Padding Our Record
Gonna be very interesting to see how the Padres play this weekend. Rarely have we seen a team underwhelm more spectacularly than this talented group. As it is with the Yankees, it’ll be very interesting to see if the SD manager and GM can hold on to their jobs after this lost season.
I know SF fans are going to show up in San Diego. So we basically have home games this series.
Let’s wipe ’em out.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
well, San Diego has 3rd best attendance in all of baseball, averaging 40 thou at Petco per ESPN. They’ve had record number of sellouts, so fanbase has by and large supported them very well.
Disappointing season for sure, and on team thread in TA to writer D Lin lot of complaints as to whose head should roll, including Melvin. They have FAs too so off season should be intersting.
Feels like rotation is Sisyphean, three true starters getting the stone close to the peak, before the pen and the limp bats lets the thing roll back down again. Webb gave up two runs yesterday — on two singles, a double steal of second and home, and a single. Then our pen gave up a HR for two insurance runs. And the bats did nothing. But the pen is fairly rested, so two openers in SD may work, until the real SPs take their noble turns. Again. Haniger? Yaz? Hell, Brebbia? We need more.
I think the Giants must average two wins per series now to finish with 87. Better add extras vs the Guardians or Colo or SD. Short term, give Machado reason to demolish a few more dugout coolers. Long term, the mountain is steep. Every game is crucial.
We need a split as a minimum in SD, and a series win in Chicago, IMO. For RK win series rest of the way to get a wildcard spot.
Yeah picking off Cubs and DBacks would help. Otherwise we don’t see WC contenders again. We do play the bums 7 times toward the end. Maybe they’ll be in preservation mode.
Pedro Avila, listed as SD SP got lit up last time out for 5 runs in 4 inning start vs. Brewers. Mostly used in relief but they have Musgrove on IL and are short handed in rotation.
Overall Padres pitching #2 NL for runs and ERA.
Bats are #7 for runs, 6th for HRs and SBs, slash line numbers btw 6 and 8. Soto and Machado have 25 HRs, Tatis Jr 20 and 8 guys with at least 10. Breakout season from Kim, .370 OB, .800 OPs and 29 SBs.
+50 run differential and Pythagoras says record should be 73-61, instead of 62-72.
Padres players play as individuals( it’s all about the next pay check)they have no heart except for Crowenworth who’s not a vocal leader but atleast plays with passion.Melvin is a good manager way better then the previous dude,and is known for his communication skills but even with team meetings are players only meetings nothing seems to work.There longest winning streak of the season is only 3 games.3 freaking games with that LU is just unbelievable! So yeah you can’t fire the players so unfortunately Melvin is the scapegoat he deserves better but the games about winning..
Padres just don’t do the “little” things well. They get regularly criticized on the MLB Network for bad decision-making on baserunning, and on defense. And lack of hustle sometimes. So they lose a lot of close games.
As Brian Kenny says on the MLB Network, the Padres are a very “unbasebally” team.
But, of course, the Padres do have the talent to make this a tough series for the Giants.
Maybe Melvin in Oakland was great with young underpaid players in training to play for better teams, but with the overpaid ego stars in SD, not so great. But who would be? Bochy or Baker maybe.
6-22 in one run games and 0-11 in extras. Kind of hard to believe given vets and talent level. Looked up pen ratings and despite having closer J Hader Pads are only 16th with 3.95 ERA, 8th NL. On TA Pads blog Melvin got lot of heat for how he managed set up guys, say innings 6-8 or 9 that haven’t been very good. Sounds like it’s more on players not living up to expectations.
Yeah, well, my question I guess is why. Why don’t they hustle? Why do they barrel up dugout coolers instead of opponent heaters? Etc.
Prima donna players. Look at the Dallas Cowboys in football. Supremely talented individual players who don’t play as a team. Dak Prescott – 2 playoff wins in 7 years. Brock Purdy – 2 playoff wins in 1 year.
Sure, the team around him plays a part, but 3 years ago the Cowboys had the #1 offense, the #1 defense, an 8-8 record, and missed the playoffs.
Giants’ lack of consistent run production means they can’t be predicted to sweep or win series against good to moderate teams, even lousy teams like the Pads. Pads have a lot of talent that can jump up in any game and bite with a bunch of runs. Unless SF goes on an unexpected roll all of a sudden, their trajectory looks like ending up with mid-80s wins, and maybe just limp into a WC berth. Which would actually be a good outcome with a team with this talent level…
They did it earlier in the year against very good teams. And this is basically the same team. So why shouldn’t they be able to win series now against good teams? Again, they did it earlier in the year.
“Without hustle talent will only carry you so far!”That’s the SD Padres in a nutshell..
Giants don’t nearly have the talent of the Padres but what they do have is team chemistry in the dugout &clubhouse and that’s the major difference..
Slusser said in Chron that Crawford could come off IL and be activated by tomorrow when rosters increase. So that in itself would not necessitate anyone going down, but also take up one of the 2 extra spots. hmmnn
“Sounds like it’s more on players not living up to expectations.”
