The San Diego Padres would like to forget the bottom of the seventh inning from Friday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Holding a fragile 1-0 lead, Padres pitching allowed 5 runs in the frame and the Diamondbacks then cruised to a 5-2 win over the Friars.
Before the bottom of the seventh inning, the pitching was outstanding for the Padres. Starter Eric Stults had scattered only three hits and a walk over the first six innings, and Yonder Alonso’s single that drove in Carlos Quentin in the second inning held up.
But in the bottom of the seventh inning, the bottom dropped out. Three doubles and a walk chased Stults after giving up two runs. Dale Thayer came in and uncharacteristically gave up a single for another run to the first batter he faced.
Joe Thatcher relieved Thayer and got a fielder’s choice out on a successful throw home. Anthony bass relieved Thatcher and gave up a double and two more runs and the Padres were down and out of it.
Everth Cabrera hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, his third of the season. And the Padres tried to rally in the ninth with former Padres closer Heath Bell on the hill for Arizona, but left runners stranded on first and second base.
Something positive the Padres can take away from the game is that Carlos Quentin went 3 for 3 on Friday. Quentin has been plagued by issues with his left knee as of late, and seemed to shorten his normally-wide stance and it paid off.
Everth Cabrera continues to improve at the plate, going 2 for 5 with the home run. Everth has raised his batting average 20 percentage points in the last 10 games.
“Two hits into the seventh, no runs, pretty good. Hell of a job by Stults,” manager Buddy Black said during the postgame interview. “[The Diamondbacks] strung some hits together, they did.”
All in the bottom of the seventh inning. That’s an inning that Padres pitchers would certainly like to have back and do over again.
Notes:
The corresponding move for Burch Smith having been sent down to AAA Tucson was announced Friday as Tommy Layne was recalled from Tucson. The left-handed reliever (converted from a starter) debuted with the Padres last season and went 2-0 with a 3.24 earned run average in 26 games. The move gives the Padres another left-handed arm in the bullpen for the series with the Diamondbacks who are stocked with left-handed hitting. Expect Clayton Richard to be called up after the Arizona part of the current road trip to make a start, at least that’s the way it figures on paper.
Saturday, the Padres will offer Andrew Cashner (3-2, 3.02) for the second game of the three-game series at Arizona against Wade Miley (3-3, 3.67) of the Diamondbacks. First pitch is at 7:10 PM PDST and the game is carried on radio 1090 AM and televised on Fox Sports San Diego.
The San Diego Padres would like to forget the bottom of the seventh inning from Friday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Holding a fragile 1-0 lead, Padres pitching allowed 5 runs in the frame and the Diamondbacks then cruised to a 5-2 win over the Friars.
Before the bottom of the seventh inning, the pitching was outstanding for the Padres. Starter Eric Stults had scattered only three hits and a walk over the first six innings, and Yonder Alonso’s single that drove in Carlos Quentin in the second inning held up.
But in the bottom of the seventh inning, the bottom dropped out. Three doubles and a walk chased Stults after giving up two runs. Dale Thayer came in and uncharacteristically gave up a single for another run to the first batter he faced.
Joe Thatcher relieved Thayer and got a fielder’s choice out on a successful throw home. Anthony bass relieved Thatcher and gave up a double and two more runs and the Padres were down and out of it.
Everth Cabrera hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, his third of the season. And the Padres tried to rally in the ninth with former Padres closer Heath Bell on the hill for Arizona, but left runners stranded on first and second base.
Something positive the Padres can take away from the game is that Carlos Quentin went 3 for 3 on Friday. Quentin has been plagued by issues with his left knee as of late, and seemed to shorten his normally-wide stance and it paid off.
Everth Cabrera continues to improve at the plate, going 2 for 5 with the home run. Everth has raised his batting average 20 percentage points in the last 10 games.
“Two hits into the seventh, no runs, pretty good. Hell of a job by Stults,” manager Buddy Black said during the postgame interview. “[The Diamondbacks] strung some hits together, they did.”
All in the bottom of the seventh inning. That’s an inning that Padres pitchers would certainly like to have back and do over again.
Notes:
The corresponding move for Burch Smith having been sent down to AAA Tucson was announced Friday as Tommy Layne was recalled from Tucson. The left-handed reliever (converted from a starter) debuted with the Padres last season and went 2-0 with a 3.24 earned run average in 26 games. The move gives the Padres another left-handed arm in the bullpen for the series with the Diamondbacks who are stocked with left-handed hitting. Expect Clayton Richard to be called up after the Arizona part of the current road trip to make a start, at least that’s the way it figures on paper.
Saturday, the Padres will offer Andrew Cashner (3-2, 3.02) for the second game of the three-game series at Arizona against Wade Miley (3-3, 3.67) of the Diamondbacks. First pitch is at 7:10 PM PDST and the game is carried on radio 1090 AM and televised on Fox Sports San Diego.