Cease, two-out knocks edge Rockies in 3-1 Padres win
Padres
After winning back-t0-back series against two of the best teams in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, the Padres dropped two out of three in a quick three-game home stand against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The frustrating series loss brought San Diego back to .500 with a 12-12 record. However, the Padres looked to regain momentum in Colorado against the 5-17 Rockies.
Behind stellar pitching, clutch two-out hitting, and a 3-for-10 day with RISP, the Friars took back some momentum and opened the series against the Rockies with a 3-1 victory.
Mike Shildt gave the start to the emerging Padres ace Dylan Cease, who entered the outing with a 1.99 ERA. In his last start against the Brewers, the right-hander tossed six innings of one-earned run baseball with seven punchouts.
“His stuff is so nasty,” Shildt said in an interview with 97.3 The Fan about Cease following his quality start against Milwaukee. “Dylan clearly has a strong competitive spirit. He was really intent on finishing the sixth (inning). I’m appreciating his work ethic. I’m really appreciating his competitive spirit.”
Cease continued his success and dazzled, going seven strong innings, allowing one earned run and striking out eight. After the outing, the hurler lowered his season ERA to 1.82.
For the Rockies, Bud Black handed the ball to southpaw Austin Gomber, who went into the outing with a career 3.61 ERA in 12 appearances against the Padres.
The Padres hit a combined 2-for-14 with RISP in the two losses against the Blue Jays. However, San Diego jumped on the board first in the third inning with a rifled two-out 107-MPH single that scored José Azocar from third, courtesy of former Rockie Jurickson Profar.
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However, Colorado answered in the fourth inning. Padre killer Charlie Blackmon, who entered the contest with a career .308 batting average and 34 home runs in 182 games against San Diego, ripped a 399-foot double. Then Ryan McMahon scored Blackmon on a sacrifice fly to tie that score 1-1.
After three consecutive scoreless frames for both teams, the Friars retook the lead in the eighth inning. With two outs and nobody on base, Luis Campusano ripped a hustle double before Tyler Wade singled him home and advanced to second on the play.
Then, Jackson Merrill delivered a clutch three-hopper through the left side to score Wade.
Flamethrower Robert Suarez took the mound for the second straight day and shut the door in the ninth. Despite some traffic on the basepaths, Suarez enforced a clutch 6-3-3 twin killing to seal the 3-1 win.
With the victory, the Friars are back over .500 with a 13-12 record.
A San Diegan born and raised, Max Schwartzberg is a diehard Padres fan who created and hosts the YouTube channel Padres Previews, a hub where he passionately delivers Padres news, updates, reactions, and hype videos. As a freshman at Northeastern University, Max broadcasts and writes for baseball and basketball. Max dreams of following in the steps of Padres broadcaster and Northeastern alumnus Don Orsillo to become a Major League Baseball announcer.