Hoffman, Pads unable to finish sweep
07/19/2006
SAN DIEGO -- It was a homestand that began and ended on the same stunning, off-key note: Trevor Hoffman blowing saves in the ninth inning.
After letting a lead get away on Friday night against the Braves, who went on to sweep three games with as much thunder as AC/DC ever generated, Hoffman faced the music again on Wednesday.
Entrusted with a 4-3 lead in the ninth, the game's No. 2 all-time saves machine was quickly out of sync. Hoffman hit leadoff man Shane Victorino with his first delivery, walked Chase Utley on five pitches and then served up a 1-2 fastball that Bobby Abreu yanked to right center for two runs and a 5-4 Phillies victory in front of 32,101 at PETCO Park.
"You get the ball, you've got to do your job," said Hoffman (0-2). "I don't like coming out on the short end of the deal."
The Padres, pursuing a sweep of the Phils, benefited from a three-run first-inning homer by sizzling Josh Bard and six solid innings from Mike Thompson in an emergency start by way of Triple-A Portland. The Friars had taken the 4-3 lead in the seventh when Brian Giles' two-out double delivered Rob Bowen, who'd singled batting for Thompson against starter Jon Lieber.
Scott Linebrink worked out of a bases-loaded disturbance in the eighth inning to get the ball to Hoffman, who had converted 25 of 27 save chances.
The Phillies' Tom Gordon, who would produce his 22nd save in support of winning pitcher Geoff Geary (6-0), had called Hoffman "automatic" at the All-Star Game. That was before Hoffman yielded the game-winning triple to Michael Young, letting a 2-1 National League lead turn into a 3-2 American League win.
That was followed by Hoffman's inability to preserve a 10-9 lead against Atlanta on Friday night, meaning his save on Monday night against the Phils was his only successful venture in his past four.
"The arm feels good," Hoffman said. "You can't hit a guy to lead off an inning. I haven't done that in a while."
Bowen felt that the pitch "was pretty close [to a strike] -- it might have caught the black. [Victorino] was on top of the plate. He did a good job. Not a lot of guys are going to stay in there and take one like that."
Hoffman also excused Victorino, saying he got the pitch too high, in a place where the hitter was able "to take one for his team" with his arm.
After walking All-Star Utley, Hoffman had Abreu down 0-2 in the count, missed on a checked swing and watched the right fielder foul off a "a real good changeup" before lacing an 88 mph fastball to the gap.
With 11 games in 11 days coming up on the road against National League West rivals San Francisco, Los Angeles and Colorado, manager Bruce Bochy replaced Hoffman with Jon Adkins, who finished the ninth with no further damage.
"Trevor will be fine," Bochy said. "We've seen him so long and we're so accustomed to Trevor closing out games. It just so happens he [gave up] a couple there.
"This was a tough loss. Any time you come this close to sweeping a team, sure, it's frustrating."
Thompson, filling in for Chris Young (foot ailment), fought his command but limited the Phils to three runs on nine hits -- including catcher Chris Coste's first career homer in the fourth.
"Being behind in the count so much, I can't go to my strength," said Thompson, who was 3-2 with a 4.30 ERA in nine starts while Woody Williams was sidelined. "For what I had, stuff-wise, I'll take it. Not my best, not my worst."
Abreu's two-out RBI single in the first had the Phils in front, and Coste tied it with an RBI double in the sixth after Bard's three-run bomb, his sixth, had given San Diego a 3-1 lead against Lieber in the first.
The Padres had Mike Cameron erased at home in the third trying to score on a pitch that got away from Coste, and Lieber worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.
Hoffman blew only three leads all last season while delivering 43 saves, and three more faulty finishes in 2006 are too many to suit the man who has made "Hells Bells" the most popular tune by the border for 13 seasons.
"Everybody's shocked -- because it so rarely happens," said Padres general manager Kevin Towers, whose long day included the release of popular third baseman Vinny Castilla. "Law of averages, I guess.
"The good thing about Hoffy is he's able to put it behind him. I don't think there's anyone you'd rather have as your closer."
Only Lee Smith, with 478, ever saved more games than Hoffman, who stands at 461 and counting.
"This homestand could have been very good," Hoffman said. "Two blown saves ... You saw the way the guys battled, and I didn't finish it off."
