Another disappointing series loss in what was supposed to be a home stand of respite and rebound after a long road trip. So far it has been neither. No rest with five of the six games so far being intense contests decided by 2 runs or less, and two extra innings games that combine to fatigue a pitching staff. No rebound in dropping 2 of 3 to first the D’Backs and now the Royals, and the offense is still looking to find itself. Here’s how the series with KC unfolded:
Cashner had a challenging first inning in game #3, with little support behind him.
- GAME #1 – Stults vs. Ventura…veteran finesse vs. youthful power. The veteran, Stults, unfortunately did not have his best stuff, but bobbed and weaved as best he could none the less, yielding 11 hits, but only 3 runs until Buddy had to retrieve him in the 5th. Ventura on the other hand lived up to his hype through the first five innings with an explosive fastball that reached 99 MPH, and a 12/6 curve ball and a change up that when thrown down were almost un-hittable. Trailing 3-0, it looked like a tough hole to dig out of, but Grandal brought the Friars to life with a 3-run HR on an elevated curve ball to tie it in the 6th. KC took the lead back in the 7th, but the never say die Padres tied it in the bottom of the ninth on Gyorko’s second HR of the home stand. The Royals took the lead again scoring 1 in the twelfth, but the pads would not give in. Denorfia singled, then Alonso doubled, to set up Venable’s game winning single scoring both runners to give the Pads a hard fought 6-5 win in the opener. 1-0 padres.
- GAME #2 – Erlin showed that he is learning his lessons at the MLB level by having one of his sharpest outings yet. He spotted his fastball down to both sides of the plate and complimented it with a sharp curve ball to blank KC through five. He was given a run to work with in the fourth thanks to Grandal’s second HR in two nights. Erlin allowed a HR himself in the 6th but was otherwise sharp with his entire repertoire incorporating the slider and change up in the later innings, going a strong seven allowing only the 1 run. For a second night in a row they went into extra frames, but Vincent was tagged for 2 in the eleventh. The Pads got a base runner on the bottom of the eleventh, but with the tying run at the plate Venable was thrown out inexplicably trying to steal second essentially ending the threat. Shame to see Erlin’s solid start not rewarded. Series tied 1-1.
- GAME #3 – With Cashner and Shields going to the mound, an epic pitcher’s duel was expected. It never evolved as the Padres essentially gave the game away in the first thanks to two errors that lead to a 3-run inning, with 2 of the runs being unearned and forcing Cashner to throw an additional 28 pitches. The Padres never recovered, and Cash was gone after the fourth with 4 runs allowed. The Pads ‘pen uncharacteristically allowed four more to cross, but it didn’t matter because the offense couldn’t solve Shields, and his fastball, change up, cutter combinations. They actually were able to get runners on base against him in 6 of the 7 innings he pitched, including a 3-hit second inning that was scuttled by Maybin getting thrown out after aggressively rounding second. It was a disappointing game all around, and finish to a series that got off to such a promising start.
After the gutsy win in the opener, it was frustrating to lose the series on a sloppy loss. It was especially disappointing considering Cashner was on the mound. He’s 2-5 now, which is hard to believe considering how good his stuff is, but he’s had a series of games that have included a combination of mistakes being hit, anemic offensive support, and today lapses in the defensive support behind him. Still, he’s supposed to be the “Ace”, and the anticipation is that his day on the mound should be a “Win” day, but the team has lost his last 4 outings. Hopefully the strengths of the team which have been the pitching and defense can continue to hang tough, but it does get tougher physically and psychologically the longer the offense continues to struggle.
Some positives to point out:
- Grandal was able to catch back to back games, and the knee appears to be holding up just fine. His two HR’s and 5 total extra base hits in the last 6 games may also be a good sign that he is starting to find his groove at the plate.
- Although he was 0-8 the last two games, Gyorko’s 2 HR’s in the past 5 games might indicate he is also possibly starting to turn the corner.
- Maybin has 7 hits in the last 4 games and is hitting .379 since his return.
- Headley is due back Saturday.
- Quentin is inching closer to his return each day as well.
Marlins are coming to town. Hopefully they can take the final series, and end the home stand on a good note. Here are the expected match ups:
- Game #1 (7:10 p.m.) – Kennedy vs. Turner
- Game #2 (7:10 p.m.) – Ross vs. Hernandez
- Game #3 (5:40 p.m.) – Stults vs. Eovaldi
- Game #4 (1:10 p.m.) – Erlin vs. Alvarez
Take the final series, and the home stand can be salvaged.
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