Front Row Seat: Baseball on the moon

Section 1904

“Holy white smoke, we have a new pope.”

Darren and John get back together and chat about the Padres and SDFC during a thunderstorm and the selection of a new pope.

Section 1904John Gennaro

San Diego Padres

Reeling Rockies aim to play better 'brand of baseball' vs. Padres - Deadspin
The struggles have amplified the difference between Colorado and teams like Detroit and San Diego.

"What they're doing is right and what we're doing is wrong," Freeland said. "We're not winning baseball games. We're playing a bad brand of baseball – all around. Pitching, hitting, fielding."

Out Of The Frying Pan - Letters to A.J.
There is an enormous step-off in production between the players that were in the opening day starting lineup, and their replacements during the injury cascade. As discussed above, the WAR Iglesias and Wade accumulated was attenuated by how often they had to be deployed in unfavorable platoon matchups, so the bench production going forward is likely to be greater than what the WAR accumulation to date suggests, and barring injury the replacement players will not be taking any at-bats at all. Addition by subtraction.

San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: May 7 - MadFriars
It has gotten to the point that Leo De Vries “only” reaching base three times with two hits and a walk is just another game. The 18-year-old phenom now has a 13-game on-base streak and a seven-game hit streakduring which he is 11-for-25, with a pair of doubles, a homer and, perhaps most impressively, eight walks against three strikeouts. He also has nine runs and seven RBI during this hit streak. He did commit his ninth error of the year, throwing wide to first on an easy grounder up the middle.

NBA Playoffs

Timberwolves rout Warriors, without Steph Curry, 117-93 to tie series 1-1: Takeaways - The Athletic
In the end, the Wolves turned up the defense enough to keep the Warriors from getting anything going. If the Wolves are going to win this series, they’re going to do it on defense. That was their calling card all of last season, and they’re going to have to just grind this short-handed Warriors team down.

San Diego FC

Three matches in 7 days a first for San Diego FC - San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego FC is fast running out of firsts.

Still, this weekend’s match at St. Louis City SC marks new territory for Major League Soccer’s newest club. The 5:30 p.m. start is the first of three matches SDFC will play in during a seven-day stretch. The club’s first-ever midweek game is scheduled for Wednesday against the Colorado Rapids at Snapdragon Stadium; SDFC will wrap the stretch on May 17 with a home match against Sporting Kansas City.

Coach Mikey Varas said Thursday that he’ll see how his players respond physically before deciding whether to rest anyone for the midweek game.

San Diego Wave FC

Odds & Ends

Midweek matchup at UC San Diego canceled - USD Toreros
San Diego baseball's game against UC San Diego at Triton Ballpark on Tuesday (May 13) has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.

Despite the inevitable comparisons, Paige Bueckers' rookie season doesn't need to live up to Caitlin Clark's - Yahoo Sports
Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, who entered the collegiate ranks as the two best point guards in the 2020 class, will reunite on the professional level on two distinct planes. That fact won’t stop the inevitable comparisons already swirling.

Bueckers is the revered rookie as the Dallas Wings’ No. 1 WNBA Draft selection amid the annual whirlwind that picks players up at the NCAA Final Four and plops them in a preseason game within a month’s time. Clark is the Indiana Fever’s sophomore superstar, headlining MVP odds and charging into a more comfortable environment with a revamped roster built to win a championship.

Charles Barkley takes stance on transgender athletes: ‘Men should not play sports against women’ - Awful Announcing
“You know, it’s interesting, I always sit back and look at the stuff and let me tell you something. I love gay people. I love transgender people. I’m against any form of discrimination, period… I love my gay friends, and I love my transgender friends, but I’m not going to get into all this stuff that’s going around. Men should not play sports against women. If anybody thinks that, I think they’re stupid.

Indian Premier League suspended amid tensions between India and Pakistan - The Athletic
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended for a week amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

The decision was made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the governing body and organiser of the competition which is the world’s biggest domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Pope Leo XIV brings hope to Chicago sports fans, and the Knicks for their Villanova ties - FOX 5 San Diego
It was initially reported that the new pope was a Cubs fan. The team congratulated Pope Leo XIV in a post on X that had a picture of Wrigley Field’s iconic marquee with the message: HEY, CHICAGO. HE’S A CUBS FAN!

But his brother, John Prevost, set the record straight in an interview with WGN-TV. The pope is a White Sox fan.

Alright, that's going to do it for today's edition of Front Row Seat. I'll be back on Monday, and every weekday, to try and make it easier for you to follow the news.

Feedback is welcome (in the comments below, in my inbox or on the Section 1904 Discord server) and feel free to send me any links that you think I missed and I'll try to include them tomorrow.