For the first time this season the Padres completed back to back walk off victories as they came back to beat the Giants tonight 5-4.
Kennedy started the game and was bobbing and weaving from the get go. He allowed a lead off double then a single that would have lead to a first inning tally for the Giagantes had it not been for a well executed relay to the plate started by Upton Jr. in center field, to Myers, to Norris to gun down Pagan at home. He wouldn’t be as lucky in the 2nd as Crawford would deposit a home run over the center field wall to put NorCalers up 1-0.
The last time the Pads faced Bumgarner they were one hit by the lefty, so that one run could have been enough on any given night. Tonight was not one of those nights as MadBum wasn’t quite as perfect as last time. He allowed a walk and single to start the 2nd which set the stage for Norris who picked out a hanging breaking ball to his liking and drove it opposite field into the right field seats. 3-1 Pads.
You better make that lead stand because against Bumgarner that may be all you get! Ian tried to preserve the lead but his sharpest stuff just wasn’t consistently there tonight. Flat pitches of all makes and models were in the zone and getting hit. Double, single, double plated another S.F. run in the 3rd to cut the Friar lead to 3-2.
Two innings later the run advantage would evaporate completely on a double, walk, single, wild pitch and balk which combined produced two runs and a Giant 4-3 lead. Potentially lethal with Bumgarner on the hill, who was getting shaper as the game went on. Despite struggling to find any pitch he could consistently throw where he wanted to, Kennedy at least kept the game within a run over his five laborious innings of work.
The good news is it’s September and the bullpens are exhausted and filled with young and unpredictable arms to forge comebacks against. Snipering the ‘pen was the modus operandi last night to complete the comeback walk off, so why not try it again tonight, right?
Kemp was the first to take care of business with his 8th inning 2-out, RBI double that scored Spangenberg to tie the game up 4-4. As the Mattiator in the big board video asks, “Are you not entertained?”
The 9th gave rise to a new hero. After Norris doubled, and was sacrificed to third by Upton Jr., Murphy sent Amarista to face the hard throwing left hander Osich. With the infield and outfield pulled in to cut down the run at home Ninja got a fastball that he could barrel up and sent it into the left field gap easily scoring Norris from third for the game winning walk off victory. Let the post game interview Gatorade bucket flow! Wait…where was it?
It was the fourth walk off of the season for the Fathers this season, and the third game winning hit of Ninja’s career.
Petco welcomed it’s fist baby born at the stadium. Little Levi entered the world in the third inning at the Palm Court Plaza, and was treated to his first Padres walk off W. Not a bad way for him to start his Padres Fan career!
Tomorrow Casey Kelley will get his first start since 2012, with the first pitch being fired at 7:10. Can’t wait to see if the Pads can win walk off style for a third time, and for you to join Uncle Teddy and me for all the action on the Mighty 1090!
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