Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Running Thoughts: Smith vs LeBlanc

Preview

Lineup Card

San Diego opens their broadcast showing highlights of Greg Smith's last outing.

<---- A lot of that from Smith.

1st Inning
  • LeBlanc starts off with an efficient 1-2-3 inning.  Would have preferred a run or two to help Smith settle in.  Can't always get what we want.  
  • Thank you Tony Gwynn Jr.!  Swings and pops up the first pitch.  
  • After a basehit by Eckstein, Olivo guns him out on a failed hit-and-run.  That's right.. help the kid out.  
  • And now Gonzalez walks.  Not the worst result in the world.  
  • Headley grounds out.  Not a smooth start by any means, but encouraging!
2nd Inning
  • 6 up, 6 down for Barry Zito Wade LeBlanc.  Lots of ugly, off balance swings in the early going. 
  • Scott Hairston has a couple good swings that go foul, so Smith walks him, then turns around and picks him off.  We'll just take the outs.  
  • And another walk.  That's three.  Command just isn't there.  
  • Smith gets a popup and a strikeout of Torreabla.  Ubaldo is seen taking notes on how he did that.
3rd Inning
  • LeBlanc has a MUCH wider strike zone than Smith does.  Stewart called out on a ball that was 8 inches outside.  
  • Greg Smith breaks up the perfect game with an infield single.  That figures!
  • LeBlanc returns the favor by singling off Smith.  
  • 5 Padres reached the first time through.  2 hits, 3 walks, 2 outs on the bases, 4 regular outs.   
  • Mora drops a liner.  Should have been a double play.  Now Gwynn gets to run instead of the pitcher.  
  • That's three scoreless for Smith so far.  Not all pretty, but indeed all scoreless.  Let's get the kid some runs now!
4th Inning
  • Rockies load the bases with one out and leave them that way.  Ian Stewart was screwed again on a couple strike calls.  Smith isn't getting those calls I assure you.  
  • Padres on the board first.  Jerry Hairston triples to deep left center, scoring Headley from first.  Smith has been playing with fire all night.  Finally catches up.  
  • Padres 1, Rockies 0
5th Inning
  • Let's wake the bats up already.  Smith is keeping you in the game.  Reward him!  
  • Greg Smith leads off with a double.  EY fails to move him over or do anything productive.  
  • However, CarGo picks him and doubles Smith to the house.  Good to strike right back.  
  • Helton drives in the go ahead run on a hard single to right.  Who needs a home run?  
  • Rockies 2, Padres 1
  • I often wonder how Todd Helton only has three Gold Gloves.  Plays like the one he just made on Tony Gwynn are what make me wonder.  
  • Smith follows that up with his 5th walk.  Sets up Adrian Gonzalez.  
  • Mora botches another double play ball.  Runner on 2nd with two outs.  
  • So Smith gets through five.  I have to believe his night will be over with a chance to win.  
6th Inning
  • Rockies offense quiet in the 6th.  
  • Daley hits the first batter.  Kyle Blanks should have hit into a double play, but Mora's turn was painfully slow.  His third time failed DP of the night.  
  • And now the bases are loaded.  Matt Daley is off his game a little bit lately.  Not good with how Rafael Betancourt is also struggling.  
  • Randy Flores to face Tony Gwynn.  
  • Flores gets the out... on a wild pitch to the screen and the deflects back to Olivo.  Blanks out at home. 
  • Whew.  
7th Inning
  • Another quick and silent inning offensively.  That's great... just keep applying that pressure on the pitching and defense.  
  • Now it's Joe Beimel.  Burning through pitchers quickly this evening.  
  • Fowler in for Young defensively.  Mora still in defensively.  Why?
  • And now the Padres are pecking Beimel to death.  1st & 3rd with one out.  They're going to bust through one of these times.  
  • Tulo with the tailor made 6-3 double play.  Keeps Mora out of the equation.  
8th Inning
  • Offense: WAKE UP.  Need more runs.  
  • I said WAKE UP.  
  • Manny Corpas handling the 8th.  Jim Tracy's confidence in him must be soaring.  
  • Veanble triples on an 0-2 pitch. Ugh.  
  • Tie game.  Sac fly by Jerry Hairston.  
  • I'm sure we'll be seeing Heath Bell now.  Great.  
  • Rockies 2, Padres 2
9th Inning
  • It will be Heath Bell.  Good luck waking the bats up against him.  
  • Finally Ian Stewart breaks the slumber with a two out walk.  At least there's a pulse.  
  • That amounts to nothing.  So yeah, have to hold them again.  
  • Rockies turn to closer Morales in a tie game on the road.  Alright.  Matches up with lefties at least.  

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