So here's the deal. Yesterday's game was a disaster. Tim Stauffer, who has been our most dependable starter all season, gave up five home runs, a career high, in three innings before he was taken out. Combined with the three home runs he gave up in his last start, he set a franchise record for home runs allowed in back-to-back games. He exited the game down nine runs to the Reds. But that wasn't the end of our pitching struggles. Anthony Bass and Joe Thatcher each gave up two-run homers in the fifth and eighth, respectively. The bright spots were sparse, but they were there if you look closely enough. Kyle Blanks homered to give our Padres their one run of the night to counter the Reds' 13 runs. Cameron Maybin stole his 30th base of the season. And Erik Hamren pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
Today we will try to avoid the three-game sweep. Wade LeBlanc will try to get us back on the winning track as he takes the mound against fellow southpaw Dontrelle Willis. LeBlanc and Willis are both looking for their first win of the season. The Reds will be trying to extend their four-game win streak to five behind Willis, who hasn't allowed more than three runs in a game this season. We will need to find some way to wake up our bats and string together some runs in Great American Ballpark, and our pitchers need to get back to their usual dominant form.
Blake Tekotte was sent down to San Antonio today while Pat Neshek was recalled to the bullpen from Tucson. I guess that's an attempt to strengthen our pitching after like a billion blown saves this past week. I hope it works. But for backup, I'm calling on the power of breakfast to help us win this MWG. In the name of the bacon, the eggs, and the french toast. Amen.
GO FRIARS!! KEEP THE FAITH!!
#Padres Maybin 8 Bartlett 6 Hudson 4 Blanks 3 Cunningham 9 Forsythe 5 Darnell 7 Johnson 2 LeBlanc 1less than a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® 
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