Source: http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/
SAN DIEGO -- It was a homestand that began and ended on the same stunning, off-key note: Trevor Hoffman blowing saves in the ninth inning.
After letting a lead get away on Friday night against the Braves, who went on to sweep three games with as much thunder as AC/DC ever generated, Hoffman faced the music again on Wednesday.
Entrusted with a 4-3 lead in the ninth, the game's No. 2 all-time saves machine was quickly out of sync. Hoffman hit leadoff man Shane Victorino with his first delivery, walked Chase Utley on five pitches and then served up a 1-2 fastball that Bobby Abreu yanked to right center for two runs and a 5-4 Phillies victory in front of 32,101 at PETCO Park.
"You get the ball, you've got to do your job," said Hoffman (0-2). "I don't like coming out on the short end of the deal."
The Padres, pursuing a sweep of the Phils, benefited from a three-run first-inning homer by sizzling Josh Bard and six solid innings from Mike Thompson in an emergency start by way of Triple-A Portland. The Friars had taken the 4-3 lead in the seventh when Brian Giles' two-out double delivered Rob Bowen, who'd singled batting for Thompson against starter Jon Lieber.
Scott Linebrink worked out of a bases-loaded disturbance in the eighth inning to get the ball to Hoffman, who had converted 25 of 27 save chances.
The Phillies' Tom Gordon, who would produce his 22nd save in support of winning pitcher Geoff Geary (6-0), had called Hoffman "automatic" at the All-Star Game. That was before Hoffman yielded the game-winning triple to Michael Young, letting a 2-1 National League lead turn into a 3-2 American League win.
That was followed by Hoffman's inability to preserve a 10-9 lead against Atlanta on Friday night, meaning his save on Monday night against the Phils was his only successful venture in his past four.
"The arm feels good," Hoffman said. "You can't hit a guy to lead off an inning. I haven't done that in a while."
Bowen felt that the pitch "was pretty close [to a strike] -- it might have caught the black. [Victorino] was on top of the plate. He did a good job. Not a lot of guys are going to stay in there and take one like that."
Hoffman also excused Victorino, saying he got the pitch too high, in a place where the hitter was able "to take one for his team" with his arm.
After walking All-Star Utley, Hoffman had Abreu down 0-2 in the count, missed on a checked swing and watched the right fielder foul off a "a real good changeup" before lacing an 88 mph fastball to the gap.
With 11 games in 11 days coming up on the road against National League West rivals San Francisco, Los Angeles and Colorado, manager Bruce Bochy replaced Hoffman with Jon Adkins, who finished the ninth with no further damage.
"Trevor will be fine," Bochy said. "We've seen him so long and we're so accustomed to Trevor closing out games. It just so happens he [gave up] a couple there.
"This was a tough loss. Any time you come this close to sweeping a team, sure, it's frustrating."
Thompson, filling in for Chris Young (foot ailment), fought his command but limited the Phils to three runs on nine hits -- including catcher Chris Coste's first career homer in the fourth.
"Being behind in the count so much, I can't go to my strength," said Thompson, who was 3-2 with a 4.30 ERA in nine starts while Woody Williams was sidelined. "For what I had, stuff-wise, I'll take it. Not my best, not my worst."
Abreu's two-out RBI single in the first had the Phils in front, and Coste tied it with an RBI double in the sixth after Bard's three-run bomb, his sixth, had given San Diego a 3-1 lead against Lieber in the first.
The Padres had Mike Cameron erased at home in the third trying to score on a pitch that got away from Coste, and Lieber worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.
Hoffman blew only three leads all last season while delivering 43 saves, and three more faulty finishes in 2006 are too many to suit the man who has made "Hells Bells" the most popular tune by the border for 13 seasons.
"Everybody's shocked -- because it so rarely happens," said Padres general manager Kevin Towers, whose long day included the release of popular third baseman Vinny Castilla. "Law of averages, I guess.
"The good thing about Hoffy is he's able to put it behind him. I don't think there's anyone you'd rather have as your closer."
Only Lee Smith, with 478, ever saved more games than Hoffman, who stands at 461 and counting.
"This homestand could have been very good," Hoffman said. "Two blown saves ... You saw the way the guys battled, and I didn't finish it off."
Source: http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home