Record: 48-54. Change on last season: +16
An abbreviated headline, suggested by englishdback - in case you don't know, the first and last two letters stand for "Same", and "Different Day"... And it's fitting, since I'm going to keep this short, and will largely restrict it to a game report, with thoughts to follow later. That's because it's an afternoon game in Milwaukee, which makes it a morning game here, with first pitch in about 25 minutes. So, at great speed, and with probably more than the usual disregard for factual accuracy...
Glaus's back spasms keeps him out of the lineup for the second straight day. Said Melvin, "He went and tried to take a few swings and it's just not back in alignment yet. He's still getting some pretty good spasms in there...He's literally day-to-day. I thought we had a pretty good chance today." I cheerfully admit to not having a clue as to how bad Glaus's back is, but he's a trained athlete, with the best medical care money can buy. His body is a finely honed machine. How bad was that bed, f'heavens sake?
So I do wonder, if I genuinely believed I was in a pennant race, would I let a lumpy mattress come between me and playing? I think the subtext in Glaus's bench-sitting, is partly an admission that we're not going anywhere, so there's no point in risking more damage in a hopeless cause. And after last night's game, hope was not exactly enhanced, despite the Padres losing their four millionth straight game. [What is the record for longest losing streak by a team leading their division?]
Bob Melvin said. "We got up early but weren't ever able to give them the feeling that we were in control of the game." Ah, a reference to the third innings, methinks? We load the bases with one out, thanks to a walk, a single and an error; then another error brings home a run, and Tony Clark, who has already swatted a homer, is at the plate. But instead of burying the Brewers - or even a garden variety RBI ground-out - he grounds into a 2-0 double-play, and we never score again. 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, but that's about what we'd expect. Three hits for Counsell, a homer for Clark: otherwise, yuk.
And it all blew apart in the seventh innings, where we have had a horrible weakness all season. I can't immediately find any stats for runs scored + conceded by innings, but I'm certain the differential there is horrible. Webb still seemed to be feeling the after-effects of his illness, and just ran out of gas, as the first three hitters reached. Cormier couldn't help, allowing a single, sac-fly and double. Koplove tidied up, but not before a Clayton error and an RBI single let the Brewers sent ten to the plate.
G-Force Homer Watch
[At-bats by the G-Force since their last home run]
- Collectively: 111 at-bats [since Glaus, 6th innings, 15th July]
- Troy Glaus: 33 [6th innings, 15th July]
- Shawn Green: 37 [6th innings, 15th July]
- Luis Gonzalez: 52 [9th innings, 7th July]
Just realised I skipped the Atlanta series, so without further delay:
Heroes and Villains, Series 32: vs. Braves, at home
Vazquez: 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Halsey: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Vargas: 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
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Glaus: 1-for-13
Bruney: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Pitching dominates a series in which we only conceded ten earned runs in 28 innings (a 3.21 ERA). And 40% of those came in Bruney's horrible outing in the opener. Our starters posted a collective 1.99 ERA, so sweep the heroes: honorary mentions to Gonzo (6-for-12) and Clayton (5-for-14), who might otherwise have been included. Glaus, on the other hand, was largely ineffective, and the memory of Bruney's disaster will live long in the memory of fans - as was proved by the boos he recived during a successful outing in the finale, for a far more taxing one-run save situation.
And with that, straight on to the game preview