Grudge Match Part Deux For Padres Begins Tonight: Pads vs. Giants Series Preview

By Friar Wire

By Bob Scanlan

It wasn’t for lack of effort that the Padres didn’t complete the sweep of the Dodgers, ultimately falling in the final game 9–5 in the 17th. What hurt most, maybe even more than home plate umpire David Rackley taking a ball in the groin that forced him to leave the game, about this latest failed sweep attempt was that the Friars had a 4–0 lead heading into the 6th that neither Colin Rea nor the bullpen could protect. Not to diminish winning a series against their most hated rival, but a sweep would have been some semblance of sweet revenge after suffering a sweep at their hands in the opening series of the season.

Nothing can be done about that now, and there is no time to mope as they head up north to take on their next most hated enemy, the Giants, for three games. It’s a chance for the Padres to again exact some payback after being swept by S.F. in front of the home town crowd to start this recent homestand.

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Having just played each other, there are a couple of things that Pads may want to look for this series.

• When facing Johnny Cueto — He shut the Padres down for a complete game 4-hitter 5 days

• ago for his 3rd CG against the Friars in his last 5 matchups with them.

1. He threw a ton of cutters last game to both sides of the plate to righties and lefties. Look for it, and especially when he is behind in the count. He uses it like Tyson Ross uses his slider to get a strike over, especially when behind.
2. He liked to duplicate pitches, especially if he missed with it. If he threw a certain type of pitch for a ball, a lot of times he came right back to that same pitch. The Padres’ only run against him last game was when first Brett Wallace, then Alexei Ramirez, hit pitches that were duplicates of what he had just tried to throw them the pitch before.
3. He came inside early in the game to establish that he would use that side of the plate, then after the 5th generally stayed away. The only glaring exception was Matt Kemp, who he worked the opposite.
4. Once he gave up a hit with a certain pitch he did not show it again to that batter for a strike.

• When facing Samardzija — Although he did not throw a CG like Cueto, Jeff Samardzija did

• hold the Pads to 1 run over 8 innings in his second time facing the Friars this season.

1. In his first outing against the Padres, when they knocked him out of the game before finishing the 5th, he threw a lot of fastballs. In his last outing, he still used the FB but also mixed in a lot more cutters to the glove side early in the count (away to RHBs and in to LHBs), then to the arm side late (front door to the righties, back door to lefties).
2. He did not pitch down almost at all. It was amazing how pitch after pitch was up in the zone yet the Pads couldn’t square it up. Not sure if they were falling into the trap of seeing a pitch that looks so tantalizing that you swing too hard trying to crush it but instead pull off it, but that pitch seems teed up to drive opposite field if you don’t get too greedy.
3. In general, look away. He spent most of his time staying away from most hitters after showing a token pitch in off the plate the first time through the lineup. Similar to Cueto in that game plan, but Samardzija seemed even more heavy away so look out there and look to use the opposite field gap.

• Leading lady pressure — Against Cueto and Samardzija, the Padres got their leadoff man of the

• inning on base a total of 3 times during both games combined. That’s an on base percentage of .167. It is SO much easier to pitch when you know you can get out of any situation with a one pitch ground ball double play. The Friars in general have struggled with putting pressure on opposing pitchers to start the inning, reaching base at a .251 pace versus .308 for the rest of the league. Sometimes you can get away with it if the pitcher has trouble with 2 outs, but both these guys are respectable near the league average with BAA under .250 while trying to get that final out.
• Jake Peavy — Don’t mean to leave him out of the discussion, but I’m staying away from advising

• anything about him because A.) he’s been pitching rather poorly all season, toting a bloated 8.21 ERA with him and B.) he’s one of the most emotional pitchers I’ve ever watched, and when he wants to can dig down deep and bring out more than he normally has when something emotionally amps him up…like pitching against his former club. He has a 2.45 lifetime ERA against the Friars, and although, as the numbers show, there isn’t much left in the tank and he could get knocked around by the Pads like the rest of the league has done, it would not surprise me either to see Jake out of nowhere get nasty for 5 innings just to spite his former club.