Chisox73
07-26-2006, 10:46 PM
Peavy's one-man show a hit in LA
Righty homers, drives in four, fans eight in seven innings
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060726&content_id=1576665&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/images/2006/07/26/jFUjdWP6.jpg
"The best part of this day, it was seeing a look in [Jake] Peavy's eye that he was going to roll through people," Geoff Blum said of his teammate. (Chris Carlson/AP)
LOS ANGELES -- As the Padres' relievers were heading toward the Dodger Stadium bullpen at high noon in Wednesday's 91-degree heat, Jake Peavy told his boys to take it easy, Eagles style, with a peaceful, easy feeling.
He didn't say anything about bashing a homer and a double and driving in four runs -- stunning developments that would ensue against All-Star Brad Penny in a 10-3 Padres rout -- but Peavy appeared convinced he was about to pitch like the Peavy everyone knows, not this 4-10 imposter masquerading as the 2005 All-Star and Team USA's World Baseball Classic ace.
Switching from the first-base side of the rubber to the third-base edge to add deception to his delivery, and restoring a steady diet of changeups to his arsenal to keep hitters off balance, Peavy was dominant as the Padres completed a three-game sweep of the squabbling Dodgers in front of an announced crowd of 44,181.
Winning for the fourth consecutive time on their way to Colorado for four games, the Padres pushed the Dodgers 7 1/2 games off their National League West pace, Los Angeles losing its eighth straight and 13th in 14 games.
"Before the game," veteran reliever Doug Brocail recounted, "Jake turned to me and said, 'Hey, you guys can relax, I'm gonna give you guys a day off.' He was confident, with a look I expect to see from Jake Peavy with the stuff he has."
Geoff Blum, starting at shortstop with Khalil Greene getting a day off, also noticed Peavy's gameface and body language.
"The best part of this day," said Blum, who delivered two of the club's 15 hits, scoring twice, "it was seeing a look in Peavy's eye that he was going to roll through people. And it didn't matter who was out there."
Peavy would have given the bullpen a full day off, but his pitch count rose to 109 through six innings, reaching 129 by the time he finished the seventh. That required an inning each from Scott Williamson and Brocail, who were delighted to pitch in.
"I've been relaxed; I'm not worried," Peavy said. "I'm going to go out every day and give 100 percent. I'm not pressing. I know I'm capable of doing what I did today. I'm not used to my record being what it is, but we're in first place and I haven't hit my stride at all."
Set back for a spell by shoulder tendinits, Peavy had endured eight winless starts dating to May 25 when he beat St. Louis in San Diego.
An adjustment in his delivery, at the suggestion of pitching coach Darren Balsley, reaped immediate dividends.
"I just moved to the other side of the rubber," Peavy said. "I feel like I'm on top of right-handed hitters over there.
"It's going to help me hide the ball better and stay through my pitches. I did it in '04, and it felt comfortable being back over there."
As difficult as the season has been, Peavy never complained about run support, as he gave up three or fewer earned runs in nine starts without getting a win.
While Penny was being separated from center fielder Kenny Lofton by coach Mariano Duncan in the Dodgers' dugout, the Padres were reminding each other how fortunate they are to have a teammate like Peavy, who moved to 5-10 with a 5.01 ERA.
"It's one of those things the fans won't see," said catcher Josh Bard, who guided Peavy through his five-hit, two-run, eight-strikeout effort, "but what everybody in the clubhouse appreciates is that Jake knows our bullpen is short, and he goes out and busts it.
"After six innings, he easily could have said, 'I had a good start.' They wanted to take him out. He said, 'I want to go back out there.' And he did. That extra inning he pitched could give us two wins down the road. That's something that speaks highly of him."
Peavy's bat also is animated. The home run he crushed deep into the left-field seats was the second of his career and second in the month, the first coming on July 5 in Philadelphia.
His four RBIs were the most by a Padres pitcher in a game since Mark Thurmond in 1986. In 36 at-bats this season, Peavy has produced as many RBIs (eight) as he had in 200 career at-bats coming into the season.
"I'm gettin' better up there," he said, grinning. "I've always felt I'm a better athlete than I've shown. Penny throws so hard; I let him supply the power. Both the pitches I hit were fastballs. Brad's one of the best in the league."
The Dodgers -- spectacular defensively with five double plays, one shy of the franchise record -- had a 1-0 lead on Olmedo Saenz's first-inning RBI double, when Peavy doubled to left in the third following a single by Blum and double by Josh Barfield.
Dave Roberts' hustle RBI double and Brian Giles' RBI single around a Mike Cameron single gave the Padres six consecutive hits against Penny and a 4-1 lead. Peavy's two-run blast in the third followed Blum's double, making the righty the first Padres pitcher since his buddy Adam Eaton in 2003 to have multiple homers in a season. The club record is three.
After Rafael Furcal homered in the fifth, making it 6-2, Adrian Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 17 games, tying his season and career highs, with a sixth-inning homer, his 19th.
In the ninth, Roberts doubled home Barfield, and Giles singled home Roberts, with Bard's sacrifice fly delivering the final run.
"It's hard to sweep a Major League baseball team," Bard was saying on his way home to Denver, "and to do it on the road is huge. This team never quits."
