.350	.444	.353
7	Pedro Feliz	3B	517	.257	21	78	.303	.441	.323
8	Carlos Ruiz	C	371	.256	9	48	.338	.396	.328

The bench is quite strong as well, and we'll likely see plenty of Chris Coste, Matt Stairs and Greg Dobbs.

In past years, it has been difficult for the big Ryan Howard to gain momentum at the beginning of the season, but in 2009, there's nobody who has had a better spring. The 2006 NL MVP blasted a ridiculous 10 home runs while posting impressive slash stats (.333/.420/.760). Jayson Werth (.333/.368/.696), Jimmy Rollins (.351/.415/.541) and Carlos Ruiz (.326/.380/.558) hope their Spring fever lasts a bit longer also, and Chan Ho Park (2.53 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 10.5 K9) ran away with the #5 SP slot.

The "Flying Hawaiian" has yet to get off the ground. Shane Victorino (.180/.226/.260) posted pitcher-like numbers in Spring Training. Fellow southpaw starters Jamie Moyer (8.27 ERA, 1.94 WHIP) and Cole Hamels (9.39, 1.17) have also had their struggles.

Other things to know: Prospect J.A. Happ lost the race to be the #5 starter but remains on the roster in the bullpen...Two big names are trying to return from injury. Chase Utley had hip surgery and Cole Hamels is recovering from a sore elbow. Both figure to be healthy enough to start Friday....LHP Cedrick Bowers is now on the Philly roster...Ryan Howard lost 25 pounds from last season. Judging by his Spring Training, it has helped him.

NL West Report after the jump.

NL West Report

Arizona (11-23)

Ryan Roberts won the race for the 25th spot on the roster over James Skelton, Josh Whitesell, and Josh Wilson. Skelton had been favored due to his status as a Rule 5 draft choice from Detroit. He was waived, but Arizona retained Skelton's services by trading pitcher Brooks Brown to Detroit. Or maybe he's going to be a Colorado State linebacker.

Ryan Roberts

#14 / Third Base / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 19, 1980

Otherwise, Arizona filled out their roster exactly as predicted last week. However, with Max Scherzer on the DL, Juan Gutierrez snuck into the bullpen.

Tim Dierkes at MLBTradeRumors talked with Arizona GM Josh Byrnes, and asked about his K-happy hitters, to which Byrnes responded:

To some extent, strikeouts are like other outs.

Those are some nice sedona red shades you have there Josh. Strikeouts have been and could continue to be the Diamondbacks' undoing, but as he pointed out later in the quote "If enough walks and homers accompany the strikeouts, the tradeoff can work".

This Week: 3 game home series vs. Rockies, 3 game home series vs. Dodgers

Los Angeles (15-22)

Those sneaky Dodgers. The 25-man roster had to be set by noon Sunday, but Los Angeles still hadn't decided its final spots. They submitted a 24-man roster through a loophole and added Claudio Vargas and Delwyn Young to the roster. However, Young and Vargas will be going on the disabled list, so the Dodgers will be adding three more to the 25-man roster before their opening game at 5:05. Will Ohman and Doug Mientkiewicz are expected to be two, and two relievers will be chosen between Ramon Troncoso, Josh Lindblom, Eric Threets, and Ronald Belisario.

Will Ohman

#0 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Aug 13, 1977

The signing of Will Ohman meant Scott Elbert was not needed in the bullpen. Other changes from the forecast of a fortnight past include James McDonald becoming the fifth starter and Jeff Weaver being sent to AAA.

Ned Colletti shaved off 24% of his team's payroll in the offseason by remains the sexy pick to repeat as NL West Champions. Ramona Shelburne at the LA Daily News evaluates Colletti's offseason.

This Week: 4 game road series @ Padres, 3 game road series @ Diamonbacks

San Diego (10-21-3)

The Friars traded for Edward Mujica from the Indians and Eulogio de la Cruz to fill in the bullpen. Luke Gregorson and Edwin Moreno also won bullpen spots while Mark Worrell and Mike Adams were transferred to the 60-day disabled list. The bullpen was a mess a week ago, but a lot has changed in just a week. Shawn Hill will be the fifth starter, and their #3 starter, Walter Silva, is so obscure he does not have a picture or number in our system yet.

Walter Silva

#0 / Pitcher / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-1

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jan 04, 1977

I fail to see how this pitching staff can compete with the Rockies', let alone the complete product. Another look at the bullpen plight.

Buster Olney reported that Jake Peavy was a lot closer to being a Cub than people realize. As Peavy said in a Corey Brock article:

"I prepared myself that I was going to be traded. Everyone in their right mind thought I would be somewhere else"

The former first overall pick by the Padres, Matt Bush, was released by Toronto. The details are sadly and absurdly comical.

This Week: 4 game home series vs. Dodgers, 3 game home series vs. Giants

San Francisco (21-19)

The Giants ended up with a different 25-man roster than it appeared two weeks ago as well. Eugenio Velez beat out Kevin Frandsen as a backup middle infielder, and the front office decided Pablo Sandoval would do fine as a back-up catcher, so Steve Holm was optioned in favor of Juan Uribe.

Juan Uribe

#0 / Third Base / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-0

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Mar 22, 1979

Brandon Medders got the surprise nod over Rule 5 pick Luis Perdomo. Rookie Joe Martinez came out of nowhere to win the long reliever gig. The full-break-down is here.

Jack Taschner was also traded to the Phillies for C Ronny Paulino, who was then flipped to Florida for RHP Hector Correa. The move opened up a spot for Alex Hinshaw to be the primary lefty out of the pen.

This Week: 3 game home series vs. Brewers, 3 game road series @ Padres