Padres’ Outlook

Posted by on May 11th, 2015  •  0 Comments  • 

It’s an off day for the Padres, time to catch your breath in the midst of this emotional roller coaster ride of a season.  

 
So much was expected of this $110M-payroll GM-AJ Preller put together.  It has given us rallies, long ball hitting threats anytime and any place.  It has also given us lots of strikeouts.  And of course some shaky defensive play too, depending on what day of the week it is.
 
A day off today, and then the short series in Seattle, wrapping up this 9-game roadie.
 
What should we think so far?
 
Matt Kemp isn’t seeing fastballs, and is seeing a steady diet of low and outside pitches.  Some he hits, most he misses.  And there are few home runs so far, which is a surprise.
 
Justin Upton is conducting an impressive salary drive in this free agent season, smashing balls out of yards, and spraying hits, though his looping throws from the outfield, don’t get runners out on the bases.
 
Wil Myers has been a real surprise.  What a fine athlete, multi-position guy.  Willing to do anything for the team.  Runs down balls, and runs the bases like a deer in headlights.  He is better than advertised, and you wonder why Tampa and before that Kansas City would deal him away.
 
Derek Norris is such a grinder at catcher, such a competitor, such a leader.  You wonder though how he holds up over a 162-game schedule.
 
Yonder Alonso, black cloud go away, this injury hex seems so unfair.  Jedd Gyorko looks to be hitting out of a slump that has hung around his neck for over a year.  Yanger Solarte can hit, though I’m not sure he can field.
 
The pitching is not what it was a year ago, at least not yet.  James Shields is giving up home runs.  Tyson Ross’ mechanics don’t look right.  You hold your breath on the Ian Kennedy hamstring.  Brandon Morror is ailing a bit. Odri Despaigner pitches well at home, not so well away.  Andrew Cashner looks like the complete pitcher, but has no run support to show for it.
 
Bud Black has some thinking to do.  His lineup looks like it runs out of gas.  There have been few off-days.  Maybe he needs to rethink a lineup rotation that will give Kemp-Upton some time off, and at the same time ignite Will Venable and others.
 
He said, it.  The team is ‘Jekyll-Hyde’.  He has not found a rythym yet.  
 
It’s early, I know, to be worried about pennant races. And I didn’t expect the Dodgers to be doing so well, or the Giants to accomplish so much without Hunter Pence and the departed Pablo Sandoval.  And Arizona just proved, despite shaky pitching, they can hit.
 
I don’t know if this is what the Manager expected.  I expected more than (17-16) a month into the season.
 
Hope this roller-coaster doesn’t go off track.  We’ll just hold on and see what the ride into the second month of the season is like.
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