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The San Diego Padres travelled up to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers after a six-game home stand that resulted in only one win. Starting pitching wasn’t lasting past five innings on most nights, and even the relievers weren’t living up to their highly regarded reputation.
The club wasn’t hitting well; at least, they weren’t hitting in a timely manner, and to make matters worse, with the suspension of Carlos Quentin the team was down to 24 players on the roster. The Padres needed a good outing from Eric Stults.
Stults obliged, not only on the mound but with the bat. Eric pitched six innings and hit a three-run home run to help his own cause and the Padres beat the Dodgers 6-3 at Chavez Ravine on Monday evening.
In the top of the second inning with one out, Alexi Amarista drew a walk and John Baker flew out to right field. Cameron Maybin then singled to center with Amarista taking second base with two outs.
Pitcher Eric Stults came up and fouled off pitch after pitch from Billingsley until he got ahold of one and raked it over the center field wall. The Padres jumped out in front of the Dodgers 3-0.
The Dodgers got a run back in the bottom of the second when Carl Crawford singled and one out later, Matt Kemp singled, and then Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground rule double. The bounce over the wall was lucky because it kept Kemp at third base, and Stults got out of the inning giving up only a run and the Dodgers trailed 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Dodgers crept closer when with one out, Nelson Cruz singled, Chad Billingsley sacrificed Cruz to second, and Carl Crawford singled Cruz home. Dodgers trailed only 3-2.
The Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Matt Kemp led off with a double and Adrian Gonzalez ground out to third moving Kemp to third. A. J. Ellis then singled and Kemp scored to tie the game 3-3.
The Padres rallied in the top of the seventh inning when Cameron Maybin walked, and Jesus Guzman pinch hit for Eric Stults and singled to left field with Maybin taking third. Everth Cabrera walked to load the bases and Ronald Belisario was pulled in favor of Paco Rodriguez for the Dodgers, coming in to face Chris Denorfia who pinch-hit for Venable.
Denorfia ran the count full from a 0-2 count off of Paco Rodriguez and then walked, Maybin scoring. Yonder Alonso grounded into a double play, but Guzman scored and the Padres led 5-3.
The Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the seventh with Brad Brach in relieving Stults. Mark Ellis singled, and after Matt Kemp struck out, Adrian Gonzalez grounded back to Brach who turned a nifty double play.
Again the Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning with Luke Gregerson on the mound. A.J. Ellis legged out an infield single, and Andre Ellis ran the count to 3-2 and then drew a walk.
Luis Cruz executed a sacrifice bunt, with Ellis to third and Ethier to second. Skip Schumaker pinch hit for Justin Sellers and hit a comebacker to Gregerson; Gregerson looked Ellis back at third base and then threw first to get Schumaker, and then Alonso threw home to get Ellis trying to get there late.
The Padres tacked on one more in the top of the ninth inning when with one out, Everth Cabrera walked. Josh wall then took the mound for the Dodgers, and Chris Denorfia singled to right field, Cabrera taking third base.
Yonder Alonso was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Kyle Blanks then hit a sacrifice fly to plate Cabrera. The Padres had a comfortable 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning.
Huston Street came in to save it for the Padres, only allowing a bloop single to Jerry Hairston, Jr. For Street, it was his second save of the season, as Eric Stults improved to 2-1 and the Padres improved to 3-10 on the year.
Notes:
Chase Headley may be very close to joining the big club. The Padres have a locker set aside for him in the club house in Los Angeles, just in case. Meanwhile, Chase continues to rehab at Lake Elsinore, as Monday night Chase played third base and went 1 for 3 for the Storm.
Tuesday, the Dodgers and Padres are back at it in Los Angeles. Jason Marquis (0-1, 3.27) will take the mound for the Padres and go up against Chris Capuano (0-0, 0.00) for the Dodgers. First pitch is at 7:10 PM PDST and the usual media outlets will provide your coverage, with 1090 AM doing the radio version and Fox Sports San Diego doing the visuals. Time Warner Cable, who apparently hates San Diego, will reportedly air three extra hours of vintage Monster Trucks exhibitions to satiate the angry masses. It won’t work, Time Warner, not even Monster Trucks can make up for the lameness of your failure at procuring Padres games. People hate you, and your negotiation skills are nil. Reportedly.
