Tatis and Hosmer provide spark; Yates sets Padres’ record in 3-1 win
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
(Petco Park) San Diego, California- San Diego Padres (41-40) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (40-40)
After a road trip that saw San Diego slip to third place in the National League West, the Padres welcome the St. Louis Cardinals as they open a six-game home stand.
One of the beauties of baseball is how things can change throughout a game.
Cardinals’ starter Michael Wacha had blanketed the team through five innings and seemed to be in full control. The opposite can be said for the Padres starter Eric Lauer, who despite only giving up one run, was in and out of trouble throughout the night. But as the baseball world is slowly figuring out, this Padres team does not have any quit in them.
The trouble for Lauer began early when he found himself with problems in the second inning after loading the bases with two outs. An apparent run-scoring single for Tommy Edmon on a close play was reviewed and finally reversed getting Lauer out of the inning without giving up a run.
Unfortunately, Lauer was unable to duplicate his escape act in the fourth inning and gave up his lone run of the night. With a man on second and third, opposing pitcher Wacha managed an infield single that scored Yadier Molina. A lifetime .091 hitter, Wacha hit the ball up the middle where Fernando Tatis Jr. appeared to make a great play and Wacha was called out. But after reviewing the play, was called safe at first scoring Molina. Lauer was able to finish the inning but was pulled after 98 pitches.
Wacha, on the other hand, was breezing through the lineup allowing only four hits through 5.1 innings. But as he has all year, Tatis provided the team with a spark launching his 10th home-run of the year. The surging Eric Hosmer followed up with a deep home to center giving the Padres the lead and chasing Wacha from the game after he finished the inning.
WE GOING BACK TO BACK‼️#FriarFaithful | @Padres | @TheRealHos305 pic.twitter.com/7tpvxfyxcD
— FOX Sports San Diego (@FOXSportsSD) June 29, 2019
After relieving Lauer to begin the fifth, Cal Quantrill pitch two clean innings and was followed by Perdomo with a clean seventh.
The normally steady Craig Stammen entered to start the eighth and quickly found himself in trouble giving up a lead-off hit to Yario Munoz followed by a one-out single to Yadier Molina. Andy Green allowed Stammen to face Harrison Bader but was relieved after getting Bader to fly out to right field. Kirby Yates came in to finish the game with a four-out save for his NL-leading 27th save.
Notes
– Manuel Margot started in center-field again as Wil Myers continues to sit. Before this game, Margot has hit .348/400/.609 in his last ten games with nine runs scored. Myers, meanwhile, has continued his season-long slump hitting .120/.185/.345 in that same time. Both players ended up with one hit- a double.
– Hosmer has continued to provide steady production going 2-3 and raising his average to .290. Appearing much more comfortable in his role with the club this year, Hosmer’s home-run in the sixth was crushed traveling 419’ and coming off the bat at 110 mph making it second hardest hit of the year for him.
– With his 27th save of the season, Yates broke the Padres record for most saves before the All-Star Game. The previous record was held by Heath Bell who did it in 2011.
A life-long San Diegan and proud father of two. I have followed the Padres since the ’84 World Series and I am excited to give a fans perspective of the club.