The top of the fifth brings Oliveras to the plate. The Padres are up 3-0. Three runs seem like nothing in Oracle park though. This was witnessed by anyone who watched last nights Padres Giants game. Oliveras K’s to give 8 strikeouts to Gausman, who actually looked quite good, even though he leaves on the hook for the loss, having never been in command of the score line. His stuff was still well placed. Eight strikeouts is a great stat for 4 innings and a third – it is obviously misleading of his dominance though. Caleb Barager comes in to relieve Gausman.
Tatis singled prior to the pitching change. He is Forced on a fielder’s choice that maybe possibly had a chance for a double play early on. Machado has a single and a run scored in this game in the fourth. It was an odd check swing infield hit that he ran hard for.
The Padres had a run already on the board prior to the Fourth, as France Doubled and scored in the third.
The fourth saw 2 runs cross the plate too. It seemed a bit less exciting than it might normally, because we know that there are several SFG hitters that are playing really well at the plate right now – they stand to come up here in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Mike Yastrzemski is up first, and he has Padres pitcher’s number so far this year.
As a note to readers: The Padres won’t be the first to 5 wins in the MLB, even if they do win. Cleveland is sitting on a 5-2 record after another incredible start by Shane Beiber. The Dodgers are also in a convincing lead against the DBacks in the top of the 5th and look to be going 5-2 also. Given the right timing they may do it faster than the Padres as there is a half-inning differential between the two games.
Another guy that has cleaned the Padres Clock is Solano, he bats now. Dinelson Lamet has been pretty good though. He sits on 80 pitches to this point. There’s a man on first that advances to second – that man: Yastrzemski. Only a single out. He walks Belt. Longoria is up with the bases juiced. He runs 0-2 to Longoria, and of course after such a great start here, it makes some level of sense to get Lamet through 5 to put him in a position for the win.
Perdomo is warming up in the pen for the Padres.
Grisham dives and catches this ball in the right center gap, the two throws back in are wide and while only a single run scores, it could have been the end of the inning too. Grisham has some wheels when he wants to. He is also the type of player that will sacrifice his body for an out. He seems a really great pick up for SD. Pham fields the shallow left hit ball, and the inning is over. Lamet won’t be returning to the mound, and while some are probably cursing Jayce Tingler for leaving him in, the damage is negligible and he gained a lot of goodwill from his pitcher Lamet, and respect as a manager by his players for leaving the waning pitcher in past 85 pitches.
Pham faces Barager in the top of the 6th. Pham rolls into 2nd with a double that hits the middle of the wall in left. Pham probably wanted second rather than third (he’d never have made it to third). So, he could get the steal on third. He won’t get that steal, though, as Jurickson Profar hits a home run convincingly to left. Five-One Padres. Myers barely makes it to second, but he has a double. Ty France up, no one out. The SDP look as god here with no outs as they have all year with 2 outs. In a word: scary.
Longoria still looks jetlagged. His awkward throw to first sees a spinning 1B Belt tag out France before the bag is reached. Longoria gets the broken-bat ground ball this time just right and the Padres have two outs. If you’re a Padres fan you’re hoping this is where the game heats up given all the success on 2 outs so far this year. Oliveras falls to 0-2 though.
I feel it necessary to note that Mark Grant has been waxing poetic about Tyler Heineman for 5 plus minutes. He seems to really want to throw pitches to the catcher. It almost gets out of hand. #MarkGrant (In full disclosure I cannot even tell who is calling this game – it may not be Grant – but it sure seems like Grant/Orsillo)
Padres exit the inning 5-1 in the lead. Perdomo seems to have no difficulty getting through his part of the inning. We enter the Top of the 7th with the Padres back up again, after what seems like a 2 minute bottom of the 6th.
Tatis is part of a review his second in two days, and it looks like he wasn’t hit, but instead that the ball hit is bat barrel and awkwardly made his hands sting. He certainly reacted heavily, and yet, did not move to firs base. He wants to hit, either way. It’s 3-2 now to Tatis. Tatis is terrorized on that AB, with a high and tight on the last pitch for a walk. Grisham to the plate he’s been solid thus far this year. Junior steals second base. It seems pretty clear that he is safe, but he will be subject to his third review on this stolen base.
It’d be incredibly hard to see the Giants get this call overturned. The call stands. Grisham is 2-1 he smashes a fair ball over the first base bag, and Tatis scores. Grisham increases his prowess with another multi-base hit. It’s 6-1 Padres with Machado up at the plate. It could be more though. Machado is no slouch. There are zero outs and while late, you can feel the animosity in the air about last night’s loss from Padres players.
Grisham waits patiently on second. He seems to know there’s more run production coming. It won’t be coming via Machado though; he is putout by Longoria at first on a moderately hit ball to third base side.
