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Let's Hear It for the Kid!
Jul. 15th, 2012 12:13 pmI haven't talked much about the Padres this season, mainly because they've been crappy, but I have to mention last night's game against the Evil Blue Empire.
The Padres scored in the top of the first, but the EBE struck back in the bottom of the inning. From then on, the Pads played catch-up. Down 3-1? Score a couple of runs. Down 5-3? Score a couple of runs. In the top of the ninth, they're down 6-5. Alonso singles, and Bud Black makes the best managerial move of the night, sending Cabrera in to run for him. Venable singles, and there are runners at first and third with nobody out. (Alonso would not have made it to third. I love the guy, but fast he's not.) Then the story turns familiar, as Maybin strikes out and Kotsay, pinch-hitting, pops up. Somewhere in there Venable steals second, but so? Two out, and little Alexi Amarista is up. The count goes to 2-2. The Dodger pitcher, getting ready to pitch (but not yet winding up) turns his back on third - and Cabrera bolts for the plate. A fraction too late, the pitcher fires the ball to the catcher, who slaps his glove on the runner. The umpire calls Cabrera out. Cabrera leaps to his feet and points out that the ball is halfway to the backstop; the umpire reverses his call. Meanwhile, Venable has sprinted around third and beats the catcher's return throw to the plate. Suddenly it's 7-6 Padres, and that's how it ends.
I've liked Cabrera since he first arrived three years ago. The last two years have strained that, as he's really struggled at the plate, but since being recalled after the departures of Hudson and Bartlett, he's back to his old form. (Amarista's been pretty damn good too, for such a little guy.) The Padres have been playing around .500 ball for the last while - which doesn't make them a great or even a good team, but it's a damn sight better than what they had been doing - and Cabrera and Amarista are a big part of that.
I'm looking forward to next year.
The Padres scored in the top of the first, but the EBE struck back in the bottom of the inning. From then on, the Pads played catch-up. Down 3-1? Score a couple of runs. Down 5-3? Score a couple of runs. In the top of the ninth, they're down 6-5. Alonso singles, and Bud Black makes the best managerial move of the night, sending Cabrera in to run for him. Venable singles, and there are runners at first and third with nobody out. (Alonso would not have made it to third. I love the guy, but fast he's not.) Then the story turns familiar, as Maybin strikes out and Kotsay, pinch-hitting, pops up. Somewhere in there Venable steals second, but so? Two out, and little Alexi Amarista is up. The count goes to 2-2. The Dodger pitcher, getting ready to pitch (but not yet winding up) turns his back on third - and Cabrera bolts for the plate. A fraction too late, the pitcher fires the ball to the catcher, who slaps his glove on the runner. The umpire calls Cabrera out. Cabrera leaps to his feet and points out that the ball is halfway to the backstop; the umpire reverses his call. Meanwhile, Venable has sprinted around third and beats the catcher's return throw to the plate. Suddenly it's 7-6 Padres, and that's how it ends.
I've liked Cabrera since he first arrived three years ago. The last two years have strained that, as he's really struggled at the plate, but since being recalled after the departures of Hudson and Bartlett, he's back to his old form. (Amarista's been pretty damn good too, for such a little guy.) The Padres have been playing around .500 ball for the last while - which doesn't make them a great or even a good team, but it's a damn sight better than what they had been doing - and Cabrera and Amarista are a big part of that.
I'm looking forward to next year.
