Week 2 Update: The San Diego Padres Still Have Rain Clouds over Petco Park

In my weekly update of the San Diego Padres, there unfortunately isn't a lot of positive changes I can comment on from my previous entry in week one.  

The hapless Padres are currently 2-9 on the season, 5.5 games out of first place, have a 1-4 record at home, a 1-5 record on the road and have lost five straight games.

They've been the center of controversy from a bench-clearing brawl that took Dodger co-ace Zack Greinke out of the lineup for at least eight weeks, pitching hasn't improved much and, aside from a few position players starting to step it up, not much more has come from the offense.

Let's take a look at some numbers in the starting rotation:

Edinson Volquez:

 Last week: 0-2 record, 9 IP, 10 ER, 4 BB,10.00 ERA

Week two: 0-3 record, 12.1 IP, 16 ER, 7 BB, 11.68 ERA, 9 K's, .356 average, 2.27 WHIP

Clayton Richard:

 Last week: 0-1 record, 4.1 IP, 7 ER, 2 BB, 14.54 ERA

Week two: 0-1 record, 9.1 IP, 9 ER, 5 BB, 8.68 ERA, 4 K's, .366 average, 2.14 WHIP

Jason Marquis: 

 Last week: 0-1 record, 6 IP, 2 ER (five runs allowed), 1 BB, 3.00 ERA

Week two: 0-1 record, 11 IP, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3.27 ERA, 6 K's, .283 average, 1.64 WHIP

Tyson Ross: 

 Last week: 0-1 record, 4 IP, 2 ER (three runs allowed), 4 BB, 4.50 ERA

Week two: 0-1 record, 9.1 IP, 5 ER, 7 BB, 4.82 ERA, 10 K's, .229 average, 1.61 WHIP

Eric Stults: 

 Last week: 1-0 record, 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0.00 ERA

Week two: 1-1, 10 IP, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3.60 ERA, 11 K's, .275 average, 1.30 WHIP

Overall, not much improvement from the starting staff.  

Volquez seems to be getting worse with each start and, though Richard improved slightly from week one, there's still not much to write home about.  

Is it time to give Andrew Cashner and Anthony Bass a chance to start?  I definitely think so.  However, it still bums me out that the Padres' "top two pitchers" are playing so horrendously.  

And if you're like me, I cringe every time I see any of our starters take the mound.  Who knows what to expect each start?  It's a total crapshoot.

Okay, so let's take a look at the pen:

Joe Thatcher:

Last week: 1 IP, 2 ER, 18.00 ERA

Week two: 0-0, 3 IP, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6.00 ERA, 1 K, .471 average, 3.00 WHIP

Brad Brach:

Last week: 2.1 IP, 5 ER, 19.29 ERA

Week two: 0-0, 5.1 IP, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8.44 ERA, 8 K's, .458 average, 2.63 WHIP

Anthony Bass: 

Last week: 6.2 IP,4 ER, 5.40 ERA

Week two: 0-0, 8.2 IP, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4.15 ERA, 9 K's, .314 average, 1.62 WHIP

Andrew Cashner:

Last week: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 3.86 ERA

Week two: 0-0, 8 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3.38 ERA, 7 K's, .214 average, 1.13 WHIP

Dale Thayer:

Last week: 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 0.00 ERA

Week two: 0-0, 5.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0.00 ERA, 9 K's, .000 average, 0.75 WHIP

Luke Gregerson: 

Last week: 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 0.00 ERA

Week two: 1-1, 5 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1.80 ERA, 5 K's, .111 average, 0.60 WHIP

Huston Street:

Last week: 1 IP, 1 ER, 9.00 ERA, 1 SV

Week two: 0-1, 3 IP, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9.00 ERA, 1 K, .308 average, 1.67 WHIP

Thad Weber:

Last week: N/A

Week two: 0-0, 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4.91 ERA, 2 K's, .250 average, 1.64 WHIP

So as you can see, not much improvement here either.  

If anything, our team average and WHIP have gone up, and other than Thayer and Gregerson, no one else in the pen is really performing well.  

Did you all see Street give up the game in the ninth inning Friday night?  Pretty horrific, wasn't it?  Once again, I'd like to say something positive about the situation, but I can't.  

Okay, let's move on to offense:

Everth Cabrera:

Last week: .182 average, no extra base hits, 2 stolen bases

Week two: .302/.375/.419, 1 home run, 1 triple, 2 RBI, 7 runs scored, 2 stolen bases, 4 K's

Will Venable:

Last week: .133 average, 1 double, 5 strikeouts

Week two: .273/.351/.576, 2 home runs, 1 triple, 2 doubles, 8 RBI, 6 RBI, 12 K's, 1 stolen base

Yonder Alonso:

Last week: .190 average, 1 home run, 1 RBI

Week two: .293/.302/.463, 2 home runs, 1 double, 6 RBI, 4 runs scored, 5 K's

Carlos Quentin:

Last week: .308 average, 3 doubles, 3 RBI 

Week two: .174/.310/.304, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, 4 K's

Jedd Gyorko:

Last week: .261 average, 6 hits, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 5 K's

Week two: .231/.333/.308, 3 doubles, 4 RBI, 5 runs scored, 8 K's

Chris Denorfia:

Last week: .417 average, 7 hits, 2 doubles, 1 RBI

Week two: .393/.452/.500, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 5 runs scored, 4 K's

Alexi Amarista:

Last week: .111 average, 2 hits, 1 double

Week two: .172/.200/.276, 3 doubles, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, 4 K's

Cameron Maybin:

Last week: .059 average, 1 hit (a double)

Week two: .074/.138/.111, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 4 K's

John Baker:

Last week: .375 average, 3 hits, no extra base hits

Week two: .273/.273/.273, 3 hits, 1 K

Mark Kotsay:

Last week: .556 average, 5 hits, no extra base hits

Week two: .429/.467/.500, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 K's

Jesus Guzman:

Last week: .286 average, 2 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI

Week two: .214/.389/.286, 1 double, 1 RBI, 5 K's

Nick Hundley:

Last week: .133 average, 2 hits, 1 double, 6 K's

Week two: .333/.353/.576, 1 home run, 5 doubles, 3 RBI, 5 runs scored, 8 K's

Cody Ransom - No longer with team.

Okay, so some have improved, but most have gotten worse.  

It is nice to see Alonso, Hundley and Cabrera starting to perform.  Hundley has been on fire this last week and is making a great case for him to remain in the lineup when Yasmani Grandal returns. But between you and me, it's about time he started performing after the Padres frivolously signed him to an extension after his first and only decent year as the team's backstop.  

Cabrera and Alonso were two players I was hoping would have breakout seasons this year.  If they can keep up this current pace, who knows what to expect out of the top of the lineup when Headley returns sometime this week.  However, though I hope for success, I'm not going to hold my breath and raise my expectations too high.

Yes Padres fans, 2013 still looks to be a very rough year for us.  I'm not trying to be pessimistic and negative in the second week of the year, but I'm being honest and realistic. And I think many of you agree with me with my feelings towards this team.

I am, however, looking forward to seeing what happens in the series versus the Dodgers starting Monday.  I will be at all of the games, and yes, will be wearing my Padres gear regardless of the Quentin/Greinke brawl.  Hey, I'm a fan and need to support our boys.  But if this third week of ball proves to be anything similar to the first two, don't expect to hear me praising the rest of the season in my week three update.  

Time will tell...

Follow @GaryOusdahl