Padres 2007 - Games 41-50

After 40 games, my Padres are 21-19, and in 2nd place in the NL West, three games behind the Dodgers.

Game 41, Wednesday, May 16, Cincinnati at SD: Pads win 3-2. Jake Peavy gave up two in the first, struggled a bit, but shut them out after that in 7 innings. The Pads got a run in the 2nd, another in the 7th and the winner in the 9th as Kevin Kouzmanoff finally is starting to hit. He had 2 RBIs (including the walkoff...walk in the 9th). Bronson Arroyo pitched well for the Reds but lost it while the bullpen was warm and ready. Trevor Hoffman pitched the 9th and won it (2-2). After 41 games: Won 22, Lost 19 (home 12-8, Road 10-11), Runs 171-144, Won one in a row.

Game 42, Friday, May 18, SD at Seattle: Pads win 8-1. Chris Young went 6-2/3, giving up 6 hits and 1 run. The Pads scored 3 in the 3rd and 4 in the 7th to break it open. Kevin Kouzmanoff and Mike Cameron had 2 RBI each and Russell Branyan hit a 3-run homer. Heath Bell and Doug Brocail finished up for Young (now 5-3). After 42 games: Won 23, Lost 19 (home 12-8, road 11-11), Runs 179-145, Won 2 in a row.

Game 43, Saturday, May 19, SD at Seattle: Mariners win 7-4. Greg Maddux had a bad day, giving up 7 runs in 3-2/3 innings on 12 hits (record now 3-3). Seattle teed off with homers by Guillen and Beltre. The Pads got runs in the 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th, but couldn't come all the way back - Adrian Gonzalez lined into a double play with the bases loaded in the 7th. Kevin Kouzmanoff had 2 more hits and an RBI, raising his average to 0.183. Hampson and Cla Meredith shut them out after the 4th. After 43 games: Won 23, Lost 20 (home 12-8, road 11-12), Runs 183-152, Homers 36-21. Lost one in a row, 5-5 in the last 10 games.

Game 44, Sunday, May 20, SD at Seattle: Pads win 2-1. A really close game - both sides had plenty of chances. Justin Germano went 6 innings (record now 2-0), giving up 6 hits, 1 unearned run. The Pads got runs in the 2nd and 3rd with RBIs from Josh Bard and Adrian Gonzalez. The Pads stranded 15 runners, Seattle 6. Felix Hernandez pitched out of a lot of jams over 5 innings. The bullpen (Bell, Linebrink, Hoffman save 11) closed it out, although Seattle had two runners on with none out in the 9th. After 44 games: Won 24, Lost 20 (home 12-8, road 12-12), Runs 185-153, Homers 36-21. Won one in a row, 6 out of last 10.

Game 45, Tuesday, May 22, Chicago Cubs at SD: Pads win 5-1. Jake Peavy goes 6, wins again (now 6-1) - gave up a run in the first inning. The bullpen closed it out, but needed Trevor Hoffman's 12th save in the 9th. Adrian Gonzalez drove in the first run in the first inning, then 4 solo homers built the lead - Mike Cameron had 2, Kevin Kouzmanoff 1 and Gonzalez 1. The Pads had only 6 hits. After 45 games: Won 25, Lost 20 (home 13-8, road 12-12), Runs 190-154, Homers 40-21. Won 2 in a row, 7 out of last 10 games.

Game 46, Wednesday, May 23, ChiCubs at SD: Pads win 2-1. David Wells pitched well again - gave up a run in the second, went 7 innings - great command of the curveball and placement of the fastball. Sean Marshall was even better for the Cubs - until the 7th when Josh Bard singled at Kevin Kouzmanoff hit one 438 into the 2nd deck in left field on a hanging curve ball. Linebrink and Hoffman (save #13) closed it out and Wells won it (now 2-2).
After 46 games: Won 26, Lost 20 (Home 14-8, road 12-12), Runs 192-155, Homers 41-21. Won 3 in a row, 7 out of last 10 games.

Game 47, Thursday, May 24, ChiCubs at SD: Cubs win 3-1. Chris Young was perfect through 4 innings, and gave up only one run on 3 hits in 7 innings - with 10 K's. The Cubs got 2 runs in the 9th off Cla Meredith (loser, 2-2). The Pads got a run in the 2nd off Jason Marquis, who went 7 innings and gave up only 5 hits. The bullpen shut out the Pads. This was a winnable game. After 47 games: Won 26, Lost 21 (home 14-9, away 12-12), Runs 193-158, Homers 41-21. Lost 1 in a row, won 7 out of last 10.

