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vs. |  |
| 20-22 (3rd place, NL Central) |
18-24 (5th place, NL West) |
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GAME 1: May 18, 2011 @ 9:05 p.m. CDT Petco Park San Diego, California |
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SBN Coverage: Brewers vs Padres coverage A View from the Other Dugout: Gaslamp Ball |
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| Game 1 | Yovani Gallardo (4-2, 4.88) | vs. | Dustin Moseley (1-5, 3.40) |
| vs. Padres | (0-0, ---) | vs. Brewers | (0-0, ---) |
| Game 2 | Chris Narveson (2-3, 4.00) | vs. | Aaron Harang (5-2, 5.05) |
| vs. Padres | (0-0, ---) | vs. Brewers | (0-0, ---) |
We just talked to Gaslamp Ball last week when these two teams met for the first time, so it's time now to take a look at the Brewers' best individual performances against the Padres. Since this is the last meeting between these two teams in 2011, we'll look at both the hitters and pitchers, sorted by WPA. Starting with the hitters:
3) Tony Gwynn Jr., September 29, 2007: .483 WPA
This is a day that will probably live in infamy for Padres fans. They were in the heat of the pennant race when these two teams met at Miller Park in the season's 161st game, and were leading 3-2 in the ninth inning with Trevor Hoffman on the mound when Tony Gwynn Jr. entered the game as a pinch hitter for Bill Hall. There were two outs in the inning and Corey Hart was on second when Gwynn's triple to right tied the game, sending it to extra innings.
The Brewers eventually won in eleven innings on Vinny Rottino's pinch hit single to score Ryan Braun. With a win in the game, the Padres would have made the playoffs. Instead, they went on to lose the next day and again in a one game playoff against the Rockies, ending their season.
Follow the jump for more.
2) Dave Nilsson, August 23, 1998: +.549 WPA
In one of the first meetings between these two teams in franchise history, the Brewers and Padres played a wild slugfest at Miller Park. The two teams combined to score 14 runs in the third and fourth innings, and the Padres were up 9-8 entering the bottom of the eighth inning. Bob Hamelin off the inning with a pinch hit home run to tie the game and six batters later Dave Nilsson, who had already homered in the game, drew a bases loaded walk to give the Brewers a 10-9 lead.
Unfortunately, the lead was short lived. Bob Wickman allowed the first two batters he faced in the ninth to reach, and the Padres plated the tying run on a double play to send the game to extra innings. They then went on to score three in the top of the tenth off Wickman and Valerio de los Santos. The Brewers rallied for one run in the bottom half, but lost 13-11.
1) James Mouton, August 26, 2000: +.792 WPA
Mouton, like many of the others on this list, was an unlikely hero. He was in his first season as a Brewer and while he wasn't terrible in limited opportunities, batting .233/.363/.327, he was used primary as a defensive replacement and, as he was on this day, a pinch runner.
In the ninth inning on this day the Brewers and Padres were tied at four when Mark Loretta drew a walk off reliever Donne Wall, and Mouton was called upon to run for him. He stole second base and advanced to third when the Padres walked the bases loaded, but was stranded when Charlie Hayes flew out to end the inning. The Padres scored in the top of the tenth to take a 5-4 lead.
Mouton, however, would get another chance. Trevor Hoffman struck out Ronnie Belliard and Raul Casanova to open the frame, but then allowed a single to Luis Lopez and Marquis Grissom reached on an error. With runners on second and third, Mouton singled on the first pitch to give the Brewers a 6-5 walkoff victory.
Moving on to the pitchers:
3) John Snyder, August 27, 2000: +.479 WPA
The day after Mouton's walkoff win, Snyder was another unlikely hero. At age 25 Snyder was in the middle of his final major league season, making 23 starts for the Brewers after being acquired in the ill-fated Cal Eldred/Jamie Navarro deal with the White Sox. Snyder's 2000 season was nothing to write home about: He posted a 6.17 ERA (down from 6.68 in 1999), and the Brewers went 7-16 in his starts.
On this day, however, he was virtually unhittable. Snyder held the Padres scoreless on three hits, walking one and striking out five over seven innings. He needed just 83 pitches to get through the first seven, but was lifted after the inning anyway. David Weathers allowed two runs to score in the eighth in a game the Brewers went on to lose 2-1.
2) Ruben Quevedo, May 25, 2002: +.546 WPA
And we go from one unlikely story directly to the next one: Ruben Quevedo was almost historically bad during three seasons as a Brewer, his final three as a major leaguer. He posted a 6.15 ERA over 66 games (58 starts), and allowed ten hits, 4.8 walks and 1.9 home runs per nine innings. Yet, despite all the terrible work he did, he also posted one complete game shutout. This was that day.
In front of what had to have been a stunned crowd at Miller Park, Quevedo held the Padres to three singles (one of them belonged to Mark Kotsay) and two walks, striking out seven. The Brewers scored two runs on Jeffrey Hammonds' first inning solo home run and Richie Sexson's RBI single in the third and, for one brief moment, all was right in the world.
1) Ben Sheets, September 6, 2008: +.744 WPA
Behold in wonder Ben Sheets' final gem. With the Brewers fighting for their playoff lives in September of 2008, Sheets took the team on his back and carried them to victory in a 1-0 win. The Brewers scored their lone run in the third inning on a Prince Fielder RBI double, then sat back and watched as Sheets shut out the Padres on just five hits and a walk, striking out seven.
Sheets threw 120 pitches in the outing, and it would be his final memorable moment as a Brewer. He was roughed up by the Phillies his next time out, and lasted just 4.1 innings over his final two starts as he struggled with injuries and broke down.