Padres (43-69) vs the Mets (58-53)
The Padres stink.
They are the stinkiest team in the stinkiest division. Their uniforms stink. Their stadium is pretty, but its name stinks and the park stinks if you are a hitter.
Some times the team makes it to the post-season, and when it does, it stinks. The tank job against the Yankees in '98 brought shame to the league, state and possibly world.
That said, they dropped a four-game smack-down on us earlier in the year that probably led to Willie getting the ax, so I guess we should be grateful.
On the bright side, the Padres won’t have Billy Wagner to tee off on, so they might be in trouble this time.
Tonight:
Chris Young, 4-4, 4.12 ERA but 0-1 with a 7.07 ERA vs Mets vs. Mighty Mike Pelfrey, 9-7, 3.91 ERA, 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA vs Padres
Young gets second start since returning from a broken nose and fractured skull. Pelfrey looks to rebound off of (recently) rare off-game against the Fish.
Wed: Cha Seung Baek vs. Pedro Thurs: Josh Banks vs. Johan Santana
You’d think missing both Maddux and Peavy would be good for the Mets, but both Baek and Banks silenced out bats in the last series.
The Pads are no doubt trying to get past five innings of Pedro then feast on our bully. Santana isn’t going to leave the game. Seriously, he knows our bullpen is the only reason he wasn’t an All-Star and isn’t mentioned as a Cy Young candidate. Jerry’s going to have to pry the ball from hands. But I just bought a pinstriped Santana jersey, so he’s jinxed.
Opposing player we should care about: Adrian Gonzalez, with 26 homers, 83 RBI and 66 runs, all leading his team.
Streaks, both Beltran and Tatis have 10-game hitting streaks.
Former friends:
Chip Ambers is a Padre, but not for long if he keeps hitting .118. Heath Bell, laughing his ass off looking at our bullpen and asking if the Ben Johnson thing is working out.
Shawn Estes, who shouldn’t be laughing his ass off at anybody.
Medics:
Tadahito Iguchi separated his right shoulder and is back as of Aug. 1.
Khalil Greene broke his hand hitting a storage closet and is probably done for the season.
Brett Tomko has a sore right elbow has him enjoying Portland for a rehab assignment.
Estes has a broken thumb is rehabbing with the Lake Elsinore Strorm, possibly the worst uniforms in the minors.
Michael Barrett should have kept his mask on, didn’t, and has a broken face.
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