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Game 1: Monday, August 28th, 2006, 6:40 pm PDT
Woody Williams (7-4, 3.60) vs Brandon Webb (13-5, 2.99)
Game 2: Tuesday, August 29th, 2006, 6:40 PM PDTScouting Report:
Solid all season, Williams is pitching like a top-of-the-rotation starter again for the first time since 2003 in St. Louis. He has reeled off three consecutive wins, including a seven-inning effort against the Dodgers on Wednesday night at home. williams yielded five hits and no walks, striking out four. In his past three games, williams has given up six earned runs in 21 2/3 innings (2.49 ERA), walking two and striking out 11. His command has been superb as he moves his fastball up and down the zone, showing the expertise of a man smart enough to manage someday if he chooses.
Webb has struggled with his mechanics since missing 11 days with stiffness in his elbow in early August. The right-hander gave up three runs on four hits over five innings on Tuesday against the Giants. Webb has made three starts since returning and is winless.
Chris Young (9-5 3.77 ERA) vs Enrique Gonzalez (3-5, 5.32 ERA)
Game 3: Wednesday, August 30th, 2006, 3:40 pm PDTScouting Report:
Young, who leads the NL in road ERA (2.63), is attempting to come back from a muscle strain in the area of his right shoulder blade. It forced him out of his most recent start against the Diamondbacks in San Diego after one inning on Aug. 20. Young is trying to find his early-season form when he emerged as an All-Star candidate. He feels he was making strides, having ironed out a minor mechanical flaw in his delivery, when he suffered the muscle strain warming up for his start against Arizona. Young is 8-0 with 12 no-decisions in his past 20 road starts, dating to June 25, 2005, when he lost at Houston while pitching for Texas.
Gonzalez can't seem to shake his first-inning troubles. He allowed another four first-inning runs in his last outing Wednesday afternoon against the Giants. Overall, the right-hander allowed four runs in just four innings. Of the 55 runs he's allowed this year 24 have come in the first inning.
Mike Thompson (3-5, 5.07 ERA) vs Claudio Vargas (10-8, 5.14 ERA)
Scouting Report:
After pitching so well in 12 of his first 13 starts, Thompson finally looked like a rookie against the Rockies on Friday night at Coors Field. He gave up hits to the first six hitters he faced in a four-run first inning, grooving fastballs, and by the time he departed in the fifth, he'd yielded 11 hits and eight earned runs. Thompson isn't overpowering, but he's resourceful and has enough pitches and command to help compensate for the loss of Chan Ho Park. Waiting in the wings is Tim Stauffer, who impressed in his first start of the year in beating the Dodgers.
After three straight quality starts, Vargas struggled in his last outing on Friday against the Dodgers. The right-hander was charged with six earned runs -- three home runs, two of which came off the bat of J.D. Drew -- in 4 1/3 innings pitched and received the no decision.
The Padres will visit their private House of Horrors, Chase Field, hoping to reverse history and start winning some games in a big series with the Diamondbacks beginning on Monday.
Woody Williams, veteran big-game hunter, gets the call in the opener of the three-game set, aligned against Arizona's ace, All-Star right-hander Brandon Webb, with his bread-and-butter sinker.
"It's all about pitching and defense this time of the year," Padres right fielder Brian Giles said. "Our pitching has been outstanding all year, and we've played good defense. We just need to get some timely hits and win series. That's what you're trying to do now, with the finish line in sight: win series. That's why that first game is so big. Take that one, and you just have to split the next two to win the series."
The Padres are 1-2 this season at Chase Field. In their ninth season, the Diamondbacks have never dropped a season home series against the Padres. The Friars are 20-49 in Phoenix, where they went 3-6 last season.
Yet the Padres are supremely confident with Williams on the mound against anyone, including one of the league's best in Webb.
"Woody's done a great job for us," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We like our chances with him out there. We just need to get some consistent offense going."
Solid all season, Williams is pitching like a top-of-the-rotation starter again for the first time since he was with St. Louis in 2003, when he finished 18-9 with a 3.87 ERA.
Fully recovered from a calf injury that cost him seven weeks, Williams has reeled off three consecutive wins, including a seven-inning effort against the Dodgers on Wednesday night at home. Williams yielded five hits and no walks, striking out four.
"I feel good," Williams said. "Obviously, health is an issue with everyone. As long as my arm and legs feel good, I feel I can get the job done. Other than the calf, my arm and legs have felt good.
"These games are all important. We're getting to the part of the season where it's really fun if you focus and concentrate on your job. We have a chance to make the rest of this season a lot of fun."
In his past three games, Williams has given up six earned runs in 21 2/3 innings (2.49 ERA), walking two and striking out 11. His command has been superb as he moves his fastball up and down the zone, showing the expertise of a man smart enough to manage someday if he chooses.
Webb has struggled with his mechanics since missing 11 days with stiffness in his elbow in early August. The right-hander gave up three runs on four hits over five innings on Tuesday against the Giants. Webb has made three starts since returning and is winless.
At home, Webb has been virtually unbeatable this season. He's 7-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 Chase Field starts, striking out 64 while walking only 11 batters in 80 2/3 innings.
Shortstop Craig Counsell and first baseman Tony Clark got their first starts on Saturday since being activated from the disabled list.
Counsell went down with a fractured right rib in mid-July and has experienced tightness in his hamstring the last couple of games.
"I usually lead him off, but we'll take it easy on him today," said Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, who slotted Counsell in the seven-hole on Saturday. "But if everything goes well physically for him, you'll see him back in the leadoff role here pretty soon."
In Counsell's absence, Stephen Drew showed he's ready to make a Major League impact. In 36 games, the former No. 1 draft pick was hitting .321 with a .521 slugging percentage and a .356 on-base percentage. He had 18 extra-base hits in 140 at-bats, including three homers, along with 17 RBIs.
Chris Young has also shown flashes of his exceptional talent in center field, and right fielder Carlos Quentin is a San Diegan who grew up in the same neighborhood as Adrian Gonzalez before attending University High in San Diego.
Clark, the former San Diego area high school basketball star, has been battling a sore right shoulder and admitted on Friday that he's not 100 percent, but he said it is probably as good as it's going to get.
The Diamondbacks' recent trade of Shawn Green to the New York Mets was a further indication that their youth movement is in full swing.
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Originally Posted by Rufio181
