Despite the team wearing some old school brown pinstripe uniforms, and Andrew Cashner setting both an MLB record and a separate organizational record during his outing today, the Pads still lost to the Astros 7-2 dropping all three of the set. With the loss the Friars have now dropped 7 of their last 8, after having won 9 of their previous 11.
Cash set the organizational record by striking out the first 6 batters he faced in the ballgame. The previous record for most K’s to start a game was 4 done multiple times. He threw as well as I’ve seen him all season, dotting his FB, CH, and SL with precision allowing no chance for the Astros hitters.
He was posted a 1-0 lead thanks to a Matt Kemp RBI double in the first off Keuchal. It was the first run he had allowed all season long before the 5th inning of any ball game he had pitched so far this season. Things looked optimistic.
The lead was short lived, however, as the string of K’s was broken up with a lead off 2B to start the third by Marisnick. He then advanced to third on a passed ball, which would prove costly as he then was able to score on a sac fly. It was the 8th unearned run allowed to cross the plate while Cashner was on the mound this season. That’s an almost insurmountable number for any pitcher to overcome and goes a long way in explaining his 1-4 record so far.
Things then turned South for good for the Pads in the 4th. Springer doubled on a slider left too high, then a hanging change up was placed on a platter to Rasmus who launched it into the right field seats. 3-1 Astros. Simultaneously as the lead turning into a deficit, Keuchal had settled down and went to work holding the Pads offense in check for the rest of the game. After the Kemp double he retired the next 14 in a row, and 23 of the last 24 he faced.
I mentioned that in addition to setting an organizational record that Cashner also set and MLB record today, and he did that by allowing only 2 earned runs in his 7 innings of work today, making that 21 consecutive home starts allowing 2 earned runs or less. That is the most such consecutive home outings by any pitcher in the history of MLB. Certainly a notable accomplishment, and just a shame that it did not also come with a win.
The ‘Stros scored 4 more insurance runs in the 9th on a combination of hits and some really sloppy Padres defense. It was not a pretty end to a not very pretty series for the Pads.
Ok…take a deep breath, let it out, and remember that despite the recent team slump in which the Friars have dropped 7 of their last 8 they are still only 1 game under .500, and only 3 games behind the first place Dodgers. Is it where you want to be, or expect to be? No, of course not! But with 139 games left to play, and a team of new players still learning each other, and themselves in some cases, this season is just getting started.
Over the course of a season it’s not question of if there will be team slumps, it’s a question of when will there be team slumps. They are inevitable, and then the true question becomes how quickly can you bring them to an end, and do you come out stronger as a team for having gone through them. Those are the true questions to be asked right now, and only time will tell the destiny determining answers.
For a team with as many experienced, proven successful, and good character guys as this club now has the outcome should be less damaging than in any time in recent Padres history. A timely day off, and a chance to rebound against the inner division foe against whom this downturn started a week ago may be just what the Dr. ordered to finish the homestead on a positive note, and go into the upcoming 10 game road trip with some upward momentum.
Ian Kennedy will get the ball on Friday. First pitch will be at 7:10, and as always we look forward to you joining Jesse Agler (filling in for Ted Leitner) and myself for all the action on the Mighty 1090. Enjoy the off day!
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16 Comments
matt
April 30, 2015 at 10:14 pmVinny Ibarra via Facebook
April 30, 2015 at 8:58 amChase Brandon Kemp via Facebook
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