Opening day loss

So I caved and bought MLB.tv last night so I could watch me some padres. Its an awesome package. I watched some Boston-Detroit highlights and Phillies-Pirates (I'm in Philadelphia).

So: the game. First interesting note is that Clayton Kershaw left after three innings with a stomach virus? It was kind of a whatever for me. I checked into the game in the fourth when he left the game so I didn't get to see him dazzle.

I did, however, get to see Edinson Volquez underwhelm. The line on Volquez is that if he would just stop effing walking people he'd be elite. He has nasty stuff (which was on display last evening) but when its a foot off the plate, no one is going to swing at it. And that's what happened. Volquez walked in two runs on (if I'm remembering correctly) 3 straight walks and he got bailed out on a wild pitch that failed to score a runner from third.

I suppose I had high hopes for Volquez this season moving from the Great American Ballpark to Petco. I was hoping for a John Garland/Aaron Harang kind of year. But, what I saw last night doesn't bode well and I guess I should temper my expectations for Volquez. He owns a career 4.86 BB/9 and he's really only put up one good season. 2008 was a pretty good year, to be fair, but his pitching last night indicated another year of 5ish walks per nine innings which means he'll be average to below average and maybe even replacement level. He couldn't find the strike zone much at all.

I saw me some Cameron Maybin last night. That was a spectacle home run, it was, a no doubter. Maybin is my hopes and dreams player of this Padres club. Well, him and Yonder Alonso. We can dream that they turn into 4-7 win players and drive the team back to the playoffs. I'm not worried about Maybins error last night--I know he's a plus defender and he'll more than make up for it this season.

Yonder Alonso didn't look great last night, as far as I saw. I liked his at bats but he didn't seem to put good wood on the ball all night. For me, the jury's out on him.

I hate Dee Gordon already. Already I hate that kid. Vacuum cleaner of a defender. I think he's like a spider, all limbs and webs and snags. We hates him. He stole a Yonder Alonso single and hit the ball that Maybin couldn't handle. Thorn in my side, Dee Gordon is. Also, his speed was on full display last evening.

Ernesto Frieri also disappointed me last night as he struggled through the top of the 9th. He was pretty nasty last season and his curves and sliders had some real sick bite last night but he couldn't find the plate. I'm blaming Volquez.