Following an absolute marvel of a road trip...seven and two, with series wins against the Braves and Phillies, plus a sweep of the Giants, the sweet cherry on top, we returned home to play the Brewers, always a tough matchup. In the end it was 3-2, good guys, which makes it five in a row, 14 games above .500 and STILL that typical half-game behind the Dodgers.
But first things first: the road trip. A series win against the World Series champs in Atlanta was big after we split with them earlier in the season at Petco. The Braves are battle tested, those guys know how to win games, and it showed. That second game we blew hurt, with the bullpen coming undone. But we answered with a comeback of our own the next day and won, 7-3, after trailing by three early. Gut check, big game.
On to Philly. My Compadres can correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't think of a single team from the NL East since I have followed the Padres that has given us more fits. Atlanta? Maybe, but we've had our moments with them. The Nats? Maybe when they were the Expos, then they were a regular pain in the small intestine. The Marlins? Nope, haven't been around long enough, even with their two titles. The Mets? As if. I still think the Mets are the only team in baseball we have a winning record against, not counting interleague and teams that came after us in the league.
People who know San Diego will also know at least one Philly fan in America's Finest City, and I've known scores of them. Back in the 70's, they would regularly lay the wood to my young and green Padres. I admired that team: Carlton, Schmidt, Luzinski, Boone, McGraw, Bowa...the perfect combination of skill, experience and attitude. We had a bit of a reprieve against them in the 90s, but since the 21st century started, they have been picking on us again. Of course, the Phillies have their regular share of Californians on their squad to make things even more annoying. Remember Chase Utley? Home boy Cole Hamels? Lord, they would just hammer us, every time.
The Phillies qualify as what I call a "tent" game. In other words, not really a home game with so many Phillies fans in the stands, but a tent, something that is passable and will give you a chance to brave the elements, but is unsatisfying in the grander scheme of things.
Compadres know what I'm talking about. Same for Mets "home games", Cubs, Dodgers, take your pick...tent games, all of them. But the Phillies have annoyed me for decades now, so it was big winning a series at Philly.
When we lost a series earlier in the year in SF (whoops...a worse part of me wanted to call it "The Stick," which wasn't even in the same neighborhood, or planet), I was really steaming. They were laying it on a little thick, perhaps running up the score in that second game. Which is why I was double pissed when we lost the finale of that series by a run. That wasn't the reaction I had hoped for, not against the guys that had just tried to drown our dignity in the bay. Still, games with the Giants have always been fight, fight, fight. You need to meet the fight they have on that team (plus pitch well and play D, admittedly) and eventually hope class can kick in, if it exists. I was overjoyed by the sweep this time around in SF. Somehow, I don't think the Padres will have the meltdown they did last year under Tingler. Not with Melvin. Forget about it.
For all Compadres who are following...recently, we have been starting Clevinger, Snell, Darvish, Gore, Manaea, Musgrove and Martinez. That's a seven-man rotation. Of course, Clevinger is down, and Snell doesn't seem to be right. Still, even with a six-man rotation, you need to like our chances. Give somebody (probably Gore) an extra day off every now and then and presto...you have the best staff in baseball. And it will be one you can use for a long season, as well. Translated, that means playoffs. Let's put all humility aside here. That's what we are gunning for. Within three years, I wish to see a World Series Parade in downtown San Diego, which I will come home for.
Last night: Martinez was shaky, but in the end allowed two runs in five innings. All we need is for our pitchers to give us a chance, which Nick did. And the Brewers might be the toughest team we have faced all year, aside from L.A. It won't get any easier. We have the Mets coming up, plus the Cardinals, Giants, etc. No time to rest.
Major kudos to Grisham. He is not griping, despite his bad average. I love those bunts, they are helping us win ballgames. If the dingers and doubles aren't there, go for the dinks! Ditto for Cron Zone. Not hitting? How about playing stellar D? These things win ball games. We know it. They know it. The damn baseball does.
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