Game 48, Friday, May 25, Milwaukee at SD: Pads win 8-6. The Pads got off to a 7-0 lead on timely hitting, including Kevin Kouzmanoff's grand slam in the 5th inning. Greg Maddux (winner, now 4-3) shut them out through 5, then gave up 3 in the 6th, and Doug Brocail gave up 3 in the 7th to make it close. Marcus Giles hit a solo homer in the 6th. Heath Bell and Scott Linebrink (save #1) finished up. After 48 games: Won 27, Lost 21 (home 15-9, away 12-12), Runs 201-164, Homers 43-23, Won 1 in a row, won 7 out of last 10.

Game 49, Saturday, May 26, Milwaukee at SD: Pads win 6-3. This was a well-pitched game by both Justin Germano (6 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 0 walks, 4 Ks) and Claudio Vargas (7 innings, 4 runs, 10 hits, 0 walks, 5 K's). The Pads got 2 in the first on a Mike Cameron homer, and 1 in the 3rd on a Jose Cruz homer. The Brewers had solo homers by Braun and Jenkins. The Pads got 1 in the 6th and 2 in the 8th to put some distance between the teams, and the Brewers got a run of Doug Brocail in the 9th, forcing Trevor Hoffman to come in for his 14th save. After 49 games: Won 28, Lost 21 (home 16-9, away 12-12), Runs 207-167, Homers 45-25, Won 2 in a row, won 7 out of last 10.

Game 50, Sunday, May 27, Milwaukee at SD: Pads win 3-0. Another masterpiece by Jake Peavy (now 7-1; 7 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, 8 K's), and Bell and Hoffman (15th save) closed it out. Adrian Gonzalez homered in the 4th, and Peavy and Marcus Giles drove in runs in the 6th.

After 50 games: Won 29 Lost 21 (home 17-9, away 12-12).
Won 3 in a row, 5 of 6 on homestand, and 8 of last 10.
Tied for 1st place in NL West with LA Dodgers.

Runs 210-167, Homers 46-23.
Team BA = 0.241, opponents 0.233.
Team ERA: 3.00, opponents 3.82.

Batting:

Marcus Giles: BA 0.287, 3 HR, 19 RBI
Jose Cruz: Ba 0.275, 5 HRs, 14 RBI
Mike Cameron: BA 0.223, 34 HRs, 19 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez: BA 0.302, 12 HRs, 36 RBI
Kevin Kouzmanoff: BA 0.205, 4 HRs, 22 RBI
Kahlil Greene: BA 0.217, 6 HRs, 23 RBI
Josh Bard: BA 0.224, 1 HR, 12 RBI
Russell Branyan: BA 0.235, 4 HR, 12 RBI
Brian Giles: BA 0.276, 1 HR, 12 RBI.
Termel Sledge: BA 0.215, 4 HR, 9 RBI
Geoff Blum: BA 0.186, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Rob Bowen: BA 0.234, 1 HR, 6 RBI

PITCHING:

Jake Peavy: 7-1, ERA 1.47, 73 innings, 48 hits, 20 walks, 85 K's
Chris Young: 5-3, ERA 2.90, 60 innings, 47 hits, 25 walks, 53 K's
Greg Maddux: 4-3, ERA 4.20, 60 innings, 66 hits, 8 walks, 37 K's
David Wells: 2-2, ERA 4.85, 52 innings, 61 hits, 13 walks, 29 K's
Justin Germano: 3-0, ERA 1.08, 25 innings, 17 hits, 2 walks, 9 K's.

Heath Bell: 0-2, ERA 1.20, 30 innings, 17 hits, 6 walks, 34 K's
Doug Brocail: 2-0, ERA 2.08, 21.2 innings, 13 hits, 8 walks, 13 K's
Scott Linebrink: 1-1, ERA 2.28, 23.2 innings, 15 hits, 6 walks, 15 K's
Trevor Hoffman: 2-2, ERA 2.70, 20 innings, 13 hits, 5 walks, 15 K's.
Cla Meredith: 1-2, ERA 3.38, 24 innings, 27 hits, 4 walks, 16 K's.