Gameday Thread, #161: 9/30 vs. Padres

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 4:06 PM EDT in Gameday Threads

David Wells, LHP (2-5, 4.80)

Juan Cruz, RHP (5-6, 4.27)

What the...? Cruz starting? Bizarro. The opinion generally seems to be that this is a showcase move for a trade. Rumour has it that Phillies scouts will be in attendance - but if that's the case, it's weird that it appears Montero gets the start behind the plate today, given Estrada's publicly-expressed desire to go there. Wild speculation time: Estrada + Cruz for... Lieber and Hamels? Yes, Mr. Byrnes: that would be a very nice present to find lying under the Christmas tree this year. Make it so.

It's expected that Cruz will only throw two innings, but then, he's only pitched three innings in September at all. I presume his shoulder has been being rested, and we've had no shortage of alternatives with the call-ups, so no point taking any chances. EdGon will probably come in after Cruz departs. It's a very strange set-up, one more befitting an early spring training game, than one which could play a crucial role in determining the destination of the NL West.

Speaking of playoff spots, the Phillies and Cardinals are already under way, each currently clutching a one-run lead, in the sixth and eighth innings respectively. The latter would clinch their division with a win and a Houston loss, while the Phillies need to win both their games to have any chance at the post-season. For the Padres today, we see David Wells, who missed his last start due to gout. I thought that was a disease only suffered by 18th-century gentlemen of leisure, but I stand corrected there. Obese, untrustworthy pitchers are clearly equally at risk: be warned, Russ Ortiz.

It seems that the atmosphere at Chase is definitely building to a crescendo over this series. The current estimate is 35,000 plus for today, and very close to a full house for tomorrow. Should I ask where all these people were for the first 79 home games of the season? Not supporting Luis Gonzalez then, were they...

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Today's lineup

C. Counsell ss .258
O. Hudson 2b .287
L. Gonzalez lf .272
E. Byrnes cf .269
C. Jackson 1b .294
C. Quentin rf .256
D. Easley 3b .231
M. Montero c .308
J. Cruz p .000

Writing Counsell and Gonzalez into the lineup this series must have been the easiest decisions of the season for Melvin. Three rookies in again today, thanks to Montero playing behind the plate, and we wonder if we'll ever see Estrada get to start for Arizona again...

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 4:09 PM EDT reply actions

Good stuff

Cruz retires the Padres 1-2-3, with a pair of strikeouts. Though, admittedly, looks like the home-plate umpire has a pitcher-friendly strike zone today, especially on the outside edge. Still, nice showcase for Cruz. He impressed me, anyway! :-)

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 4:19 PM EDT reply actions

Where's he been hiding?

Nothing like shining the last weekend of the sesason when we are long out of it...

I see plenty of empty seats in the upper deck too. I guess the "face" isn't as big of a draw as he thinks... Just goes to show that winning is what will draw the casual fan to the park.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I noticed the fans dressed as empty seats...

Yes, if we put out a team next year that wins, and especially one that reaches the playoffs, it'll be "Luis Who?". I think the change in logos and colours is a smart move by the organization, simply to draw a line under the "old" D'backs - Gonzalez, Counsell, Batista, etc. 2007 will be new in almost every way: I suspect, maybe even a new mascot too, given the heavy discounting on Baxter plush dolls at the Team Shop!

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

comment of Eric Byrnes

"He's haveing a Career year".....

All I gotta sday to the TV announcer is , "Tony Clark".
Quick! Let's sign him for a multi year deal and watch his numbers fall off the face of the planet. Sorry, but I don't see what having a spazz attack every game brings to the table...

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 4:28 PM EDT reply actions

PR?

The only person who could possibly replace the face of the franchise is someone having a career year... I'm still not entirely convinced Byrnes will be here next season: I think the talk of that may have been hot air, to make the departure of Gonzalez more palatable. Don't be surprised if Hairston is there on Opening Day instead. Certainly, no more than a one-year deal for Byrnes, at most.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Hairston I can live with

He's been living in the dog house since 2004, even Sheriff joe isn't as vindictive as that.
He deserves the chance.
I don't have anything against Eric, but am just leary of these one year rentals coming in and having career years on us and we get all excited and sign them to longer deals just to watch them revert back to normal.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Very nice work by Quentin

Robs Roberts of a home-run with a leap at the fence in left-field. Cruz replaced by EdGon for the third as expected; he's not been as impressive, but posted a zero, thanks to Q's grab.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 4:48 PM EDT reply actions

Nice work Q!

Looks like we will be in good hands next season, contrary to reports on other message boards....

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 4:50 PM EDT reply actions

Defensively

I think we'll be improved at a number of positions next year: probably all three outfield ones, to start with. Short-stop too, I think, plus Hudson has definitely got better as the year has gone on, and he's got used to the grass. Jackson and Tracy...well, they probably won't be worse. :-)

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Scoreless on into the fifth...

Dodgers leading their game, 3-1. They're in the same state as the Padres: a win will guarantee them post-season baseball. However, the NL West winner will get to face the NL Central and have home-field advantage. The wild-card has to go play the Mets, in New York. So there's a big difference between being the division winner and not.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 4:59 PM EDT reply actions

Long ball hurts EdGon again

And this time, it's with a man aboard. Cameron goes deep - that's six straight earned runs EdGon has allowed on homers now. 2-0 Padres, a big boost for them, given how limp our offense has been so far. We've only managed two hits, both by Hudson.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 5:14 PM EDT reply actions

Going, EdGon, gone...

