MVN - Most Valuable Network

Padilla Delivers Gem In 2-0 Rangers Win; Broussard On His Way Out?

Erik Bedard was predictably fantastic.

Vicente Padilla was better.

There are few things more enjoyable to the die-hard baseball fan than a brisk, well-pitched game from the hometown hero, particularly when coupled with flawless defense and just enough run support to bring home the win.

I suppose it goes without saying, then, that Wednesday evening’s game was really, really fun to watch.

Padilla has quietly become the stubborn bull of the Texas Rangers’ starting rotation, unrelenting and fearless and workmanlike all at once. His latest masterpiece, a seven-inning, eight-strikeout gem that witnessed no runs allowed and just a pair of hits and walks permitted, was really something special to behold.

One tumbling, diving sinker after another chewed up and spit out the Seattle Mariners’ bewildered offense. The frustration in the home dugout at Safeco Field was evident. More than one Mariner slammed his helmet, bat or other miscellaneous piece of equipment to the ground as the evening progressed.

And yet, it was Padilla’s seventh inning that really stole the show, if only because of the way he buckled down in the face of adversity. After walking Raul Ibanez and Adrian Beltre on back-to-back 3-2 pitches to lead off the frame (which prompted a predictable visit from pitching coach Mark Connor), Vicente went into overdrive:

92. 95. 94. Strikeout looking.

95. 96. 95. 95. 95. Strikeout looking.

96. 96. 97. 95. 96. 96. Strikeout swinging.

Dynamic. Singular. Electric. I’m not sure any one adjective can properly describe that 14-pitch sequence. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia later explained the battery’s game plan:

“We got away from what we had been doing at the start of the inning by trying to trick them a little bit, so we just decided we were going to go back to the fastball,” catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. “With his fastball, he just lived on that corner. That was his spot. He threw pitches that I thought had no chance of being strikes and they wound up hitting the black.”

Was it disappointing to see Padilla yanked after just seven innings and 91 pitches in favor of the late-inning duo of Joaquin Benoit and C.J. Wilson? Somewhat. And I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I wouldn’t have heavily second-guessed manager Ron Washington’s judgment if Benoit had indeed inexplicably faltered, and the Mariners had rallied to tie the game or take the lead. I was not a fan of that pitching change, and I’m still not.

But while Benoit and Wilson each surrendered a single free pass during their two combined innings of work (both of which allowed the tying run to step to the plate in a 2-0 game), neither allowed that baserunner to reach scoring position.

Meanwhile, Brandon Boggs and Milton Bradley had long since supplied all the run support the Rangers’ pitching staff would require, with the former smashing a two-out RBI triple into the left-center field gap in the fourth inning (snapping an ugly 0-for-14 skid), and the latter obliterating a hanging 82 MPH changeup from Erik Bedard into the left field bleachers in the sixth inning.

As Padilla’s and Bradley’s respective trade values continue to soar, so do the odds of the Rangers again managing to breach the .500 threshold. The onset of a critical nine-game homestand (three games apiece against Oakland, Seattle and Houston) looms less than 48 hours away. Perhaps winning six of those nine games is too much to ask. Perhaps not.

But for one night at least, farewell to the American League cellar. Welcome back, third place.

Word on the street is that first baseman Ben Broussard has been relegated to bench duties as a result of his horrific offensive start (.159/.225/.268 in 82 AB), and could be designated for assignment on Tuesday if Marlon Byrd’s inflamed knee holds up through a weekend rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma. Frank Catalanotto and Chris Shelton are expected to share first base duties in a platoon arrangement going forward.

A rather ill-timed sequence of events, particularly once you consider that FSN Southwest is airing a brand new episode of “In My Own Words” on Sunday that will prominently feature Broussard and, according to the teasers, delve into the comfort factor Ben is enjoying by playing in his home state. That’s probably coming to an end very, very soon.

I also vaguely recall Broussard stopping by with hosts Mike Rhyner and Corby Davidson on the Hardline (KTCK 1310 AM The Ticket) during spring training in Surprise, Arizona, and briefly mentioning the organization’s desire to have him perform a private post-game concert in one of the luxurious suites at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington sometime this summer. If those plans haven’t long since been shelved, they’re about to be.

