Almost an identical line-up to the Diamondbacks one from yesterday.... WHERE IS TOREY LOVULLO AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM!!! Less hysterically, the only change I can see is Stephen Vogt taking over behind the dish for Carson Kelly. It will be interesting to see how the playing time gets split up among our catchers. On the broadcast yesterday, they were saying they expected Kelly to be carrying a lot more of the load. So it’s perhaps a little surprising to see him riding the pine in the... [checks notes] second game of the season. Maybe Vogt is going to be Ray’s personal catcher, in the way it seems that Kelly will be Madison Bumgarner’s.
While MadBum and his post-game vanishing act may have been the focus of last night’s defeat, the offense certainly deserve to take some of the blame. A lot of our hitters didn’t look very good at all. Mind you, neither did a lot of the Padres, outside of Eric Hosmer. Is this the pitchers being ahead of hitters? Small sample size, but I compared the first game for every team this year against the first game for them in 2019. The median performances from each season were as follows:
2019: 4 runs on 6 hits and 2.5 walks with 8 strikeouts
2020: 3 runs on 6.5 hits and 3 walks with 8 strikeouts
So, it does appear batting is a little behind. Hopefully, we’ll have our hitting shoes on now.
Pre-game audio
- Archie Bradley: He addressed some interactions he had on Instagram yesterday with people who objected to his post showing support and solidarity to his friends and teammates over racial injustice. He emphasized that what he is showing and doing is separate from the BLM movement.
- As he’s matured and learned to separate on field performance from off field expression of the things he thinks and feels and believes in, he is ever more comfortable with that separation. He does envision leadership roles in the future whether it be with the union, inside or outside baseball, he wants to use his platform for good.
- On the baseball side of things, players are adjusting quickly to new norms. One of the biggest challenges is the shortened pre-game time at the ballpark to get ready. Now, there is no more than 5 hours before game time. Previously, it was 6 or 7.
- Torey Lovullo. Today is his birthday so lots of birthday wishes and jokes about that. Ketel Marte wished him a happy 70th. Has only one win on his birthday in his career.
- Timing is a bit off but very confident in their offense. Feels offensive approach has been a bit rushed and hurried. “You’re only as good as the pitches you swing at”
- No injury or testing updates
- No panic, focus on today. If he was offered a deal in to be just 1.5 games out of 1st place on July 25, he would take that deal. Thought that was a good way of looking at it (Question was posed to him that way and he answered in the affirmative)
- Ginkel: Spoke for 2 minutes from 6:00-8:00. Just too many yanked pitches, too many out of the zone from start to finish. Last year he had a good ability to go strike to ball. Gist of it is he needs to command the fastball to be able to finish off hitters with the slider. He worked with coaches today. Will take granular approach.