I’m in a better mood than I was yesterday

I don’t have high expectations for the Padres this year, but there are two things that I can expect to be an important part of the team’s winning success: Jake Peavy and Chris Young. It was Chris Young who did his part Tuesday night, pitching 6 solid innings. As CY was removed from the game, the Padres scored 3 runs to give him the lead. The combination of Edwin Moreno, Duaner Sanchez and the Padres’ new closer, Heath Bell helped secure the win. 4-2 Padres.

Former Padre Randy Wolf pitched for the Dodgers, and the Padres drew first blood against him early in the second. Kevin Kouzmanoff bounced back from a rough previous night; he tripled and scored on a double by Scott Hairston. It was 1-0 until the fourth, when Young allowed 2 runs. Manny Ramirez led off with a double, and would score on a Russell Martin double to tie the game. After the Dodgers loaded the bases, Casey Blake drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Randy Wolf remained strong into the sixth, but then the Padres threatened. Hits by Adrian Gonzalez and  Kouzmanoff set the table for Chase Headley. Headley came through with a clutch 2-run double down the left field line. After Headley advanced to third on a fly ball, Luis Rodriguez drove in the Padres’ fourth run with a sac fly to deep right field.

If there were any tense moments after Chris Young left the game, it was when the Dodgers threated to score against Edwin Moreno in the 7th. Moreno, making his major league debut, walked Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal. Moreno then struck out Orlando Hudson on a great changeup. Moreno had a hard time locating his fastball and slider, but his changeup is clearly a strong pitch for him. With 2 outs and a 3-1 count on Manny Ramirez, Moreno threw a high fastball and Manny popped up.

“I was a little nervous. I felt a little pressure at first. Then I felt right,” said Moreno, who walked just one batter in Spring Training.

Duaner Sanchez, an ex-Dodger, threw a perfect inning. Emotions were running high when Heath Bell took the mound to try and close out the game in the 9th. The Trevor Hoffman era seemed to officially be over, but the crowd atmosphere was there just like it always had been. Through the mist that was falling, Bell worked around a walk to strike out the side. After Bell struck out Rafael Furcal to end the game, he pumped his fist victoriously; the Padres’ first win of the year.

“I’m the closer, it’s all or nothing. There’s nothing behind me,” Bell said afterward, his right arm wrapped tightly in ice. “I love doing what I just did tonight.”