Game 23: Dodgers @ San Diego Padres 3:0

That was the first Padre game I saw this season, and boy did they look lost at the plate. Plus, especially in the first three innings, Jae Seo was NOT getting the call from Dale Scott on the pitches off the outside edge. The combined no-hit three innings by Hamulack, Saito and Baez were not threatened at any point (combined 24 pitches to close out the final three innings, great!)

Some red-eye observations:

(1) At this point keeping Rafael Furcal *off* the DL is more risky to his long-time health and shape than letting him play through pain. Especially that obviously the latter doesn't help him shake the pain off. Tonight he grimaced in pain even taking the batting gloves off after the third. I would highly recommend placing Raffy on the DL in order to stop deteriorating his current condition.

(2) We could go with Repko/Lofton and Jose Cruz jr at the top of the lineup in the meantime and not lose a step offensively.

(3) What do you think about the Petco Park in San Diego, CA? On TV it seemed smallish and somehow constrained. Has anyone of us here visited Petco? What's your impression?

(4) This could be as good time as ever to get our first three (or more) winning streak going (which would give us a sweep of the Padres). Tomorrow we throw Brett Tomko against unknown-to-me Clay Hensley, so there's every reason to believe, we can come out winning.

This report is shorter then usual, partly because almost everything (barring Raffy's health status) clicked tonight. But I'm willing to trim the game reports off bit by bit with every shutout win we get along the way this season :).