Friar Watch

Maddux, Bell and Linebrink all pitched well tonight but the big story is Trevor Hoffman’s 500th career save. In honor of Trevor’s milestone let’s take a look at how he did it.

Leading off the inning: Nomar Garciaparra

Green dot = first pitch
Trevor usually likes to throw a first pitch fastball for a strike but Nomar is a notorious for swinging at the first pitch so Trevor gives him a low fastball. The location is such that it would be called a strike but Nomar would have a hard time doing damage with it. Predictably, Nomar hacks at it and fouls it off.

Red dot = second pitch
Ahead 0-1, Trevor wants to locate a fastball down and away. Unfortunately he misses badly and Nomar crushes it, I thought it was headed out of the stadium but the heavy sea air at Petco holds it up just enough to make it a lead off double.

Next batter: Jeff Kent

Green dot = first pitch
With a runner in scoring position, nobody out and a three run lead Trevor really needs to get ahead of Kent but with his power a fastball could be risky. Trevor surprises Kent with a slider in the heart of the plate, which Kent takes for strike one.

Red dot = second pitch
This pitch is a great example of Trevor’s nerves of steel. He’s once again ahead 0-1 to a dangerous hitter, and once again wants to throw a fastball on the outer part of the plate. Remember, he missed badly in this same situation and avoided a home run by inches. This time Trevor puts it where he wants, Kent swings and rolls a grounder to Geoff Blum at shortstop, Nomar has to stay at second. Bong!

Third batter: Luis Gonzalez

Green dot = first pitch
Trevor starts Gonzalez off the same way he started Nomar, a fastball low and in the middle of the zone. Gonzo fouls it off, just as Nomar did.

Red Dot = second pitch
Trevor knows Gonzalez has watched the first two batters go 0-1 and get a fastball so now is a good time to break out the change up. Trevor elevates it a little but the change in velocity is enough to cause Gonzalez to hit a grounder to Marcus Giles at second, Nomar advances to third. Bong, Bong!

Fourth batter: Russell Martin

Green dot = first pitch
Another first pitch slider, Martin swings through it for a strike. 0-1

Red dot = second pitch
Martin may have been guessing fastball here since that’s what Trevor threw to Kent after the first strike slider. If so, he was wrong. Trevor fooled him with a change up in the heart of the plate, Martin swung and missed for strike two. The reason the change up is so effective is even if the location is off the speed difference can make up for it. Where Trevor gets in trouble is when he can’t get those called strikes on the edge of the zone and then has to throw a fastball for a strike. The hitters know it’s coming and jump all over it. As long as he’s ahead in the count they never know if they’re going to see the fastball or the change. 0-2

White dot = third pitch
An 0-2 pitch outside the zone is sometimes called a “waste” pitch. Just throw a pitch way out of the zone and hope the hitter gets himself out. Not for Trevor. He throws a change up way out of the zone, I’m convinced he did this to give Martin a free look at another change up, get his eyes used to the slower speed. 1-2

Yellow dot = fourth pitch
The crowd is on it’s feet, anticipating the historic milestone. Martin just saw two change ups in a row, he can’t be sure Trevor won’t throw a third one out of the zone. Instead, Trevor rears back and throws his hardest fastball of the night (89.3 mph out of the hand, the others were around 86.6), it looks outside to Martin, it looked outside on Gameday, it looked outside to me sitting up in section 302 and to most of the other fans but there’s only one man whose opinion counts and that’s home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg. Kellogg has a flair for the dramatic, he gave it a little pause, the crowd went silent and then he rang up Martin on the called third strike. Cue the crowd erupting, cue the fireworks, the music, the banner over the right field bleachers and the Padres carrying Trevor off the field.