Gameday Thread, #0: 3/31 vs. Padres

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 12:45 PM EDT in News

Clay Hensley, RHP (1-1, 2.00)

Yusmeiro Petit, RHP (no AZ record)

Getting this up early, since we're off to see The 300 over at the Deer Valley IMAX. It will be the first outing (er, that's the game, not the movie-watching...) for our newly-acquired prospect, Yusmeiro Petit, acquired from Florida in the Julio trade, so be interesting to see what he brings to the table. He goes up against Hensley, who has been very good in spring, allowing four earned runs and only 13 hits in 18 innings of work. I expect Melvin to have a full-strength squad taking part in today's game, and this might also give us a clue as to the regular batting order.

Should be back round about the first couple of innings though, and the game is being televised on Fox Sports AZ, so will be able to comment freely thereafter. Please feel free to join me. A full article, on the Owings decision and whatever other news crops up, will appear later too. But now, off to enjoy a large number of classical decapitations.

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Line Up

S. Drew ss
O. Hudson 2b
C. Tracy 3b
E. Byrnes rf
C. Jackson 1b
S. Hairston lf
C. Young cf
C. Snyder c
Y. Petit p

Is that the opening day lineup? (Plus Webby, of course ...)

Don't know how that compares to what we've voted, but it seems pretty proto-typical Melvin. The Padres are also bringing in their full lineup in the final warm up game. Oh, and Chase field? Roof open. Kinda sad I didn't make it out for that ...

I really need a new quote for the start of the season ...

by npineda on Mar 31, 2007 4:37 PM EDT 0 recs

Back in time...

To see Petit look impressive in the first inning, mowing down the Padres 1-2-3. Very nice strikeout to end the frame. Based on that, we might have a gem. Three hitters is probably a bit small sample size though... :-)

Oh, and The 300 was pretty cool.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 4:46 PM EDT 0 recs

Petit looks solid

Effective with his pitches, good stuff on his breaking. Part of me suspects this is him getting in shape in Florida through the spring and being at the top spring form when the Padres see him for the first time ... but good stuff.

I really need a new quote for the start of the season ...

by npineda on Mar 31, 2007 4:46 PM EDT 0 recs

Oops.

Drew singles on the seventh pitch of his at-bat, but gets caught when the Padres pitch out on what looks like a hit-and-run.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 4:51 PM EDT 0 recs

Mrs. SnakePit

Was most impressed by the scars on Drew's elbow. It reminded her of The 300. She's hoping for a decapitation in due course. :-)

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 4:53 PM EDT 0 recs

RJ's in the booth ..

I bet that biggerunit1 doesn't comment on today's game tread ...

I really need a new quote for the start of the season ...

by npineda on Mar 31, 2007 4:56 PM EDT 0 recs

Long, but scoreless inning

Decent at-bats from everyone, but Drew's is the only hit: Hudson draws a walk, and that's it.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 4:59 PM EDT 0 recs

Free Scott Hairston!

Seventh homer of spring, a solo shot off the left-field foul-pole, gives us a lead. That's after another excellent, 1-2-3 inning from Petit.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:08 PM EDT 0 recs

Hariston continue's tearing it up

7 HR's in Spring ... is he this years first week break out performer? My fantasy leagues are being looked at as we speak ...

I really need a new quote for the start of the season ...

by npineda on Mar 31, 2007 5:09 PM EDT 0 recs

Randy says

His last rehab start should be April 13th. That'd put his return to the majors on April 18th, in San Diego.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:11 PM EDT 0 recs

Hehe

Do you think he talks like that pitching day? 'Randy Want Ball. Randy Make Strike'. :)

I really need a new quote for the start of the season ...

by npineda on Mar 31, 2007 5:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Who cares? :-)

I liked his silence when Daron Sutton asked him to take the broadcast out to the break: translated, that was "Who the hell do you think I am? I still play the damn game!"

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

A single for Petit

And that's the end of Hensley: seems like there might be an injury issue there. Runners on the corners with two outs for Drew, and an RBI chance for him.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:16 PM EDT 0 recs

Hammock made the bench ...

Is that the first official news on that? Does that make it look like ...

Tony Clark
Miguel Montero
Robby Hammock
Alberto Callaspo

And Davannon on the DL ... Quentin on the DL ... At least Hammock and Callspo have options when Q comes back.

I really need a new quote for the start of the season ...

by npineda on Mar 31, 2007 5:16 PM EDT 0 recs

"Tears of joy" apparently.

What a wuss. :-) First I'd heard: of course, it probably won't last after DaVanon and Quentin come back, but hey, I like Hammock. He's taken a major detour since catching RJ's pefect game, and many people would have given up.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

Nine up, nine down...

Ooh.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:25 PM EDT 0 recs

Yeah

Who is this guy? Did he come from the future to kill Sarah O' Conner (personified as the padres)?

I really need a new quote for the start of the season ...

by npineda on Mar 31, 2007 5:26 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sarah is now kicking his arse,,, :-(

Four straight Padres reach, on a homer, a walk and two singles. Based loaded, nobody out: let's see how Petit copes with this jam.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:40 PM EDT up 0 recs

There goes the perfect game...

With a homer to Giles. But I do think Carlos Quentin would have snared that ball at the wall: Byrnes was in entirely the wrong spot on the fence when he leaped, and the ball went over it beside his glove, not above it.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:35 PM EDT 0 recs

"No problemo"

Says Petit. First a strikeout, then a groundball double-play ends the inning, and he gets to tell the Padres: "Hasta la vista, baby..."

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:46 PM EDT 0 recs

Five innings from Petit

Very nice work: one earned run, three hits, a walk and seven K's. That should probably be it for his day.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 5:58 PM EDT 0 recs

Drew with a bunt single

Firm bunt, but he beats it out down the line and gets there ahead of the bare-handed throw. Now, let's see if he can avoid getting picked off on the basepaths this time.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 6:02 PM EDT 0 recs

Two-run double by Tracy

Clobbers a hanging changeup to deep center, and Drew and Hudson (who walked) both score. 3-1 for the good guys.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 6:06 PM EDT 0 recs

Is it just me...

Or did Kirk Gibson look like Hulk Hogan in his playing days? As well as act like him, going by that home-plate collision they just showed.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 6:10 PM EDT 0 recs

Jackson!

Two-run homer for CoJack makes it a 5-1 game. That'd put Petit in line for the win, if the bullpen can make it stand up.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 6:11 PM EDT 0 recs

Living dangerously...

Valverde joins Petit in loading the bases with no-one out, but a checked swing results in a double-play line-out. Valverde is being replaced by Pena to try and get the final out of the sixth.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 6:23 PM EDT 0 recs

Drew hits again...

That's three for the day, with this one an RBI single that ricochets off the pitcher (or the mound - not sure!) and ends up in shallow left field. I really like the idea of having him as the leadoff guy.

by Jim McLennan on Mar 31, 2007 6:36 PM EDT 0 recs