It was the bounce back performance the Friar Faithful wanted to see from the San Diego Padres. After scoring just one run in the opening game of the series against the San Francisco Giants, the Padres erupted for seven runs on 12 hits and beat the Giants 7-0 at Petco Park on Friday night.
As good as the offense was for San Diego, the story of the game was the pitching. The Padres needed just three pitchers to complete the game, and the trio allowed just two hits. Bradgley Rodriguez opened the game and pitched
a hitless first inning and recorded two strikeouts. Yuki Matsui followed in the top of the second and the left-hander held San Francisco to one hit over three innings of work. German Marquez was called on for the final five innings of the game, and he too allowed one hit with one walk to secure the win for the Padres.
The “Pitching Chaos” approach can be treacherous at ties if the pitchers who are called on do not perform, but what Rodriguez, Matsui and Marquez did in the second game of the series showed how the approach can be successful. Although Padres pitchers, like Matsui, may be asked to throw more pitches or more innings in an outing, their ability to perform conserves the other bullpen arms, which allows this pitching approach to have a chance to be effective night in and night out.
The San Diego offense got started early against the San Francisco starter Carson Whisenhunt. Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the game with a line drive double and was followed by Luis Rengifo who singled to put runners on the corners. Manny Machado brought home the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly, and the Padres offense was off and running. San Diego scored two runs in the first, one in the third, three in the fourth and scored the final run of the game in the sixth.
Ty France led the Padres offense and finished 2-for-2 with a walk and three RBI. Luis Campusano finished 3-for-4 with and RBI and Rengifo finished 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. Tatis also finished 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored and Jase Bowen added two hits, one of which was his first MLB home run. The only player in the San Diego lineup to not record a hit was Jackson Merrill.
The Padres will try to make it two wins in a row tonight when they host the Giants at 5:40 p.m.
Padres News:
- Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune sat down with Padres third base coach Bob Henley to discuss his playing career and what he chose to leave Washington.
- According to reporting from MLB Trade Rumors, executives around MLB say they do not think the Padres will trade closer Mason Miller. Additionally, San Diego appears unlikely to move the left-hander.
Baseball News:
- The moves are starting to trickle in throughout MLB with the MLB Trade Deadline looming on Monday. The Baltimore Orioles sent Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins. The Twins also added A.J. Minter in a trade with the Mets.
- Giants GM Buster Posey announced Harrison Bader will not be paid until he is able to contribute to the team after a scooter collision resulted in injury.
- Junior Caminero reached 30 home runs this season for the Tampa Bay Rays in their loss to the Chicago White Sox,.
- The Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers to take the top spot in the AL West.
- The New York Mets scratched Freddy Peralta from his scheduled start, and they fell to the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
- The Cincinnati Reds used two comebacks to top the Pittsburgh Pirates,
- The Chicago Cubs suffered a 2-0 loss at the hands of the New York Yankees.
- The Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals, 6-2.
