AP Photo
Padres Win! Padres Win! It’s the 2011 Major League Baseball season and the San Diego Padres are in First Place in the NL West and on pace for a decent 162-0 season. Hope springs eternal, bitches! This game was sick. Tim Stauffer, hardly a household name, but Opening Day starter since Mat Latos was placed on the DL, picked up right where he left off the 2010 season and looked fearless on the mound. A little extra inning baseball? Check. Come from behind victory? Check. Padres beat the Cardinals 5-3 in 11 innings. RBI Double from Nick Hundley in his first year as THE man behind the plate? Check.
(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Cameron Freaking Maybin? CHECK! Dude was so clutch today…with a sick grab in the outfield, his straightaway jack as the Padres last out in the 9th, and the game winning RBI single in the 11th. He was laying off the junk he used to swing at… looked solid out there. Sorry T. Gwynn, Jr…you’ve been replaced. Capitalization on Cardinals errors and misplays? Check. Some heads up base running by Headley out there. Tim Stauffer made Prince Albert, the best player in the game right now in my humble, and correct, opinion…look kinda silly up there. Gorgeous double plays between the new middle infield of O Dog and Bartlett? Check x’s 3. Pujols was all three of them, he finished the game 0-5. Of all the records that Pujols will hold by the time he retires, I’m guessing that being the first player to ground into 3 double plays in MLB Opening Day history is one he’d like to forget. How ’bout a save for Heath Bell? Check. Seriously, this game had everything. What a great way to start the season. Here’s to 161 games just like it.
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Padres fans, how in the hell did that game NOT get you fired up for THIS SUNDAY AT RJ’s GRILL?
-bp