Not The Pitching Too ...

The Padres lost again last night to the Brewers, this time 8-6 in a game that at one point the Brewers led 8-0.

Small consolation.

Still, if the Padres win this afternoon, they'll be at .500 for the month, and no worse than 6 games back of first. That's not bad considering they have the worst hitting in the league. Nor is it bad considering their starting pitching, one of the team's few strengths in April, has been up and down this month.

Let's look at the starters numbers through the first 10 days of May (April ERA in parens):

Aaron Harang: 1-1 4.50 (3.90)
Tim Stauffer: 0-0 0.00 (3.12)
Dustin Moseley: 1-1 3.75 (1.99)
Clayton Richard: 0-2 8.64 (3.82)
Mat Latos: 0-1 4.63 (4.98)

After today every starter will have made two starts this month. But other than Tim's choice start against the DBacks last Friday, none of the guys has improved on his April numbers (Mat's middling improvement can hardly be counted). Aaron had a good start against the DBacks on Sunday, but that has to be paired with a disastrous outing against Pittsburgh on May 2. Moseley likewise had a great outing on May 1 against the Dadgers, only to be rocked Saturday against Arizona. And Clayton has been just bad, albeit the victim of some poor defense in his May 4 start against the Buccos.

If this up-and-down trend continues, Tim may be due for a dicey performance today. But I hope that doesn't happen.

How's that for an inspirational pregame speech?

Checking In With Trevor

Trevor Hoffman is one of the great closers, let alone one of the great Padres, of all time. He holds the record for most saves in Major League history and is two saves away from being the first man in history to record 600 saves. His changeup is the stuff of legends. And by all accounts he is a great family man.

For all those reasons, anyone who knows anything about baseball has great respect for Trevor Hoffman.

But there is one area of Trevor's life where he just doesn't get the due he deserves.

Male modeling.

Trevor might not be A-Rod or David Wright, but for a guy who has spent his career plying his trade in small-markets, he has a remarkable record of (un)intentionally hilarious, homoerotic, yet beastly photos.

But don't take my word for it. Let's look at the evidence

* * *

I like the intensity here. With that look, you think a guy's going to deal you some 95 mph heat. But nope. Here comes a sneaky 84 mph change.

Oh Trevor. So playful.

The over-the-shoulder glance back is a tricky move and not one to try lightly. Of course, Trevor nails it here.

This is either a photo from pre-game warmup, or a still from the failed Baywatch: San Diego pilot.

Jaysus. Gym much?


And last, but not least, no montage of Trevor photos would be complete without showing one of the great photos ever taken of any athlete. In any sport. From any era. You've seen it before, but it never gets it old.

See you this weekend in Milwaukee, Trevor. Here's hoping you don't reach 600 saves against the Padres.

Wade LeBlanc: What A Beast

I have no doubt that Wade is going to get it dun tonight against the Brewers.

In his first two starts of the 2010 season, Wade has been, in a word, dominant. He shut down the D'Backs, a team known for hitting bombs and scoring runs, over 5 innings, striking out 7 and giving up only 1 run. Then, in that bandbox in Cincy, he pitched 6 innings of 3-hit ball, dropping his season's ERA to a miniscule 0.82.

What are the odds we see more of the same tonight in the friendly confines of Petco Park.

If I were Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, and I basically am, I probably wouldn't even come to the ballpark today.

These Padres Just Win Baseball Games

Another win last night over the Brew Crew.

7 wins, 4 losses through 11 games in August.

I'm dizzy with all this success.

More Than 20 Hits In One Game?

Yep.