Agree. Frankly, most of the players today are frauds, particularly compared to yesteryear. Most of these guys reputations are built on hype, e.g., ESPN, social media, Fox Sports, etc. Here’s my list of the most hyped/overrated players today:
Shohei Ohtani: In 2022, Aaron Judge lead the MLB (Not the AL, mind you: MLB) in 23 distinct offensive categories. Do you know how many combined Pitching and Offensive categories Ohtani lead the MLB in that same year? ONE. The fact that he was even mentioned as a potential winner of the MVP last year is the very essence of the word OVERRATED. This season? Uhh, he’s injured again and don’t expect to see him next season either, as he will be recovering from that injury.
Manny Machado:
AVG
.249
107th
HR
25
Tied-23rd
RBI
78
Tied-32nd
OPS
.769
84th . . . Plus, he is a shit disturber wherever he goes.
Carlos Correa:
AVG
.222
139th
HR
16
Tied-101st
RBI
57
Tied-93rd
OPS
.696
127th . . . So grateful we did not back up the brinks truck to this guy’s driveway.
I have quite a few more. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of overrated players back in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc., such as Denny McClain (2 excellent seasons minus the rest of his career, he was 76-76). Meh. Same deal with Edgar Martinez – he could hit, that was it. Bill Mazeroski could field, but that was it, e.g., .260 career average and an on-base percentage of just .299. He might fill a utility position today. Instead, he’s a HOFer. lol
The hype plays a big part of this. Tape measure home runs, the constant BSPN adulation, even hype among other players. Add Ohtani to this list. Not that he’s overrated, His pitching is decent, his hitting is solid, but he’s injury-prone. But the hype-train is insane.
Throw in that baseball is DESPERATE for a face to point to as being s superstar. Mike Trout has been prolly the best hitter in the past decade, but I wouldn’t know him if he walked past me.
The Giants should get some players back but I don’t see much of a buzz around any of em. My mind is mostly on next year but it would be nice to see some quality ball for the next month.
“team chemistry in the dugout &clubhouse and that’s the major difference..”
Brian Kenny of the MLB Network has always been a strict analytics and stats guy, with a zero belief that there’s a thing called ‘team chemistry,’ but this season has changed him a bit on that. The Padres, and to some extent, the Yankees, have got him acknowledging that there’s something to the team chemistry concept.
Wasn’t James the anti-ponent of ‘team chemistry’?
This team is so Jeckyll and Hyde, any kind of prediction going forward is pissing in the wind.
anyone that doesn’t believe in team chemistry never played competitive sports
Hmmmmm, someone in the late days of the Splash/early days of this was anti-chemistry as it wasn’t measurable or quantifiable. Twin wasn’t as adamant for or against on the matter as I woulda normally thought, but my memory fails me often these days.
That being said, I hope the reports are right that the Bosa signing in imminent. THe 49ers need some good news coming out of their camp.
1 L Wade Jr. (L) 1B
2 T Estrada (R) 2B
3 M Haniger (R) LF
4 J Pederson (L) DH
5 M Yastrzemski (L) RF
6 J Davis (R) 3B
7 W Meckler (L) CF
8 B Sabol (L) C
9 C Schmitt (R)
Junis on the bump…
Anyone else think we should pick up Clevinger? War 2.9 ERA 3.32 32 years Old. Cinci picked up Renfroe and Giolota
Webb 4.0, Cobb 3.1, Doval 1.7 so Clevinger becomes are 3rd best pitcher. Our next BEST mow is Tyler Rogers at 1.6
WAR isn’t everything, but it is a good basis for comparison
Clevinger not claimed. A good player we could use for nothing. Go Junis. GRR
there is some baggage attached, including contract option with $4mil buyout. Gotta wonder why no one else in all baseball is interested.
anyone who thought the Raiders moving to Vegas was a dumb move just didn’t get it…..
Make this guy throw strikes and don’t help him.
If Giants were to acquire Soto, at bats like that one would remind many fans of Belt.
I get there may be baggage, but doesn’t anyone think we could pick up Clevinger, cut Wood and be better?
Oh sure. putting Wood on waivers imo improves club by itself.
Meanwhile the Padres cannot field a groundball on the IF.
Fun inning
Yeah the Padres do play entertaining baseball. I think Machado looks like he’s full of tranquilizer.
A nice 2b by sabol:)
Whoa, I just checked the score for first time, is this for real?
The Padres demonstrated why their season record is what it is.
To the Giants’ credit, they took advantage of it.
Did you miss the first inning? Giants loaded the bases, no score. Lots of luck since.
well they aren’t exactly slamming baseballs off the walls. Getting lot of help from Pads tonight.
Now a Yaz bomb, 7-zip!
Manaea, dude.
You’re up by 7.
Throw strikes…
Manaea needs to come out.
Guy is struggggling…
He’s agony to watch tonight.
Wow, needed that double play big time.
73 pitches to get 8 guys. Sheesh.
Wood in next, I guess. He must be happy in mop up role…
Schmitt does have helluva arm, as Manaea wriggles out of another inning unscathed.
Manaea’s not only wild his velo is way down, too.
Gawd, finally Kappler takes Manaea out
I get the 7 run lead, and save the Pen, but seriously. That was brutal.
86 pitches, 3 hits, walked 5, one wild pitch. NO RUNS allowed. Weird…
Padres probably lost a run when the ball hit the Ball Dude’s chair.
Hey, a triple!
Victory!