Random Thoughts about Game 27 (vs Marlins)

Last night's 9-8, 12-inning loss to the Miami Marlins has to be the wackiest one I've seen in person.  Unlike the mainstream media, Gaslamp Ball, and some others I was not up to writing about it at 1am this morning.  This is what happens when your day starts 21 hours earlier.

What made this game so wacky?  Here's a short list:

Wild Pitches.  There were 4 in the game.  The wackiest had to be the wild pitch on a pitchout in the third inning by Anthony Bass, which allowed Emilio Bonifacio to reach second.  I can't recall the last time I saw that happen, or if I've ever seen it at the ML level.  Marlins reliever Randy Choate threw two during Chris Denorfia's AB in the seventh that pushed Andy Parrino to get all the way to third.

Balk.  Jose Reyes baited Bass into a balk that allowed him to score from third and tied the game in the sixth.

Baserunning Hijinx.  Three stolen bases (two by the Padres), two additional bases taken by San Diego thanks to defensive indifference, a runner picked off first by the catcher (Bonifacio, by Nick Hundley in the eleventh thanks to a timely pitchout call by Bud Black), and a runner cut down trying to advance (Yonder Alonso, by Giancarlo Stanton in the seventh).

We saw Chase Headley hit by a pitch in the first, Reyes called out on batter interference for running on the infield grass while trying to beat out a bunt in the eighth, two middle relievers hit for themselves in a one-run game, Parrino intentionally walked in consecutive at bats, and Bud Black NOT ejected from the game for arguing a strike call (I forget when that happened)

By the way, Marlin reliever Dan Jennings grounded to short in his first ML at-bat in the fourth, and fellow Marlin reliever Chad Gaudin struck out for the first time this season (he had 2 previous at-bats).

And all that's before we get to the Marlins' staking Josh Johnson to a 5-run lead before the Padres batted, then Johnson's inability to get out of the third with the lead, Bass' huge night at the plate, Heath Bell's bad luck in the ninth, or the fact that the game ended 10 minutes before midnight.

I kept waiting for bees, rain, and Godzilla to move through the Park at the Park.  Why not?  The whole game seemed surreal.  If you were one of the 29,201 who went yesterday you got your money's worth.

- Last night Bass became the 19th Padre pitcher ever to triple, and the first since Jake Peavy did it on April 19, 2007.  He also became the 14th Padre pitcher to drive in at least 3 runs in a game.  FWIW, the team record for most runs driven in by a pitcher is 4, shared by Mike Corkins (9/4/70), Tim Lollar (5/15/84), Eric Show (9/27/85), Mark Thurmond (6/8/86), and Peavy (7/26/06).

Two more thoughts on this:  (a) Bass' ball got past Stanton and rolled all the way to the wall.  He had a shot at an inside-the-park HR, but honored Glenn Hoffman's instruction to hold at third base.  If it was you, would you have run through that stop sign?  I think I would have.  How many pitchers have hit an inside-the-park HR in their career since WWII?

(b) Tim Lollar hit 3 triples as a Padre and drove in at least 3 in a game runs four times.  I'd forgotten how good a hitting pitcher he was.

- Having Alonso tag on a fly ball to Stanton was ridiculous.  The slowest guy on the Padres against one of the best arms in the NL.  The ball beat Alonso to the bag on the fly.

- I thought Venable's attempt to throw out Bonifacio in the seventh was ill-advised.  Bonifacio was already around third when Venable picked up the ball, and Will was playing deep against Greg Dobbs; not to mention there were 2 out and Bonifacio was off at the crack of the bat.  He had no play.  The throw allowed Dobbs to take second, and subsequently score on Omar Infante's single to left.

- A lot of folks commented about it on Twitter during the game, and I agree:  booing Bell when he came in was crap.  Total and complete crap.  The guy bled Padres brown for 4 years, wanted to stay here, and only left because the team wouldn't pay him.  Boo guys like Albert Pujols who get competitive offers from their former teams and leave anyway for slightly more money; don't boo guys like Bell.

Yes, Bell blew the save, but it's not like he got tattooed during the ninth.  Jesus Guzman had swung through one, and fouled off another, 93+ MPH fastball before hitting a ball just fair down the RF line.  And just fair by, like, 2 feet.  Cameron Maybin's double came on a check-swing and would have been a ground out to first had the infield been playing back.  I'd call that some bad luck.  Bell's closer position is in jeopardy.

- Dobbs takes for-EVER to get into the box.  That is all.

- Everyone was ready to start the top of the 11th except for Alonso, who was nowhere to be seen. He emerged about a minute later.  There's no witty comment here, I just thought it was funny.

So not only do the Padres use everyone in their bullpen (Miami used everyone but Home Run Ed) and lose in 12, but before the game we heard Cory Luebke likely needs season-ending Tommy John surgery, and during the game Huston Street left with a right posterior shoulder strain that was changed to a lat strain after the game.  If Street he headed to the DL - and it's probable he is - I would expect Andrew Cashner to fleet up to the closer's spot.  The hits just keep on coming for the Padres this year.