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Righty homers, drives in four, fans eight in seven innings
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060726&content_id=1576665&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/images/2006/07/26/jFUjdWP6.jpg
"The best part of this day, it was seeing a look in [Jake] Peavy's eye that he was going to roll through people," Geoff Blum said of his teammate. (Chris Carlson/AP)
LOS ANGELES -- As the Padres' relievers were heading toward the Dodger Stadium bullpen at high noon in Wednesday's 91-degree heat, Jake Peavy told his boys to take it easy, Eagles style, with a peaceful, easy feeling.
He didn't say anything about bashing a homer and a double and driving in four runs -- stunning developments that would ensue against All-Star Brad Penny in a 10-3 Padres rout -- but Peavy appeared convinced he was about to pitch like the Peavy everyone knows, not this 4-10 imposter masquerading as the 2005 All-Star and Team USA's World Baseball Classic ace.
Switching from the first-base side of the rubber to the third-base edge to add deception to his delivery, and restoring a steady diet of changeups to his arsenal to keep hitters off balance, Peavy was dominant as the Padres completed a three-game sweep of the squabbling Dodgers in front of an announced crowd of 44,181.
Winning for the fourth consecutive time on their way to Colorado for four games, the Padres pushed the Dodgers 7 1/2 games off their National League West pace, Los Angeles losing its eighth straight and 13th in 14 games.
"Before the game," veteran reliever Doug Brocail recounted, "Jake turned to me and said, 'Hey, you guys can relax, I'm gonna give you guys a day off.' He was confident, with a look I expect to see from Jake Peavy with the stuff he has."
Geoff Blum, starting at shortstop with Khalil Greene getting a day off, also noticed Peavy's gameface and body language.
"The best part of this day," said Blum, who delivered two of the club's 15 hits, scoring twice, "it was seeing a look in Peavy's eye that he was going to roll through people. And it didn't matter who was out there."
Peavy would have given the bullpen a full day off, but his pitch count rose to 109 through six innings, reaching 129 by the time he finished the seventh. That required an inning each from Scott Williamson and Brocail, who were delighted to pitch in.
"I've been relaxed; I'm not worried," Peavy said. "I'm going to go out every day and give 100 percent. I'm not pressing. I know I'm capable of doing what I did today. I'm not used to my record being what it is, but we're in first place and I haven't hit my stride at all."
Set back for a spell by shoulder tendinits, Peavy had endured eight winless starts dating to May 25 when he beat St. Louis in San Diego.
An adjustment in his delivery, at the suggestion of pitching coach Darren Balsley, reaped immediate dividends.
"I just moved to the other side of the rubber," Peavy said. "I feel like I'm on top of right-handed hitters over there.
"It's going to help me hide the ball better and stay through my pitches. I did it in '04, and it felt comfortable being back over there."
As difficult as the season has been, Peavy never complained about run support, as he gave up three or fewer earned runs in nine starts without getting a win.
While Penny was being separated from center fielder Kenny Lofton by coach Mariano Duncan in the Dodgers' dugout, the Padres were reminding each other how fortunate they are to have a teammate like Peavy, who moved to 5-10 with a 5.01 ERA.
"It's one of those things the fans won't see," said catcher Josh Bard, who guided Peavy through his five-hit, two-run, eight-strikeout effort, "but what everybody in the clubhouse appreciates is that Jake knows our bullpen is short, and he goes out and busts it.
"After six innings, he easily could have said, 'I had a good start.' They wanted to take him out. He said, 'I want to go back out there.' And he did. That extra inning he pitched could give us two wins down the road. That's something that speaks highly of him."
Peavy's bat also is animated. The home run he crushed deep into the left-field seats was the second of his career and second in the month, the first coming on July 5 in Philadelphia.
His four RBIs were the most by a Padres pitcher in a game since Mark Thurmond in 1986. In 36 at-bats this season, Peavy has produced as many RBIs (eight) as he had in 200 career at-bats coming into the season.
"I'm gettin' better up there," he said, grinning. "I've always felt I'm a better athlete than I've shown. Penny throws so hard; I let him supply the power. Both the pitches I hit were fastballs. Brad's one of the best in the league."
The Dodgers -- spectacular defensively with five double plays, one shy of the franchise record -- had a 1-0 lead on Olmedo Saenz's first-inning RBI double, when Peavy doubled to left in the third following a single by Blum and double by Josh Barfield.
Dave Roberts' hustle RBI double and Brian Giles' RBI single around a Mike Cameron single gave the Padres six consecutive hits against Penny and a 4-1 lead. Peavy's two-run blast in the third followed Blum's double, making the righty the first Padres pitcher since his buddy Adam Eaton in 2003 to have multiple homers in a season. The club record is three.
After Rafael Furcal homered in the fifth, making it 6-2, Adrian Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 17 games, tying his season and career highs, with a sixth-inning homer, his 19th.
In the ninth, Roberts doubled home Barfield, and Giles singled home Roberts, with Bard's sacrifice fly delivering the final run.
"It's hard to sweep a Major League baseball team," Bard was saying on his way home to Denver, "and to do it on the road is huge. This team never quits."
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.