Hoffman Bounces Back and Hairston Does It Yet Again

Randy Wolf started his first game as a Padre and he looked good, all be it against a not so potent Astros lineup. Wolf threw a perfect first and got a little help from a Kevin Kouzmanoff two run blast in the bottom of the first. He left in the 7th after striking out 5 and handing over a 2-1 lead to the bullpen.

For the second day in a row, the bullpen gave up a run to tie the game, before Hairston brought out his late game heroics that is quickly becoming accustom to. With one out in the bottom of the 7th in a tie game, Hairston crushed a triple to right center and was brought in by a Tadahito single in the next at bat.

The bullpen only needed one more. Heath Bell gave up a two out double, then shut down the 8th, and Hoffman came in and showed no ill effects from the previous night. He induced three harmless groundballs and went into the weekend as a winner.

Hairston finished 3 for 3 in Brian Giles' leadoff spot with two runs scored and Kooz went 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored.

The Padres stay at home for their first NL West games of the year with Dodgers who are just a half a game back of MY first place Padres.

Justin Germano will start the first game of the series vs Hiroki Korudo. The first start of 2008 for both players, and the first in MLB for Korudo.

Hairston The Hero...Again

Well, it looks like Scott Hairston is going to start where he left off last year, as the Padres go to guy. There was a lot made of the competition for the job in left (especially by me personally), but when it came down to it, the job was Hairston's to lose and he kept it. Then he came out and hit a two run homer tonight in the second game of the year, which stood as the only two runs, and all they needed, for the Pads.

Chris Young could argue he was the hero as well, but he would have to share that award with the bullpen who pitched another 3.1 shutout innings. CY kept the Astros off the scoreboard, but he got away with 10 baserunners, 5 with a free pass.

Hairston had a base running blunder that could have brought in an extra run in the 8th when he over ran the bag at third, thinking Paul McAnulty was out at first, and was tagged out to end the inning. In the end, the run wouldn't have mattered as Hoffy came in and shut things down, and did so in proper form. 1 hit (which should have been the third out) and two strikeouts include complete domination of Lance Berkman to tie up win number 2 for MY first place Padres.

Headley Making Things Interesting in Left

It will be hard to give the starting left field position to anyone but Scott Hairston, the pinch hit hero of last season, but Chase Headley is going to do his best to create that tough decision. Headley has started Spring Training the way every young ballplayer dreams of, going 6 for 9 with 2 doubles and a home run.

Saturday he did it from both sides of the plate in an 11-0 win over the Mariners. Batting right handed, he hit a 2 RBI double to the 410ft center field wall, and then blasted a 440 ft home run over the batters eye in center field.

Headley was the Texas League Player of the Year last year and the Padres organization named him the club's minor leaguer of the year. He has spent his minor league time at third base, but is trying to win the spot in left field, as Kevin Kouzmanoff has supplanted himself at third.

Of course we have yet to finish one week of Spring Training and there is a lot of baseball left to be played. Scott Hairston is 2 for 4 thus far with 2 doubles and is not about to roll over and give up.