The San Diego Padres travelled up to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers after a six-game home stand that resulted in only one win. Starting pitching wasn’t lasting past five innings on most nights, and even the relievers weren’t living up to their highly regarded reputation.
The club wasn’t hitting well; at least, they weren’t hitting in a timely manner, and to make matters worse, with the suspension of Carlos Quentin the team was down to 24 players on the roster. The Padres needed a good outing from Eric Stults.
Stults obliged, not only on the mound but with the bat. Eric pitched six innings and hit a three-run home run to help his own cause and the Padres beat the Dodgers 6-3 at Chavez Ravine on Monday evening.
In the top of the second inning with one out, Alexi Amarista drew a walk and John Baker flew out to right field. Cameron Maybin then singled to center with Amarista taking second base with two outs.
Pitcher Eric Stults came up and fouled off pitch after pitch from Billingsley until he got ahold of one and raked it over the center field wall. The Padres jumped out in front of the Dodgers 3-0.
The Dodgers got a run back in the bottom of the second when Carl Crawford singled and one out later, Matt Kemp singled, and then Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground rule double. The bounce over the wall was lucky because it kept Kemp at third base, and Stults got out of the inning giving up only a run and the Dodgers trailed 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Dodgers crept closer when with one out, Nelson Cruz singled, Chad Billingsley sacrificed Cruz to second, and Carl Crawford singled Cruz home. Dodgers trailed only 3-2.
The Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Matt Kemp led off with a double and Adrian Gonzalez ground out to third moving Kemp to third. A. J. Ellis then singled and Kemp scored to tie the game 3-3.
The Padres rallied in the top of the seventh inning when Cameron Maybin walked, and Jesus Guzman pinch hit for Eric Stults and singled to left field with Maybin taking third. Everth Cabrera walked to load the bases and Ronald Belisario was pulled in favor of Paco Rodriguez for the Dodgers, coming in to face Chris Denorfia who pinch-hit for Venable.
Denorfia ran the count full from a 0-2 count off of Paco Rodriguez and then walked, Maybin scoring. Yonder Alonso grounded into a double play, but Guzman scored and the Padres led 5-3.
The Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the seventh with Brad Brach in relieving Stults. Mark Ellis singled, and after Matt Kemp struck out, Adrian Gonzalez grounded back to Brach who turned a nifty double play.
Again the Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning with Luke Gregerson on the mound. A.J. Ellis legged out an infield single, and Andre Ellis ran the count to 3-2 and then drew a walk.
Luis Cruz executed a sacrifice bunt, with Ellis to third and Ethier to second. Skip Schumaker pinch hit for Justin Sellers and hit a comebacker to Gregerson; Gregerson looked Ellis back at third base and then threw first to get Schumaker, and then Alonso threw home to get Ellis trying to get there late.
The Padres tacked on one more in the top of the ninth inning when with one out, Everth Cabrera walked. Josh wall then took the mound for the Dodgers, and Chris Denorfia singled to right field, Cabrera taking third base.
Yonder Alonso was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Kyle Blanks then hit a sacrifice fly to plate Cabrera. The Padres had a comfortable 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning.
Huston Street came in to save it for the Padres, only allowing a bloop single to Jerry Hairston, Jr. For Street, it was his second save of the season, as Eric Stults improved to 2-1 and the Padres improved to 3-10 on the year.
Notes:
Chase Headley may be very close to joining the big club. The Padres have a locker set aside for him in the club house in Los Angeles, just in case. Meanwhile, Chase continues to rehab at Lake Elsinore, as Monday night Chase played third base and went 1 for 3 for the Storm.
Tuesday, the Dodgers and Padres are back at it in Los Angeles. Jason Marquis (0-1, 3.27) will take the mound for the Padres and go up against Chris Capuano (0-0, 0.00) for the Dodgers. First pitch is at 7:10 PM PDST and the usual media outlets will provide your coverage, with 1090 AM doing the radio version and Fox Sports San Diego doing the visuals. Time Warner Cable, who apparently hates San Diego, will reportedly air three extra hours of vintage Monster Trucks exhibitions to satiate the angry masses. It won’t work, Time Warner, not even Monster Trucks can make up for the lameness of your failure at procuring Padres games. People hate you, and your negotiation skills are nil. Reportedly.