Evan Grant’s latest “Inside the Rangers” DMN newsletter leads with a brief discussion of why the Rangers chose not to promote Double-A Frisco first baseman Chris Davis to the big leagues at the beginning of the season (read: service time rules all), and further goes on to discuss what the enigmatic Nelson Cruz is doing at Oklahoma City to justify a possible promotion down the line, the odd catching arrangement between Saltalamacchia and Gerald Laird, and the convoluted 40-man roster situation.

One anonymous baseball executive quoted by SI.com’s Jon Heyman says there is “no chance” that Atlanta Braves first baseman Mark Teixeira inks a long-term contract extension before testing the free agent waters, and goes on to suggest that “he’s waited his whole life for this moment.”

Good luck with all of that, Frank Wren.

Texas relievers have served up 18.2 scoreless innings in the last seven games.

MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes that outfielder Kevin Mench, currently hitting .267/.322/.438 with 3 HR in 105 AB at Oklahoma City, has been the subject of some “preliminary inquiries” from other teams. He can become an unrestricted free agent if he’s not added to the active roster by June 1st.

And finally, Baseball Prospectus’s Kevin Goldstein offered up the following ruminations on the promising young fleet of prospects selected by the Rangers in the first and supplemental rounds of the 2007 MLB Draft in his latest “Future Shock: AL West Notebook” on Wednesday:

Blake Beavan, RHP, 17th overall, $1.4975 million bonus

The Rangers are taken it very easy with their 2007 class of young pitchers, anticipating a workload of no more than 120 innings for them. After beginning the year in extended spring training, Beavan made his pro debut last week, firing six shutout innings against Great Lakes while giving up just three hits and not walking a batter.

One scout in attendance was surprised by the six-foot-seven righty’s lack of velocity, as he sat in the mid to upper 80s, but he also noted that Beavan’s command and location were impeccable, and he looked like he was throwing a bullpen session and had much more velocity in his back pocket.

[…]

Michael Main, RHP, 24th overall, $1.2375 million bonus

Main’s pro debut last year was the most impressive of any Texas draftee, but his full-season debut has been delayed by a fractured rib. His timetable currently projects a late-May/early-June return to the mound.

[…]

Julio Borbon, OF, 35th overall, $800,000 bonus

Borbon was arguably the top college center fielder in last year’s draft, which says as much about that position’s weakness as Borbon’s talent. After a strong showing this spring, Borbon has made some adjustments to his game, showing a more patient approach and being less pull-conscious.

A current ten-game hitting streak (17-for-47) has brought his season totals at High-A Bakersfield up to .295/.340/.358 in 22 games, and his outstanding speed has allowed him to display good range in center while swiping 10 bases in 11 attempts. Scouts are mixed as to whether he’s a starter or good fourth outfielder in the end.

[…]

Neil Ramirez, RHP, 44th overall, $1 million bonus

Another young arm the Rangers are being very cautious with, Ramirez has reportedly been outstanding in extending spring training, up to 94 mph with his fastball, and will likely be joining the staff at Clinton soon.

[…]

Tommy Hunter, RHP, 54th overall, $585,000 bonus

The only college pitcher selected early, the Rangers have challenged him with a full-season assignment at High-A Bakersfield, and he’s responded fairly well to it, with a 3.95 ERA. He makes up for giving up 48 hits in 43 1/3 innings by walking only five.

He provides a unique physical presence on the mound–standing six-foot-three and tipping the scales at somewhere between 250 and 260 pounds–but he’s not a pure power pitcher. He adds and subtracts from his fastball, which generally sits in the 88-94 mph range with a lot of sink and he pounds the strike zone with it, as well as a solid curveball. His ceiling isn’t tremendous, but he has what it takes to be a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Hunter, coincidentally, snagged California League Pitcher of the Week honors for the period spanning April 28th to May 4th after allowing just three earned runs in 15 innings and collecting 19 strikeouts.

Let us hope that southpaw Kason Gabbard, in his long-awaited return to the mound for Thursday evening’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners, channels a little bit of Guillermo De La Cruz.

Quick Hits: Shortstop Michael Young, who was removed from Wednesday’s game after just one at-bat, is day-to-day with a sore left hip flexor…sinkerballer Luis Mendoza (sore right shoulder) reported no discomfort during a 45-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday, but is still several weeks away from returning…Dallas native Jason Jennings (right forearm soreness) hasn’t thrown since being placed on the 15-day disabled list last week…right-hander John Patterson has been shut down due to recurring right forearm soreness, and has been sent back to Dallas for a re-examination from team physician Dr. Keith Meister.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 1:57 am and is filed under The Season. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.