yagsy
07-21-2006, 05:34 PM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20060721-9999-6s21padres.html
Giants rip four homers against Park, Sweeney
By Tom Krasovic
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 21, 2006
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060721/images/padres.jpg
MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ
/ Associated Press
Chan Ho Park surrendered five runs on five hits in six innings.
SAN FRANCISCO – Improbably, perhaps, the Padres got a stellar first half from their starting pitchers. Padres starters earned the National League's second-best ERA entering the All-Star break – despite a season-ending injury to No. 2 man Shawn Estes, the troubles of ace Jake Peavy, a disabling injury to Woody Williams and the April implosion of Dewon Brazelton.
A second-half repeat seemed a lot to ask. So far, the Padres would take something mildly similar. In seven games, their starting ERA is 7.75.
“We know we have to get better there,” manager Bruce Bochy said.
Last night, when first-place San Diego faced the second-place Giants to begin a run of 11 intradivisional games on the road, Chan Ho Park allowed five runs in six innings and the Giants grabbed a 9-3 win at AT&T Park.
Credit the Giants, said Park, who threw lively sinkers and dominated for stretches but allowed two runs in the second and three in the fifth. Twice, he found trouble against an obscure rookie, Chad Santos.
“They hit very good pitches,” Park said. “There could have been a mistake of pitch selection, but I'm not going to second-guess.”
Pitching the Giants to 1½ games back of San Diego, left-hander Noah Lowry (5-6) used a fastball and change-up to tame a Padres offense that had averaged seven runs since the break.
Lowry, bolstered early when three line drives found Giants gloves, is good at taking the Padres upstairs with his fastball and down below with his change-up.
Until Josh Barfield chased him with an RBI single one out into the ninth, Lowry had shut out the Padres for 16 1/3 consecutive innings dating to last September.
“He got more swings off his change-up that were bad swings, maybe more than any game this year,” Giants manager Felipe Alou said.
It was a forgettable night for Padres long reliever Brian Sweeney, who threw a scoreless seventh but in the eighth allowed three consecutive home runs in a span of seven pitches.
The first homer, by Barry Bonds, came after catcher Mike Piazza dropped a popup in foul territory.
Bonds didn't see Piazza's error, because he was walking back to the dugout.
Bonds followed with his 722nd career home run, 33 shy of baseball's career leader, Henry Aaron. Ray Durham hit Sweeney's next pitch for a homer and Pedro Feliz later reached the left-field seats.
Bochy said Sweeney deserved better, that the right-hander has pitched more often than planned. A respite in Triple-A could be the next step, as the Padres look to promote a Triple-A position player such as Terrmel Sledge today.
Better starting pitching, Bochy added, is the upgrade most needed, and expected, for a club that has lost five of seven games since the break.
“I think we'll get back to how we pitched in the first half. I really do,” he said.
The Giants, an old team, are seeking broader improvement. For starters, a pulse.
After the club's third consecutive loss Monday, shortstop Omar Vizquel questioned the team's effort. He publicly called for the players to take more chances.
In the fifth inning, Vizquel and Randy Winn backed up the talk.
After Winn stole third, Vizquel dropped a single on a suicide squeeze bunt, which Park said surprised him.
Park found stunning a home run by Santos, the No. 8 hitter who was promoted from Triple-A on Sunday. Park threw an outside fastball, a good pitch, he said, when they met in the second inning.
“I thought it was a popup,” Park said. The ball went over the center-field wall for a 2-0 lead.
When the left-handed Hawaiian batted in the fifth to chants of “Let's Go Santos,” Park issued a leadoff walk, a sin that the Giants punished by scoring three runs.
“It wasn't a good game for us,” Park said. “It was a good game for them.”
Giants rip four homers against Park, Sweeney
By Tom Krasovic
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 21, 2006
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060721/images/padres.jpg
MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ
/ Associated Press
Chan Ho Park surrendered five runs on five hits in six innings.
SAN FRANCISCO – Improbably, perhaps, the Padres got a stellar first half from their starting pitchers. Padres starters earned the National League's second-best ERA entering the All-Star break – despite a season-ending injury to No. 2 man Shawn Estes, the troubles of ace Jake Peavy, a disabling injury to Woody Williams and the April implosion of Dewon Brazelton.
A second-half repeat seemed a lot to ask. So far, the Padres would take something mildly similar. In seven games, their starting ERA is 7.75.
“We know we have to get better there,” manager Bruce Bochy said.
Last night, when first-place San Diego faced the second-place Giants to begin a run of 11 intradivisional games on the road, Chan Ho Park allowed five runs in six innings and the Giants grabbed a 9-3 win at AT&T Park.
Credit the Giants, said Park, who threw lively sinkers and dominated for stretches but allowed two runs in the second and three in the fifth. Twice, he found trouble against an obscure rookie, Chad Santos.
“They hit very good pitches,” Park said. “There could have been a mistake of pitch selection, but I'm not going to second-guess.”
Pitching the Giants to 1½ games back of San Diego, left-hander Noah Lowry (5-6) used a fastball and change-up to tame a Padres offense that had averaged seven runs since the break.
Lowry, bolstered early when three line drives found Giants gloves, is good at taking the Padres upstairs with his fastball and down below with his change-up.
Until Josh Barfield chased him with an RBI single one out into the ninth, Lowry had shut out the Padres for 16 1/3 consecutive innings dating to last September.
“He got more swings off his change-up that were bad swings, maybe more than any game this year,” Giants manager Felipe Alou said.
It was a forgettable night for Padres long reliever Brian Sweeney, who threw a scoreless seventh but in the eighth allowed three consecutive home runs in a span of seven pitches.
The first homer, by Barry Bonds, came after catcher Mike Piazza dropped a popup in foul territory.
Bonds didn't see Piazza's error, because he was walking back to the dugout.
Bonds followed with his 722nd career home run, 33 shy of baseball's career leader, Henry Aaron. Ray Durham hit Sweeney's next pitch for a homer and Pedro Feliz later reached the left-field seats.
Bochy said Sweeney deserved better, that the right-hander has pitched more often than planned. A respite in Triple-A could be the next step, as the Padres look to promote a Triple-A position player such as Terrmel Sledge today.
Better starting pitching, Bochy added, is the upgrade most needed, and expected, for a club that has lost five of seven games since the break.
“I think we'll get back to how we pitched in the first half. I really do,” he said.
The Giants, an old team, are seeking broader improvement. For starters, a pulse.
After the club's third consecutive loss Monday, shortstop Omar Vizquel questioned the team's effort. He publicly called for the players to take more chances.
In the fifth inning, Vizquel and Randy Winn backed up the talk.
After Winn stole third, Vizquel dropped a single on a suicide squeeze bunt, which Park said surprised him.
Park found stunning a home run by Santos, the No. 8 hitter who was promoted from Triple-A on Sunday. Park threw an outside fastball, a good pitch, he said, when they met in the second inning.
“I thought it was a popup,” Park said. The ball went over the center-field wall for a 2-0 lead.
When the left-handed Hawaiian batted in the fifth to chants of “Let's Go Santos,” Park issued a leadoff walk, a sin that the Giants punished by scoring three runs.
“It wasn't a good game for us,” Park said. “It was a good game for them.”