Padres-Giants: 10 Things to Watch for in NL West Battle
The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants play the first game of a three-game set that is sure to be an epic battle between two NL West teams.
Both are locked in a battle for the top spot in the division, there's already trash talk going on, and both want a series win in a big way. The winner of this series will definitely be in the driver's seat.
There will be several things to watch for during this series and several keys for each team to come out on top, but here are 10 things to watch for over the next three days.
Some may even surprise you. Are you ready?
Jose Guillen Sighting
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Earlier this morning, the Giants completed a deal that sent outfielder Jose Guillen to the Bay Area from Kansas City.
There had been rumors for months that the Royals were willing to eat most of his remaining salary just so they could move him. Guillen was said to be a "bad influence" on the younger players.
The Giants had been looking for a "big bat" before the deadline and had looked at guys like Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, and Adam Dunn but were unable to make any headway before the end of July. Guillen does have a power bat, and he can make an impact if he keeps his head on straight.
Word out of San Francisco is the Giants fully intend to make Guillen a full-time starter in right field, which will allow them to move Aubrey Huff to first base.
Jonathan Sanchez Backing Up His Words
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Giants left-hander Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the Padres in July of 2009. Almost a year later, with his team chasing the front-running Padres, his confidence hasn't waned.
Sanchez told the San Francisco Chronicle that the Giants would sweep the Padres over these next three days, and he'll have a chance to back up those words, as he will take the ball for game one on Friday night.
No pressure, Jonathan.
Yorvit Torrealba Facing His Old Team
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San Diego Padres catcher Yorvit Torrealba played with the San Francisco Giants from 2001 until he was traded before the trade deadline in July of 2005.
During his time with the Giants, he played sparingly behind Benito Santiago, A.J. Pierzynski, and Mike Matheny. Torrealba thought he'd become the starter when Santiago left for free agency after the 2003 season, but the team elected to trade for Pierzynski instead.
He backed up A.J. until after the 2005 season. But once again, the Giants signed another veteran catcher, Mike Matheny, instead of giving Torrealba a shot at being a full-time starter. Torrealba was traded to Seattle, who then traded him to Colorado after the 2005 season came to a close.
Now the starter in San Diego, you can bet that Torrealba wants to show the Giants why they should have given him a shot.
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Pat Burrell Taking Padre Pitchers Deep
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On Thursday afternoon, with the bases loaded, Pat Burrell stepped to the plate and launched a grand slam home run against the Cubs that kept them from losing the game and dropping to t3.5 games back of the Padres.
Burrell has made Giants general manager Brian Sabean look like a genius since making the move for the former Phillie and Ray.
Padre pitchers are going to have to respect his power because he's been swinging a hot bat since landing in San Francisco.
Ryan Ludwick Swinging a Hot Bat
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Ryan Ludwick has been just what the doctor ordered for the San Diego Padres since being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals.
He struggled through the first few games but has since hit three home runs in his last three games, all coming at home against the Pirates, and he's hit safely in four of his last five games.
The Padres will need his bat in this series if they're going to stay in front in the NL West.
Wade LeBlanc's Changeup
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He's not going to overpower you with a fastball, only averaging in the mid to upper 80s but hitting the 90s every now and then.
But it's not his fastball that seems to have hitters off balance; it's his changeup.
The Padres used to have another pitcher that was well-known for that same pitch. In fact, it's the pitch that made Trevor Hoffman famous.
Now it's LeBlanc that has learned that pitch and uses it effectively against hitters. If the Giants' hitters can't stay back on that pitch, they may be off balance all afternoon.
Battle of the Left-Handers
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Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc: All four guys are left-handers, and all four guys will face each other on Friday night and Saturday afternoon respectively.
Whose Bullpen Blinks First?
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Instead of ruby RED slippers, Brian Wilson dons the ruby ORANGE slippers.
Oops, I'm supposed to be talking about the bullpens, not orange cleats. My bad.
The San Francisco Giants had a hiccup on Thursday night against the Cubs, as their bullpen was taken to task by Cubs hitters. Their bullpen gave up four earned runs through three innings of work after giving up just two earned runs over the first three games of the series (12.2 IP).
As for the Padres, they have quite possibly the most dominant bullpen in baseball. With guys like Luke Gregerson (2.41 ERA), Joe Thatcher (1.46), Tim Stauffer (0.76), and Mike Adams (2.03) leading up to closer Heath Bell (1.81), there aren't many teams that will be able to come back against this Padres staff.
Adrian Gonzalez vs. Aubrey Huff
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The battle of the first basemen is one that a lot of people will have their eyes on.
Adrian Gonzalez, the sweet-swinging power bat of the San Diego Padres, is always a factor no matter what pitcher he's facing. He forces teams to pitch around him to get to another player. Thanks to the additions of Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick, he's seeing more pitches than he has in previous seasons
Gonzalez is hitting .299 with 22 home runs and 73 RBI and is on track for his second 100-plus-RBI season in the last three years.
As for Aubrey Huff, he's arguably the biggest offseason signing in baseball. He's been a tremendous addition for the Giants and will be the full-time first baseman now that the team has added outfielder Jose Guillen from the Royals.
Huff is hitting .300 with 20 home runs and 67 runs driven in, his best season since he hit .304 with 32 home runs and 108 RBI when he played for the Baltimore Orioles in 2008.
Sunday's Main Event Features the Ace in the Hole
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If there wasn't enough to get excited about, Sunday's finale should give you even more of a reason to turn the TV on and check out these two NL West foes going at it.
The Padres will turn to their young ace, Mat Latos, while the Giants will counter with their ace, Tim Lincecum.
Latos has been nothing short of outstanding this season for the Padres, making fans all but forget about Jake Peavy. The soon to be 23-year-old right-hander is 12-5 on the season with a 2.36 ERA. Since a tough outing in early June against Philadelphia, Latos has gone 7-1 with two no-decisions in his last 10 starts.
As for Lincecum, he's coming off a tough outing at home against the Cubs in which he gave up six earned runs in just four innings of work.
The 26-year-old right-hander is 11-6 with a 3.41 ERA but has a career record of 4-2 (11 starts) with a 1.67 ERA against San Diego. Giants fans are hoping to see that pitcher on Sunday rather than the one they saw against Chicago.
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