![]() ANAHEIM, CA - Much like Game 6, the Padres were forced to remove a starting pitcher far earlier than expected in Game 7 of the 2010 World Series. Rookie David Price lost control of all his pitches before recording an out in the third. His wildness left Padres manager Tim Stoops with little choice but to pull him and turn yet again to an overworked bullpen. A home run from Troy Tulowitzki added to the early pitching woes, putting the Padres in a 5 to 2 hole. For the second day in a row, the Padres bullpen held. Sean White, Craig Breslow, Nick Masset, Luke Gregerson and Joe Thatcher allowed only one more Angel run to cross the plate from the third to the eighth inning. For the Angels, starter Dan Haren pitched into the eighth while giving up only 3 runs. Starting the ninth with a two-run lead, Angels manager Dave Berks let Matt Thornton record the first out before turning the game over to closer Jonathan Papelbon. He retired Raul Ibanez, leaving the Angels one out away from winning the series. ![]() Juan Uribe, who had homered earlier, managed a single up the middle to prolong the inning, bringing the tying run to the plate. Will Venable (above) then hit one of the most dramatic home runs in Padres history, silencing more than 50,000 fans packed into Angel Stadium, tying Game 7 of the World Series. Thatcher returned to the mound and finished off the ninth. After a scoreless 10th inning, Adam Jones (right) stepped up to face Papelbon in the 11th with one goal in mind. "Home run. I wanted to break the tie," Jones said. "I knew our bullpen was getting thin, and if the game went much longer the odds of our winning would go steadily down." Jones succeeded by sending a Papelbon fastball deep over the left field fence. Needing only 3 more outs to steal the World Series, Stoops turned to closer Chad Qualls, though he had been shaky all postseason for the Padres. Qualls immediately let the tying run get aboard, and when he got to third with two down, the game was in the hands of Tulowitzki. The Angels shortstop swung and missed three times, striking out against Qualls, giving the San Diego Padres the World Series Championship by a final score of 6 to 5. "What an incredible ending to the most exciting season I can remember as manager of the Padres," Stoops exclaimed.
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![]() The Chicken shows up in the 6th ANAHEIM, CA - Facing elimination and Angels starter C.C. Sabathia with the World Series on the line for his team, the Padres knew it would be crucial to score first if they were going to play one more game. When the Padres pushed across two first-inning runs, the plan seemed to be working. The final score, a 13 to 10 Padres victory, shows the strategy worked, but not in a way that anyone in the Padres' clubhouse envisioned. In the second inning, Padres starter Carlos Zambrano melted down. Before the inning had ended, Big Z was pulled after walking five and the Angels possessed a 5 to 2 lead. "As strong as our bullpen has been, I still thought we had just lost the World Series," manager Tim Stoops said. "You can't give C.C. that kind of lead and expect to easily come back." After five innings, the Angels held an even larger 8 to 4 lead. As the sixth inning got under way, a surprise visitor came to Angel Stadium. The San Diego Famous Chicken appeared on top of the Angels dugout, casting a hex on Sabathia. Security quickly got the mascot out of the park as fans twirled their rally monkeys in response, but they all soon found out that the Chicken had succeeded. Sabathia allowed 2 runs in the 6th as the Padres halved the deficit. In the seventh, the Padres knocked Sabathia out of the game, starting a parade of 9 Angels relievers that were used to finish and ultimately lose the game for the American League champions. The Padres took the lead again for good in the eighth, when Matt Thornton gave up 4 runs without recording an out. San Diego won the game thanks to a massive power output, tallying 7 home runs sent out of Angel Stadium. First baseman Mark Teixeira and catcher Nick Hundley hit two each. Raul Ibanez, Adam Jones and Will Venable also added homers for the Padres. ![]() Fans stay after Game 5 to wish Padres luck in Anaheim SAN DIEGO, CA - A rematch of Game 1 starters Felix Hernandez and Joe Blanton was well-suited for the high-stakes Game 5 of the 2010 World Series. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Game 5 winner would be in the driver's seat with two chances to capture the championship. Hernandez performed well again and this time it earned him a World Series win as the Angels defeated the Padres 4 to 2. For the first time in the playoffs, Blanton was the losing pitcher. "I didn't let them get many hits tonight, but two thirds of the hits I did allow were homers unfortunately," Blanton explained. "I let the team, and all of San Diego, down tonight. I gave those guys momentum." Before the Padres could even score, the Angels had jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind solo home runs from Denard Span, Troy Tulowitzki, Victor Martinez and Curtis Granderson. Raul Ibanez was the only bright spot for the Padres, going 3-4, scoring both Padre runs and hitting a solo shot off Hernandez. ![]() The Swinging Friar Celebrates the Padres' Game 4 Win SAN DIEGO, CA - Staring at a one game deficit in the World Series, Padres manager Tim Stoops had a crucial starting pitcher decision to make: go with Chris Volstad or give the ball to Kevin Slowey for his first start this postseason. "Volstad pitched so well for us all year long at Petco," Stoops explained. "But against this Angels offense I wanted to get Slowey and his better control in there. You can't give this team extra runners." While he lasted only five innings, Slowey did exactly what was asked of him, walking no one and striking out 8 Angels hitters. Allowing only 2 runs, the effort was good enough to give Slowey the win in Game 4, evening the World Series at two games apiece. The Padres took an early lead, scoring twice in the first. In the fourth, Angels catcher Victor Martinez touched Slowey for a two-run game-tying home run. Slowey immediately got his two run cushion back when the Padres scored two more against Angels starter James Shields in the bottom of the fourth. Five Padres relievers preserved the two-run lead, with Chad Qualls picking up his second save of the series. Adam Jones and Mark Teixeira homered for the Padres in