Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Post-Game 14 Thread: Cap Goes Down Hard

PADRES 9, DODGERS 2

We shouldn't even be in this situation, dependent upon someone who wasn't even planned to be in our starting rotation, to beat the woeful Padres. But there was Chris Capuano, starting his first game of the season in place of the Zack Greinke, whose broken collarbone at the hands of the Padres left us no other option.

Capuano gave up five singles and a walk in the first inning, allowing four runs. And then proceeded to injure his calf fielding a grounder in the second inning. After a four-pitch walk to start the third, he was yanked, the Dodgers already down 4-0.

Down goes Cap.

It's not like it's all his fault. This time, it wasn't squandered opportunities with RISP (0-for-2); we couldn't even get many runners in scoring position to begin with. Matt Kemp was 0-for-3 with 2 Ks and looks completely lost at the plate. Kemp is now batting .185 on the season. Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Mark Ellis, the only three players who have hit this season, went a combined 0-for-7.

And don't get me started on the black hole at the left side of the infield: starters Juan Uribe (1-for-2 batting .214) and Justin Sellers (0-for-2, batting .167) were not much better than substitute Luis Cruz (0-for-2, batting .105). Hanley Ramirez may be eyeing a comeback, and he can have his choice of spots; but he can't play two positions at once, unfortunately.

We're not even a tenth of the way through the season, and it already feels like it's slipping away, despite our .500 record (three games back of the division lead). With Ramirez and Greinke out, and reinforcements like Capuano ineffective, we'd better get Guggs and Co. to at least consider adding more payroll, if we want to see the postseason.

4 comments:

Hideo Nomo said...

Maybe it's a Life Model Decoy of Kemp?

Steve Sax said...

Nick Fury approves of that comment.

Orel said...

#freePuig

Hideo Nomo said...

#FweePuig