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Game Summary for Padres Vs Twins
Sunday April the 20th 2008 at Napa Valley College
After a tough loss to the Astros in the first game of the season,
the Pads faced a big test in the second game this Sunday, the twins,
who were formally the A's. The Twins had several players leave either
via free agency or trades in the offseason due to what was officially
characterized as "irreconcilable differences" in the Twins
media guide. "Some guys just weren't seeing eye to eye in the
clubhouse, it's something we had to deal with and we're moving forward.
We felt that it was important to start over literally and figuratively,
which is why we decided to start a new era as the Twins." said
new Twins manager and backstop Brodie Nissen. Still, the Twins represent
a formidable opponent, retaining a solid foundation of players from
their heyday.
 Things
again started off roughly for Pads starter Jack
"Jackamo" Marion, allowing the first five Twins to
reach base on 3 walks, a HBP and a double before settling down to
retire the side, allowing 4 runs. In the Pads half of the first,
it looked like they had their hittin' shoes on, with four of the
first five reaching base, scoring Andy "A-Wag"
for the first run of the game for the home team. Unfortunately,
that would be it for the Pads, as Twins starter Steve Nojima rebounded
to strike out the side, and went five strong innings, only giving
up that 1 run, striking out 6. In the second, Marion
showed some signs from last year, as he induced a easy flyout to
left to the leadoff batter and what appeared to be an easy pop out
to catcher for the second, unfortunately, Marion
didn't hear the Pads catcher, JMash for
it and after they collided, the ball squirted out, allowing Twin's
batter Matt Wolfe to reach safely. After another popup, this one
wind aided, into short left no man's land for a double, putting
runners at second and third. Again, Marion
found his center and was able to recover, minimizing the damage
to one run. The third was more of the same, before a tailor made
ground ball was hit up the middle right to Norman
at the base, pretty much ended the threat. The fourth started with
a walk, a  wild
pitch and a groundout to second with the runner advancing to third.
Marion was starting to get frustrated, as
it suddenly became apparent that the home plate umpire's strike
zone had shrunk a couple inches on all sides. After a second walk,
Friars manager Jason Masciorini decided
that rather than risk Marion getting tossed,
and losing him for the rest of this and the entire next game, it
was time to make a change, bringing in Kevin
"K2" Kennedy.
Marion's line
for the day: 3.1IP, 4H, 1K, 6BB, 7R, 5ER.
Kennedy was able
for the most part limit the damage and after giving up a sac fly,
ended the inning. The Twins half of the fifth and the sixth was
more of the same for the Pads, as the game was really starting to
get out of hand, with a few more hits and a couple errors produced
another four runs. Finally, a line out to Pads shortstop Hal
Norman, with the bases loaded produced a fortuitous unassisted
double play ending the top of the sixth, leaving the score 11-1.
Thinking the game was well in hand; the Twins decided to take out
starter Nojima, saving him for next week and bring in middle reliever,
Ramiro Berdiago to get some work. The only problem with this strategy?
Berdiago couldn't find the plate, walking the first three hitters,
bringing up Hal Norman with the bases loaded
and no one out. After Norman and the next
hitter Joe Wilson produced with base hits,
Berdiago walked Mike Ford, driving in the
fourth run of the inning, making the score 11-5. At this point Berdiago
went from not finding the plate to extremely erratic, allowing two
more to score on wild pitches. After A-Wag
reached on an error by Twin's three-bagger, Jude Serrano, allowing
the seventh run of the inning to score, it was time for a pitching
change. Berdiago's line: 0IP, 2H, 0K, 4BB, 7R, 6ER. The Twins brought
in their first game starter, Eliot Palmer, who promptly shut the
door on the Pads, retiring the next three batters and preserving
the lead at 11-8.
The seventh inning produced 2 runs for the
Twins and 1 for the Padres, making the score 13-9 Twins. In the
top of the eighth, Padres closer Jason Gilbert
came in to keep it close in hopes that the comeback could be completed.
After the first two Twins reach base on base hits, the light at
the end of the tunnel seemed close to being snuffed out. However,
when Gilbert struck out the next hitter
and then got Twins lead off hitter Clinton Yeager on a line out
to third for the second out, it seemed that they would get out of
the inning without allowing a run. Not factored into this plan,
however was the fact that the next hitter, Elliot Palmer, would
 work
a walk in a tough at-bat off Gilbert.
This brought the Twins 3rd Place hitter and last year's batting
champ, Billy Dodson to the plate in a critical part of the game,
with two outs and the bases drunk. Already 3-4 with 4RBIs and 3R,
Dodson was looking to come up big again, and off the bat it looked
that he might have with a laser into left. Fortunately for the Pads,
it was right at the left fielder, Mike Baldwin,
who calmly settled under it and made the catch for the third out.
With the score still 13-9, the Pads came
to bat in what would end up being their last at-bat, with the game
being called due to time. Things had set up nicely for the Padres,
as it would be the top of the order leading off against the Twins
closer, Emmett Caven. Wagoner promptly lined
a single into left to get things started and stole second and was
wild pitched to third. The Friars second place hitter, Dave
Giugni patiently worked a walk off Palmer and stole second,
putting runners at second and third. After
Padres third place hitter, Jason Masciorini
popped out to Twin's catcher Clinton Yeager on a web-gem worthy
play, Pads cleanup hitter, Justin Masciorini
came to the plate. After a wild pitch allowed A-Wag
to score from third, JuMash hit a ground
ball into the 5.5 hole for an infield single. With the score 13-10
and bringing the tying run to the plate in Pads 5th place hitter
Louie Bruno. After an ill advised attempt
to pickoff JuMash at first went awry,
allowing Giugni to score and moving the
Friars second baseman all the way to third, Bruno
walked and it seemed the wheels were starting to come off the Twin's
wagon. Unfortunately, a questionable call to send Bruno,
resulted in a caught stealing and the second out of the inning.
Fortunately for the Padres, Caven's wildness would continue, with
a wild pitch allowing JuMash to score
the third run of the inning and bringing the tying run to the plate
for the second time in Pad's 3rd sacker Jesse
Walls. Exhibiting his continued dominance in the HBP category,
Walls took his base happily, with a 2-2
count, and yet another wild pitch moved Walls
to second, crafty veteran Mike Baldwin
worked a walk, putting the tying and winning runners on base and
bringing the Friar shortstop, Hal Norman
to the plate. With an 0-1 count, Norman swung
and lifted a high fly to short right field, and on a normal day
this might have produced the third out of the inning and the end
of the game. However, with the way the Candlestickian winds had
been blowing all day, playing havoc with fielders, this was anything
but an easy play. Sure enough, as the right fielder came in on the
ball a big gust of wind came up out of nowhere, pushing the ball
off the top of his glove and into right field. By the time the ball
was retrieved and thrown back in, the winning run was rounding third
and headed for home. Oblivious to this fact the Twins caught Norman
in a pickle between second and third, and by the time they tagged
him out at second, the run had scored and the Padres WON
THE GAME, 14-13
Back to Game Summaries
Next Game Sunday
May 4th at 2:00 PM. VS the Blue Jays at: A
Place To Play Park
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