Yanked in the fifth after allowing a run and putting two men aboard. Medders does a good job, after walking the first hitter: he gets a K and a pop-up to end the inning, and the D'backs are still in this, albeit three runs down.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 5:50 PM EDT reply actions

Should be much worse tho...

Hate seeing Wells do good, anywhere.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

At the risk of sounding defeatist...

If we're going to lose, I'd like us to lose by more than three runs, so that Hoffman doesn't get a save opportunity. We do not want the Cy Young voters reminded of his existence over the final weekend!

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 5:58 PM EDT reply actions

Doesn't look good

for any of the home teams playing here this weekend! :-( ASU lost their pride in the desert....
Back to baseball... ;-)
This season has actually gone a bit better than I expected. Even with bringing in the kids early on (slowly), we are dead on to last season so far. And last season, we had no kids playing on a regular basis. BoMel was too chicken to play Conor more as Tony was having that patented "career year". IF our proven veterans had provided leadership at all, we might actually have been playing for something this weekend. You hear on other sites how this season was tanked when the kids started playing. Sorry, that is just complete BS! They should have been playing sooner and more often, imo.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 6:12 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, slightly better

I wasn't expecting to see Drew and Quentin playing full-time by the end of the year, and Ortiz gone. The season was probably "tanked" after the awful June: it was basically a "dead year walking" from that point on. The rookies have definitely helped us, and getting them to play will only help Arizona next year and down the line.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm with you

I think bringing the kids up has only helped our future. I think the big problem this year was that we didn't have enough leadership from Gonzo, Green etc. We did get a bunch of whining though. I will miss Gonzo he has been a great guy to root for. I did like the additions of Byrnes and Hudson this year and I think Livan will be a good addition for next year.

by DiamondbacksWIn on Sep 30, 2006 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions

WTG Drew!

Glad to see another kid make a great play, this time on the offense side of things...

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 6:15 PM EDT reply actions

New spokesman?

"I love hitting balls into the Leslie's Pool Zone", says Stephen Drew, getting a nice splashdown homer there. Pulls us within two, with two innings left. The bad news is, it does increase the chance of a Hoffman sighting.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 6:16 PM EDT reply actions

Did someone

send in the clowns?

WTH was that all about?

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 6:26 PM EDT reply actions

Idiots in the Outfield

The radio said they were carrying signs, but by the time I got to the TV, they weren't carrying much, and were being stomped on by security...

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I was there

I didn't see them carrying anything. The best part was that one guy got over the fence into the pool area... and the people there tossed him back over. Good times.

by nihil67 on Oct 1, 2006 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Nice!

Way to cut that lead off man down Montero...

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 6:35 PM EDT reply actions

Gonzo on to start the ninth...

Is is possible, just possible...?

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 6:44 PM EDT reply actions

Apparently not...

A double-play and a ground-out gives Hoffman a very quick 45th save, and means the Padres will be going to the playoffs. Whether it's as NL West champions or wild-card winners, remains to be seen: they're tied with the Dodgers, who also won. One game left: the Padres own the tie-breaker, incidentally.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 30, 2006 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Did we just

kiss Webbs chances at a Cy Young away?

by unnamedDBacksfan on Sep 30, 2006 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Wells is a huge load!

He pitched a whale of game.

He is such a tool.

I wish him well in his retirement. I am sure that we will see him owning a Harley Davidson dealership in the SD area.

livestrong & wear yellow; the truth is out there; it may not be true, but accurate, Dan Rather; bababooey to you all!

by icecoldmo on Sep 30, 2006 11:04 PM EDT reply actions

Nice rope by Li'l Stephen

Tracked from left to right where we sat.
Nihil...where were you? By any chance on the first base side?
Did you hear some clown yelling...
"WHY IS ROBERTS SMILING?"
"BECAUSE HE'S IN FIRST PLACE!"
How rude , crass , impolite . They'll let anybody watch a game these days.

Ladies and Gentlemen...The Ken Kendrick Karma Kameleon Kangaroo Kourt Karnival Krusade welcomes you to Urine Sample Cup Night!

by victor frankenstein on Oct 1, 2006 1:00 AM EDT reply actions

no

I was on the first base side in section 310, but I didn't hear that. I was pretty much surrounded by Padres fans too.

by nihil67 on Oct 1, 2006 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Um...

For some time now (Decades? At least half a century?) there's been this li'l rivalry thing between San Fran and El Lay.
So if we (Yeah, we. Giants fan since '70. Sue me , ban me , whatever.) can't make the playoffs then the next best thing (pouty sore losers that we are) is to NOT let LA get in.
And since the team itself (Tankers , from reports I read on McCovey Chronicles) couldn't get the job done...well, root for the OTHER pennant contender.
And that is why last night I , too , was a Padres fan.

Ladies and Gentlemen...The Ken Kendrick Karma Kameleon Kangaroo Kourt Karnival Krusade welcomes you to Urine Sample Cup Night!

by victor frankenstein on Oct 1, 2006 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions