Padres Game Recap – May 25, 2015

Heart breaker… thats what tonight’s 4-3 loss to the Angels was. At least that’s how it felt from the Padres radio booth tonight.  To watch the fellas battle back from behind late to tie the game, only to have it taken away in walk-off fashion was tough to swallow.

Ross looked sharp right out of the shoot with good command of both his fastball and slider.  He retired the first five batters in a row, four by strikeout.  With two outs in the 2nd, though, he allowed a double to Joyce down the line past a dive by Solarte.  A two strike breaking ball down low went through the legs of Norris for a passed ball which allowed Joyce to move to third, and it did matter because Perez’s infield single would then be enough to score Joyce for a 1-0 Angel lead.

In the 4th the Angels would strike again with a lead off single by Calhoun, followed by a stolen base.  Joyce then singled to score Calhoun, 2-0 Angels.  The Halos would put two more runners on that inning but Ross worked out without any further damage.

The next inning the Angels again put the lead off man on with a single, and again he stole second.  The league has really taken advantage of Ross’s slow delivery to the plate and he’s now allowed 18 stolen bases this season with only four runners caught.  He’s allowed at least one in all but one of his starts, and two or more in six of his last eight outings including this one.  That runner would end up scoring on on a wild pitch…the second self inflicted Padres run of the evening.

The Friar’s offense would come to life though against Weaver who was masterful in his usual crafty righty kind of way.  He kept the Pads off balance most of the night with 67 MPH curveballs, 75 MPH changeups, cutters, and the occasional fastball strategically located to try to prevent guys from leaning too far out.  Middlebrooks started things off with a single, and after a hot shot out by Almonte Scioscia felt he had pushed his luck far enough with Weaver and went to his bullpen. Gyorko worked a pinch hit walk, then Solarte came through with a 2-run double down the left field line to get the Pads on the board.  Venable then came up huge with a two-out, two-strike single off a tough sweeping curveball to score two and tie the game at 3 a piece. I took all the air out the Angles sails and the boisterous Memorial day crowd.

Maurer mowed the Angels down in the 7th, as did Benoit in the 8th.  Quackenbush was called on for the 9th with the game still tied at 3.  A one out walk, however, would start the Pads undoing.  That was followed by a single back up the middle to put runners at 1st and 3rd.  Buddy decided to mange with urgency and against what some would consider traditional tactics called upon his closer Kimbrel to stop the threat. Craig did his job striking out the first batter he faced to get the second out, which brought Trout to the plate. Buddy understandably opted to intentionally walk the best hitter in the Halo’s lineup to pitch to the elder superstar Pujols.  Showing he still has the will to come through in the big situations against the best relievers in the game Pujols muscled a 98 MPH fastball that shattered his bat through the left side for a single pushing the winning run across for the 4-3 victory.  A painful walk off the diamond for the Pads.

The team continues to show heart.  It continues to show it won’t quit. It continues to show flashes of what it is capable of with the pitching and hitting, but it needs to put together an extended string of those elements all coming together, and it has to cut down on the self inflicted wounds.

Despaigne will go to the mound for the Friars tomorrow and try to get the first of two W’s needed for the boys to still win the series and finish up a .500 road trip.  First pitch is at 7:05 and can’t wait for you to join Uncle Teddy and myself for all the action on the Mighty 1090.

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