the win. ![]() SAN DIEGO, CA - If David Price (left) had received any run support in Game 3 of the 2010 World Series, the rookie would have been remembered by generations to come for his dominant World Series debut. Instead, his performance was wasted in a 1-0 victory by the American League champion Anaheim Angels, giving them a 2 to 1 series lead. Dan Haren, while not a rookie, was even better than Price in his own World Series debut. Haren went 8 innings, scatting 6 singles, walking none and striking out 5 Padres. The Pepperdine alum was credited with with the win, his third of the postseason. Haren started the ninth but got into a jam, forcing Angels manager Dave Berks to bring in Matt Thornton to close out Game 3. He struck out two more Padres and quickly ended the threat. The Angels' only run came in the third inning when Adam Dunn, having doubled, was singled in by catcher Ryan Doumit. "Who knew that would be the game's only run," Doumit questioned after the game. "I'm proud we made the run hold up." Doumit is hitting .455 in the postseason. ![]() Angels celebrate Game 2 win ANAHEIM, CA - Not wanting to fall into a two-game hole in the World Series, the Anaheim Angels jumped on the San Diego Padres early and often, winning easily by a score of 9-0. Angels starter C.C. Sabathia dazzled the home crowd by throwing a complete game shutout, yielding two singles and striking out seven. The Padres countered with veteran starter Carlos Zambrano. Big Z couldn't make it out of the third inning thanks in large part to issuing five free passes. All those Angels baserunners translated to six runs (five earned) scored off Zambrano. The Padres turned to Bartolo Colon, but by then it was too late. The offense could not get anything started against Sabathia. It was almost over before it started, a feeling that is very familiar to San Diego sports fans. "It felt just like Super Bowl XXIX, where the Chargers were losing 14-0 to the 49ers before the Star Spangled Banner was even finished," Padres fan Tony Hawk dejectedly said. ANAHEIM, CA - The 2010 PGL-MLB World Series got underway with a surprising pitchers' duel between San Diego's Joe Blanton and Anaheim's Felix Hernandez. As well as he pitched, going 8 innings allowing just two runs, Hernandez has only himself to blame for the Angels' 2-1 loss to the Padres in Game 1. A balk, a wild pitch and a passed ball all contributed to a rally that helped San Diego score a run. Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson drove in the other San Diego run.
On the mound, Blanton continued his stellar postseason run, winning his third game by going 6 1/3 innings without allowing a run. Closer Chad Qualls pitched the ninth and recorded a shaky save. Padres pitching allowed hits to only Nick Markakis and Lance Berkman in the win. "We knew it was important to come out and play well in the first game," Blanton said. "Now we've won it and taken home-field advantage from Anaheim. That's huge." SAN DIEGO, CA - If the Padres are to win their first World Series under skipper Tim Stoops, they will certainly have their work cut out for them. Representing the American League will be the Anaheim Angels, winners of 104 games in the 2010 regular season.
The Angels boast three starters that won 15 games or more - Dan Haren (22), Felix Hernandez (19) and C.C. Sabathia (17). At the plate, the Angels have 7 that hit more than 20 home runs in 2010 - Mark Reynolds (46), Adam Dunn (39), Curtis Granderson (34), Troy Tulowitzki (28), Victor Martinez (24), Nick Markakis (21) and Lance Berkman (21). "We're not scared," 10-game loser Kevin Slowey said. "We may not homer much, but we will double you to death," second baseman Orlando Hudson promised. Various media outlets have taken to calling this the Holy World Series. The series will commence on October 19 with Anaheim holding home-field advantage in the best-of-seven series. SAN DIEGO, CA - For the first time since 2006, the San Diego Padres will be returning to the World Series. The Padres defeated the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 1 after winning Game 5 by a convincing score of 9-1. ![]() NLCS MVP Sean White Relief pitcher Sean White (left) was named the NLCS MVP largely for a Game 1 performance that San Diego fans are sure to remember for a very long time. Having burned through every other available pitcher, the Padres turned to White in the 10 inning of a 2-2 game. It was White's to win or lose. With no margin for error, White dazzled in the longest outing of his career, lasting 5 1/3 innings, including the deciding 16th inning. White, San Diego's 5th round 2010 rookie draft pick, appeared again in Games 4 and 5, racking up two scoreless innings in each. In total, White appeared in 3 of the series' 5 games, pitching 9 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits, 4 walks and also striking out 4. "It's an honor to be named the MVP," White admitted. "I pretty much pitched my arm off there in Game 1. It was a lot of fun, and I'm so happy to have come through for the rest of the club." Game 2 was won in the middle innings when the Padres chased Braves starter Jered Weaver and pushed across 8 runs on the way to a 10-6 victory. The Padres took a commanding 3-0 series lead upon returning to San Diego for Game 3 when pinch-hitter Paul Phillips got a walk-off double, driving in Will Venable, for a 3-2 victory. Game 4 was the Braves only win in the series and also the only time Chris Volstad lost a game he started at Petco Park in 2010. The series-clinching Game 5 victory came thanks to a very wild Tim Lincecum and a very effective Joe Blanton. CINCINNATI, OH - The San Diego Padres are moving on to the National League Championship Series after defeating the Cincinnati Reds, winning the best of seven series 4-1. True to their regular season record, the Padres split the first two games in San Diego, and then swept all three in Cincinnati.
In a series where all but one game were decided by one run, the Padres got some clutch performances up and down the lineup. Adam Jones was a hitting star, batting .524 in the 5 games. Orlando Hudson hit .364, while Mark Teixeira and Juan Uribe each hit .316. Joe Blanton and Chris Volstad each pitched complete games on the way to victory. The Padres will now face the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, but this time will not have home-field advantage on their side. |
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