Grisham steals third. Throw was high. This continues the Padres reign at the top of the Majors for stolen bases. They have 11 Stolen bases, with the next closest club having only 6 (Seattle). Two outs now, with Profar up and the runner at 3rd. Coonrod goes full to Profar, and while the contact on full count is excellent, the shift puts the ball in playable territory. The inning is over. What would have easily been a single right up the middle turns out to be the end of the frame.
Giants come up in the bottom of the 7th. Don’t count them out, their have proven they will make up for what they lack on paper with heart this season. Also, Yastrzemski and Solano. Mike Yaz has been prolific. He must have someone to impress. You almost want to root for him, even as a Padres fan. His slash line looks like something Shoeless Joe, or Tris Speaker would aspire for. Probably luckily for the Padres, he walks. Dickerson has uncommon power at times, and that roped liner up the middle puts runners on first and second.
Giants look threatening here with Solano up, no outs, and two smart players on base. Wouldn’t you know it, Yaz scores. Solano has another hit down the third base line. To get a ball past Machado is not an easy feat either.
You really cannot count these giants out. The NL West looks to be where all the action is. Every single team looks to be a contender, with AZ the sole outlier, but even they have some moments you cannot deny. You very well could see a team that ends up in the world series from the NL West this year, and it’s not super cut and dry that it will be the Dodgers. Colorado, SD, and the Giants all look capable with the right run of going to “Fall Classic” which is probably due for a name change given this 2020 season.
Perdomo has loaded the bases. Tingler will have him removed now. Pomeranz comes in and K’s a player. Bases still loaded. 1 out. Flores, a still dangerous hitter up to bat. Middle outfield fly ball, Dickerson scores on the sacrifice. 6-3 Padres 2 outs.
Padres better start formulating a plan for some more runs.
Giants have brought the lead to within two. A pinch-hit single to left scores another run. Heineman flies out to Olivares in right. There’s a lot more baseball left tonight in Oracle Park. Padres fans are holding their breath. They have been let down before. There have been only 14 years of winning baseball since 1969 in San Diego. This year almost seems to good to be true to some of the jaded fans.
Peralta puts the Padres down in order, and there seems to be some wind in the sails of the Giants.
Giants due up in the bottom of the 8th. Emilio Pagan enters the game. Hedges is behind the plate. Steven Duggar is up for SFG. Tatis can’t quite get the throw to first on time. Duggar on first. The guy you don’t want up in the bottom of the 8th representing the tying run for the SFG is Yastrzemski. He is at the plate with a man on first. He hits an RBI triple to right center. Duggar scores. This guy is the real deal. Who says DNA doesn’t matter? This kid has the stuff. I don’t know what Grandpa Carl and Mike’s relationship is like, but I can assure you, somebody has been giving this guy some pointers.
The bullpen that was to eclipse all bullpens has been the reason the Padres aren’t 6-0 right now and looking to win a 7th. This is maddening to the Padres fans that seems to be able to telegraph every poor decision.
The Giants just will not be counted out. Their record indicates .500 ball – their performance against the Padres seems to change all preconceived notions.
Hedges makes a stop on a horrible pitch, that proves the genius of putting him in with the slim and getting slimmer lead the Padres had.
Pagan sitting on 20 pitches, one out, a run has scored. He cannot be in a good state of mind. The game is tied up with a sac fly to right field. Yastrzemski scores without a challenge and he has factored heavily in reducing sizable leads by the Padres twice now in two days. The Padres need to step it up. By the way Yastrzemski is .440/548/.840/1.388; Solano is right there with him with a considerable slash line of his own: .474/.474/.789/1.263. the Giants are getting fat on the Padres pitching.
Pitching change after a walk. Tied game here in the Bottom of the 8th. Pierce Johnson appears to be the guy for the SDP. Longoria at the plate. Longoria lines out to Profar. Padres need to do something here or face another walk-off situation.
Tyler Rogers on the mound. He has already featured in this series to some effect against the Padres. Caught looking is Olivares. One out in the 9th. Fernando Tatis Jr. is up now. A weak swing on third strike signifies his pleasure at his own strikeout.
SFG look poised to walk this one off. The look on Tatis’ face says it all.
Padres, tired as they are, can only hope they go extra innings. Kirby Yates looks to be the guy, as he was warming up when the inning changeover happened.
I stand corrected. Pierce Johnson is still in the game. He delivers a nasty curve on the first pitch for a strike. Tingler may seem confident that his guy on the mound can get them into the 10th. But a lead-off flare hit for a single may be the start to the end of that concept. Pence is in to run at first. Dubon flies out to right field. Runner held to first. There is an out here in the 9th. Johnson seems worried about pence here. He throws over and is cautious towards home plate.
Shallow fly ball to center field angers Heineman and he looks like he broke his bat on the ground in frustration. There are two outs here in the bottom of the ninth. Mike Yastrzemski is on deck. Steven Duggar at the plate. Hedges goes to first and Pence is back safely.
I think the Padres are sort of hoping that Pence can be picked. They don’t want to face Yaz. But they won’t have to for at least a half inning. The batter whiffs to end the inning. Machado due up in the first game of extra innings for the Padres.
