Keep the Faith

If a baseball game was a Subway sandwich, consider this one ran through the garden; it came with everything.  Padres looking hopeless at the plate en route to 18 strikeouts, including nine in a row at one point? Check.  An MVP candidate hitting what appeared to be a back breaking HR? Check.  Routine double plays going through the glove of a supposedly good defensive SS? Got that too.  The game featured the Padres twice rallying from 4 run deficits, including with 2 outs in the 9th inning when Chase Headley hit a HR to tie the game.  This game ended in the bottom of the ninth ,when after recording two quick outs, Andrew Cashner couldn't find the strike zone if it was painted in bright yellow and had flashing neon lights.  After walking three straight batters, Joe Thatcher was brought in with bases loaded, and proceeded to walk in the final run.  It was heartbreaking after such a great comeback, to give it away in such a fashion.

Early in the game, after the Padres bats were "out on strike" for nine consecutive batters, and Jason Bartlett committed an error on what should have been a double play ball allowing the inning to continue with four Dodger runs, I basically lost it.  I lost faith. I lost hope.  Gaslampball author Jodes posted on twitter that she was still keeping the faith.  My response to her was I was running out of things to believe. A team that can't hit, not even for outs, and can't play solid defense, will wear thin on most people.  I guess they heard my cry for something to believe, because Will Venable hit a home run, and the Padres scored three runs to make it a one run game. I tweeted it earlier but I'll say it again. I'm sorry I lost the faith, Padres.  I know its a long season.  

The bottome of the fourth inning nearly crushed that refound faith, as the Doyers went on to score four more runs, including the Kemp HR.  I really don't like him. At all.  I have a friend that roots for our rivals, who is in love with him.  She insists he's really humble and down to earth.  My response was along the lines of someone I was telling the story to earlier- She has boobs.  Of course the friend said she was with her BF when she met Kemp, which leads to one conclusion. Kemp is gay.  I digress. The Kemp HR in the 4th was actually the last Dodger basehit of any kind, and if it wasn't for the gift our relievers gave them in the bottom of the ninth, the game would be the third extra inning game in the Padres young season.  

That last sentence underscores two important points.  1) It's a young season. It was only game 8.  154 remain. At one time that was a full season.  2) The Padres have played 2 extra inning games this year.  They lost both of those, and of their other six losses, only one was a blow out in which they were completely out of the game.  With one key hit, or one fewer error in six of the eight losses, the results could be different.  The talent is there.  They are playing about as badly as a team can play, yet are right in these games. There have been some positive signs- Yonder Alonso has a 5 game hitting streak. Maybin has a hit in each of the last two games, and drew the walk ahead of Denorfia's go ahead home run in Wednesdays game.  Headley now has 2 HR, which is half of his 2011 HR total. The starting pitching has been pretty solid, save for a few hiccups.  The person who is projected to be our best hitter, Carlos Quentin, should be back in a few weeks, along with a legitimate threat off the bat in Mark Kotsay.  The team can get it going, but the defense needs to tighten up and soon. I believe they will*, no matter how rational, or irrational that may be. So in the words of @jodes0405 , Keep the Faith!

*except for our middle infielders. Hudson and Bartlett seem utterly useless and hopeless.  I hope I'm wrong