Padres get back in win column with commanding series opener
· Yahoo Sports
Make no mistake about it, the San Diego Padres are here to stay. After being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays due to some incredible flukes, they got a win back against the Cincinnati Reds in their series opener Monday night. The club is fighting their way back into the postseason, attempting to stave off the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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San Diego tallied five runs, four of which came in the fourth inning when starter Brady Singer surrendered six consecutive hits before recording an out on a bunt pop out. Singer got out of the inning inducing a 5-4-3 double play. But the damage had been done, and Michael King went on to throw six scoreless innings before Kyle Hart and Wandy Peralta slammed the door. It was everything the Padres needed.
Taking the mound
Nick Lodolo (CIN) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)The 28-year-old Cincinnati mainstay has been hurt this season by a strange injury. Lodolo has a recurring blister on his throwing hand that’s due to the manner in which he throws his breaking balls. Because of that, Lodolo had two stints on the IL causing him to miss time.
That being said, Lodolo hasn’t been all that great when he has been on the mound. He’s pitched to a middling 5.24 ERA through 79 innings and has struggled to find consistency. In his last two outings, he’s given up 10 runs across 7 1/3 innings. Lodolo will be hoping to reverse that against a San Diego lineup that has finally found its stride.
On the other side, Vásquez finally seems to have discovered a groove. In his last seven appearances, the right-hander has gone 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA (35.1 IP). It’s been a fascinating turnaround for the righty after a miraculous start to the season and an incredibly difficult plummet following that auspicious beginning.
Vásquez’s season ERA speaks for itself (4.02), in that he has been good but not great. In his last two starts, he’s hurled 12 innings while allowing just three runs. If the Padres get that version of Vásquez against the Reds tonight, it will be difficult to hold them back from going for the sweep in tomorrow’s series finale.
Batter up!
With the news that Ethan Salas was promoted, the 20-year-old prospect could DH in today’s game to make his MLB debut. That said, it’s possible that manager Craig Stammen could wait until the club returns to Petco Park on Friday for Salas to make his debut at home. Regardless, it’s an exciting development for San Diego.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Ty France, 1B
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Dustin Harris, DH
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Samad Taylor, LF
- Freddy Fermin, C
Harris continued his recent hot streak on Monday night, going 2-for-5 with an RBI. The left fielder now owns a .300 batting average and .735 OPS on the season after going a blistering .471/.471/.529 during his San Diego tenure. Maybe the Padres finally have a long-term solution for their hole in left field.
Relief corps
King did exactly what he needed to do on Monday night: eat innings. The Padres’ bullpen was depleted after their series finale in Tampa Bay went into extra innings, with only Griffin Canning, Hart and Peralta readily available. Only the latter two were called upon after another commanding start from King.
That leaves the Friars with plenty of options if Vásquez reverts back to his less-than-stellar form. San Diego has Canning, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez available for Stammen to choose from once Vásquez departs the game.