Pablo Sandoval – Padre Killer

At the start of each series, we at Chicken Friars will zero in on an opposing player known to be a “Padre Killer.” No matter the day, time or place, this player is known to be a one-man wrecking crew when it comes to playing against the San Diego Padres.

In this column, I will analyze that player’s statistics against the Friars and try to offer some insight into how not to let that player beat our beloved team.

The Padres made headlines yesterday with the signing of outfielder Carlos Quentin to a three-year $30 million contract extension. Today is a new day, however, and if the Padres want to remain relevant in the 24/7 baseball news cycle then the Padres need to beat the N.L. West leading San Francisco Giants in a three-game series at AT&T Park.

When it comes to being in the news, San Francisco Giants’ third-baseman Pablo Sandoval is always in it when he plays against the San Diego Padres. That is because The Kung Fu Panda is a Padre Killer.

Here is Sandoval’s news making statistics against the Friars:

If this series were played at PetcoPark, the Padres would have caught a break because Sandoval is not as effective at Petco as he is atAT&TPark. In his home ballpark, Sandoval owns a career .330 batting average with 33 home runs and 142 RBI.

The Padres are one of the hottest teams in baseball and I believe as hot as they are that no one can beat them, so if I were the Padres I would throw everything at him. I’d dare him to hit the Padres’ best pitch. I’d pound Sandoval hard inside and soft away. I will just hope that Sandoval will not get a hold of one and became front page material.