Padres Game Recap – Apr. 22, 2015

So much for the potential series sweep as the Pads lost to the Rockies walk off style 5-4. Although it was obviously a close game it was a relatively uneventful game for much of it, or so it seemed compared to some of the recent drama filled affairs.

For the tenth time this season the Friars scored first, this time thanks to one of the hottest Padres hitters, Solarte, who was getting his 5^th start of the season at 2B. He wasted no time jumping on the second pitch he saw from Kyle Kendrick for a solo HR, 1-0 Pads.

Then silence. The bats went quiet as Kendrick did nothing special other than keep his fastball down in the zone and generally out of the middle of the plate. He did get some help as well from his defense, namely in the person of his 3B, Arenado, who played a marvelous hot corner tonight.   After missing the first two nights with a sore wrist he was back, and made his presence felt with the glove and the bat (2/4, 2B, RBI, R). He started a double play in the second on a ball to his left that likely would normally get through. He followed that up with a back hand play deep down the line to end the inning. He just covers so muc ground on the left side, and more was in store later in the game.

Meanwhile, as Kendrick cruised, Shields scuffled. He uncharacteristically could not find the control of his fastball, let alone command, and spent most of the night pitching from behind in the count. The Rocks quickly took advantage and plated 2 in the first, one on a Dickerson HR. Another run crossed in the second to put the Pads behind 3-1. The next three innings were spent trying to find something he could go to with any consistency. It ended up being his curve, which he was able to use to keep the Colorado offense off balance just enough to keep the Friars in the game. In many ways it was his most impressive outing of the season to me because it was a true display of his competitiveness and determination to find a way to survive with nothing close to his best stuff. And to do it in Colorado…he really showed me something.

So, it stayed 3-1 until the sixth, when Myers figured out Kendrick and drove a 3-2 off speed pitch to center field for his second HR of the season, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Shields had his best inning of the night in the 6^th to establish some order and get the Pads hitters back up to the plate.

Alonso started the seventh with a single, to raise his average to .365, and start another rally. Norris ‘s double scored Yo, and the Spangenberg’s pinch hit 2B scored Norris to regain the lead for the first time since the first, 4-3. With runners on 2^nd and 3^rd Myers then hit a rocket to the 5.5 hole, but Arenado again made a stellar play, diving to his left to make the stop and record the out, preventing 2 more runs from crossing…it would end up being huge.

Despite not expanding the lead, the good news was it was the 8^th and time for the Benoit-Kimbrel show. Normally it’s a great routine for Padres fans as they watch Benoit post a zero with fastballs and changeups, then Kimbrel blows them down in the 9^th with the heat. The first out of the 8^th went as planned but then Dickerson for the second time of the evening went deep to tie it 4-4. Inconceivable! Well…not really, it is Coors.

The Pads were shut down in the eighth and ninth by the Rocks ‘pen, and instead of Kimbrel heading out for the ninth for a save it was Kelley heading out to keep the game tied. Two hits, and intentional walk, and a five man infield (that created an awkward moment for Rearick who came in from the bullpen thinking he was in the game when Buddy went to the mound to orchestrate the crowded infield), all lead up to a game winning pinch hit by Descalso and the Rockies were doing the walk off happy dance…bummer.

Once again this team would not quit, fought back, but just came up short tonight.

Before closing this out I do feel compelled to give some props to Derrick Norris tonight who not only came up with one of the big run scoring hits in the Pads seventh inning rally, but also did a tremendous job on defense as well. He made several excellent blocks of tough breaking balls in the dirt to prevent runners from advancing at key moments of the game, and gunned down two would be base thieves. He’s surprising the league thus far with his throwing, as runners keep trying to take advantage based on his CS% from last year, but keep getting shown that there was obviously more to that stat than meets the eye.

All right. Pads can still win the series, and will try to do so tomorrow behind Tyson Ross. First pitch at 12:10 (PDT).  Look forward to you joining Uncle Teddy and myself for all the action on the Mighty 1090!

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