Padres drop first game of series against Rockies
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Petco Park- San Diego, California
The San Diego Padres are looking to gain momentum on the upcoming season.
They must finish 2019 on a positive note.
Losing games at this point in the season is not critical, but it is more important to realize how the team and certain individuals are playing in high-leverage situations. It is time for evaluation mode. Players like David Bednar, Michel Baez, and Austin Allen can make a huge impression for the 2020 season.
Colorado utilized a soft-tossing pitcher to beat San Diego on Friday. Tim Melville pitched for the Padres in 2017, and like most former Padres, he came back with a vengeance against his former team. The right-hander went 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs on Friday. He struck out eight batters in collecting his second win of the season. Melville has quietly amassed a 3.66 ERA in five games for the Rockies.
For the Padres, it was the same story. A soft-tossing pitcher shut them down. They failed to adjust, and it’s maddening to watch.
San Diego was unable to solve Melville, and the Rockies’ bullpen completely shut the unit down. Colorado got 3 1/3 shutout innings from their bullpen to earn the win. Jairo Diaz went 1-2-3 in the 9th to earn his first career save.
The Padres had a runner gunned out at home (again) in the first inning as Greg Garcia was thrown out by Raimel Tapia. That set the tone for the night.
Nick Martini went 2-for-4 with a run in the loss as he continues to swing a scorching bat for Andy Green. Eric Hosmer had a big hit to drive in the only two runs of the game for San Diego. The first baseman now has 92 RBIs on the season.
Dinelson Lamet held Colorado to three earned runs in six innings. He struck out four in his outing and was handed the loss. Lamet is now 2-4 on the season with a 3.95 ERA.
The Padres look to take game two of the series tomorrow as Joey Lucchesi and Jeff Hoffman are set to battle. 5:40 start time.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.