It Was The Final Game And The Score Is Not Important

After yesterday’s win, I was faced with the realization that I would be responsible for this recap. I would be responsible for telling you that the season is really over. It’s done. And I’m still not ready. It got me to thinking, does it really matter who wins or loses this game? I mean, sure, a win gives us a better record than last year and a loss doesn’t. Will we be thinking about that in December or even next week? No. We’ll be wondering why the season had to end. Wondering what went wrong. Injuries, suspensions, Volquez. Everything went wrong and what could we have done?

This game today isn’t going to answer that question, nor will it suffice in holding us over until Spring Training. It’s possible that players on the team now won’t be there. Might even be guys in the lineup who won’t be making it to Peoria for camp. And we’ll just forget about them. They become fill-in-the-blanks on a TTG-created quiz. This is what baseball does to a person. You spend 7 months with it just so it leaves you. I’ve enjoyed doing these game recaps and being around in the game threads. But when this game is over and I click “Publish”, that’s me saying goodbye to them. It’s me ending our ties with the 2013 season and telling you to go home. I wish I didn’t have to. I want you to stay here. You need to stay here. Comment on everything we do this offseason. It’s everyone who contributes that keeps this place going. The Padres are leaving us, but it doesn’t mean we have to break up too.

Anyways, that’s my depressing intro to this game recap. And it’s not even an hour until the first pitch. These words will have sat here for over 60 minutes before the Padres take the field. It’s not like any of you needed to know that. I’m just at the point that I’m writing whatever comes to mind. Blame it on jbox for letting me do these things. He gave me the keys to the Benz as long as I promised not to scratch it or cry in it. I can’t confirm or deny that it has happened yet. We’ll see by the end of this final game recap. I’ll probably have some long paragraph at the end of it too. Too soon to be sure. Anyways, the actual game recap is below. Check it out when your end of season sadness stops the tears enough to allow it.

1st Inning

After the Padres come up empty, the Giants put a run on the board with an RBI double. I assure you, that lead won’t last long.

3rd Inning

The lead is gone. On a 2-2 count, Nick Hundley makes solid contact and sends the ball flying over the left field fence to tie the game. The swing was so perfect. If that’s the last home run we see from the Padres this year, it’ll be quite the treat. Chris Denorfia had a double in the inning, but he was not able to come around to score. I assure you, this game won’t stay tied for long.

4th Inning

The tie has been broken. Chase Headley walked with 1 out in the inning. On a wild pitch, he took 2nd base. With Headley is scoring position, Tommy Medica continued to prove his worth to the team with an RBI double to drive Headley home and give the Padres THE LEAD.

The lead is gone. After Ross hit a batter, 2 singles in the inning score a run and tie the game all over again. I assure you, this game won’t stay tied for long.

5th Inning

The tie has been broken. No, that’s not true. The tie has been shattered. Yes, a shattered tie. That’s how shattering it was. Alexi Amarista led off the inning with a walk. Chris Denorfia got an infield single and Amarista reached 3rd. Jesus Guzman walked to load the bases and a pitching change was made. That change would tip the scales in favor of the Padres. Tipped them right over. With one mighty swing of the bat, Jedd Gyorko sends the ball over the left field wall for a GRAND SLAM to give the Padres back THE LEAD. The swing wasn’t as beautiful as Hundley’s though. Kinda takes away from that majestic last home run I thought we’d get, but no matter. That’s small potatoes in the big picture.

A walk and a double in the bottom of the inning account for another run for the Giants.

6th Inning

Tyson Ross pitched his final inning of the season. At the end of it, he finished the day with 7 strikeouts and allowed only 1 walk. In his 6 innings, Ross allowed 7 hits and 3 earned runs. He would finish the season with a 3.06 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 94 innings.

7th Inning

Tim Stauffer entered the game and the game changed. Pitching changes, man. They are a terror. He hit the 1st batter, walked the second batter, got 2 outs, then walked the bases loaded. What comes next? Pitching change. And with pitch change come pitch responsibility. Nick Vincent took over the mound and gave up a 2 run single to make it only a 1 run game.

8th Inning

Mark Kotsay had the final at-bat of his career. Unless he does a player-manager thing somewhere. Do some pinch hitting in a blowout or something. His career ended with a strikeout. His day was just a mean joke on the guy. He had a hard hit that was caught somehow. Hit the ball to the warning track in right for a near home run. Nearly threw out a runner from right who was trying to go from 1st to 3rd. The man could not catch any breaks today. Sadly, we'd soon see that neither could the Padres.

9th Inning

The final inning of 2013. Nick Hundley started it with a strikeout. Alexi Amarista followed it up with a groundout. Will Venable entered the game and in America's Finest City's Sweetheart fashion, he tripled to left field. Once again, Yonder Alonso was called upon to pinch run for Will. This time, he didn't have to hustle home. A groundout ended the inning.

The season ends. Huston Street comes in, gives up a game tying home run, allows a single, walks two guys to load the bases, then gives up the walk-off single. Season's over, see you next year. After all this writing, that's how you do me, Padres? You did me dirty.

Game was good, then it wasn't. I mean, it was great, then it was terrible. Know what wasn't terrible? Being here until the end. I know some people just don't see the point in commenting sometimes, but for those of you who did, thanks. Thanks for making even this last day like many of the others.

Roll Call Info
Total comments	191
Total commenters	7
Commenter list	A huevo, Darklighter, Friar Fever, SolanaFan, Zen Blade, abara, jodes0405
Story URLs	http://www.gaslampball.com/2013/9/29/4783682/game-thread-09-29-padres-vs-diamondbacks

And for everyone who didn't make it today, thanks. You were just as good for the other 161 days. Even the days in-between the games. You were fine then too. It's been fun writing the recaps. I'd look up the stats on my W-L record in my recaps but I'm sure it was bad. I remember I had to write about all those losses between the Green Walls.

I told you all in my intro that I'd probably write a bunch of nothing down here. It's just that I'm not ready to click "Publish". I'm not ready to be done with this recap. Not ready to be done with this season. But, I think I have to be. It's just so hard to say goodbye. To yesterday. See, I should post this tomorrow so it works out nice by using Boyz II Men. But, you can't always get what you want.

Goodbye, game recaps.

Goodbye, Padres game threads.

Goodbye, 2013 Padres.

See you guys next year.