The Padres bullpen seems to be struggling heavily, despite being on paper, and world class crew relative to the rest of baseball. Only a few other teams have the depth and capabilities of this Padres relief set.
Machado leads off with the runner, Grisham, on second.
That walk was probably a bit premature. That was more likely a strike than it was a ball. Rogers grins acknowledging to the Umpire that he knows that was a strike.
Pham up with runners on 1st and second. He gets a ball through the infield near the middle. Pham drives in a run in the 10th. Grisham with the run – unearned to Rogers – counted as a team error. He’s on the hook here though, with no outs in the tenth. Profar up feigning bunt. But he may be serious. Small ball seems to be something Jayce Tingler is exploring this year. It certainly seems Jurickson Profar is going to sac squeeze this to advance both the runners into scoring position.
He swings away instead. 1-1 count to Profar. He is hit by pitch. He looks bothered at least. I would be too if I got hit at the pelvic line. Greg Garcia will pinch hit in Myers’ place. It’s an odd choice but pays off. The base hit by Garcia scores two runs. Myers is probably stoked. No outs in the tenth with a 9-6 score. Giants will get their chance, but right now the Padres are still very much a threat to widen the margin. Ty France is up at the plate.
Rogers is losing a lot of his control here, and the Padres have done a number on him. Another looping hit to center field scores Profar. It’s a 4-run lead now for the Padres. Yates will likely be in the position for the win now. Padres are crushing it with runners in scoring position in 2020. Probably only slightly better than their run with 2 runs out. They’ve been a whole new team in those scenarios.
Gabe Kapler out to the mound now. He’ll get the ball from Rogers. Looks like it will be Rico Garcia. But this is not a fun game to come into at this point.
A bunt scores another run.
It seems, and it’s not completely clear, but it seems as though Kapler DID NOT take Rogers out of the game, Rico Garcia was not put into the game. They pitched and it was bunted, a run scored, and now, that change has been made. The commercial break has made it difficult to tell exactly what has transpired.
We don’t have media credentials this year with MLB for the Padres. So, to tell what actually happened may be impossible.
It’s possible there was an obscure rule that played into Rogers having stayed in the game, thanks to 2020 changes. It’s still unclear.
Garcia has been a work horse. He has been in more than half the Giants games this year so far.
Tatis Jr. is up now. Runners are on the corners. Only a single out here. Very far in and tight to Tatis. He lands a shot to center almost identical to the last, and scores another run. The Padres will have batted around the lineup in the top of the tenth after Grisham bats. It’s 12-6 Padres. He flies out to center. Runners stay put on the shallow fly to CF. Machado’s second AB in the inning has arrived.
Nothing is final in baseball it seems sometimes, but this 6-run padding sure puts Padres in a decent position to get their 5th win in 7 games. They are still on track to match their best ever start. They’ll need to win the next three (in addition to tonight) to do it though. Machado ends the inning by striking out.
As an Arsenal FC supporter (EPL – English Football), this type of game is typical. Heartache and cardiac irregularities are par for the course for supporters of the Padres and Gunners. Not quite as bad as being a Cleveland supporter, but it’s up there. No more red meat this week.
And don’t count the Giants out… looks they already have a runner in scoring position. Duggar on second, Yastrzemski up at the plate. It’s so odd to see this type of thing in baseball. But you know what? If they can systemically alter baseball due to cultural changes (smart, and past due), and COVID-19 (smart and annoying), they can maybe change baseball’s staunch attitude towards Shoeless Joe Jackson. The greatest player not in the Hall of Fame, and with a legitimate case to be. There are others, but this one is egregious.
If there ever was a season to get rid of the stranglehold on commissioners that Kennesaw Mountain Landis has had, it’s 2020. #NoShoesNoGlory
Joe Jackson deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
The Padres deserve the win in this game.
With one out, and an 0-2 count on Solano, it looks all but certain.
Bednar is the pitcher on the mound. He runs 2-2 with arguably the best hitter on the Giants this year. That’s saying a lot considering Yaz.
And never say never. He is 4-5 tonight with a double to the far reaches of centerfield. This guy is unstoppable. 12-7 Padres. Solano on second.
Darin Ruf is up, replacing Belt in the lineup. Bednar is a strike away here. Ruf is hitting .333 but hasn’t quite had the playtime this year to solidify the stats. He’s 3-9 on the season and runs to 1-2 against Bednar in the bottom of the tenth. He ropes a ball barely foul down into the corner in the air.
Padres win 12-7 in 10 full innings. They improve to 5-2 on the year and have the second-best record in the NL West tied with LAD just below the Colorado Rockies who the Padres will face in an epic early decider for the division. They will arrive in Colorado early tomorrow morning (a few hours from now) to get ready for that series. They are one of only 3 teams sitting on 5 wins through 7 in the Majors.
No doubt there are weary and worn, but they are winners tonight.