Watching is Fun- So is Winning!

The biggest perk of my new job is getting to be home at nights (well most of them, anyway) for Padres games. Tonight was my first game getting to watch from first pitch to last this season.   I also had the chance Sunday, but slept to late and missed the first inning. But same result- WIN. Clearly, I must watch the games more often.

It looked like typical 2012 Padres again today, with a strong pitching performance seemingly go to waste. Edinson Volquez pitched 7 innings, and had 7 Strikeouts, just 1 walk, 3 Hits, with one bad pitch resulting in a Jason Werth HR that landed near Kaity and Colleen.  Through the first 7 innings, the Padres stranded 10 runners, including an awful stranding of runners on second and third with no outs in the 4th inning after a Hundley single and Alonso's second double of the night. His first double, incidentally, also landed near Kaity and Colleen. Hudson followed the double with a strike out, before Maybin was walked intentionally to face auto-out Bootlett ...er...Bartlett, and then Volquez grounded out to end the innning.  I've ranted before about the importance of scoring when you have no outs and a runner on third. It is simply unacceptable not to score in that situation. Period.  Hudson had a triple in his next at bat. As great as that is, it stings that he struck out when it mattered most.

Fortunately, the Padres didn't give up.  They got runners on base with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th, when Pinch Hitter Mark Kotsay ripped a double in the right-centerfield gap, scoring 2 runs, changing the mood at Petco Park.  I've seen a great deal of dislike for Kotsay among Padres fans. Yes, he's not a good player anymore, and is aging, but he's a threat off the bench.  It might be a small sample, and perhaps it will be his only good thing he does this year, but I'm glad to have him aboard.  Especially tonight.

Next up for the Padres is a three game set in San Francisco.  Cory Luebke faces Eric Hacker, making his first start for the gints.  Also going to San Francisco is Avenging Jack Murphy, and the traveling Jersey for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Jersey.  In other SotTJ news, GLB user "IPutTheYinTony" logged his journey to the latrine.