Padres Game Recap – Apr. 21, 2015

Now THAT was a fun win tonight! EXCITING! FUN! RELENTLESS! HUSTLING! CLUTCH! WINNERS! What else can be said about this Padres club so far this season? They’ve not played perfect baseball by any means, but they’ve undeniably played inspiring baseball, and did it once again tonight to forge another come from behind victory, this one 7-6 over the Rocks.

There have been so many twists and turns, ups and downs, momentum changes and turning points in many of these wins lately that it’s sometimes hard to know where to begin, so I usually just start at the beginning and work through it. Hope that game plan works for you tonight.

SO…Morrow and Matzek exchanged zeros through the first two innings with Morrow looking solid and Matzek teetering on pending disaster at any moment.  The inability to even throw strikes, let alone locate, his fastball finally caught up to the Rockies’ left hander in the third when Barmes hit his first home run as a Padre, and Kemp drove in Norris who had doubled to give the Pads a 2-0 lead.

The fourth produced another opportunity to score as Matzek’s control issues put two runners on with one out but a great defensive play by Lemahieu started an inning ending double play to end the threat.  In the bottom half of the inning former Padre, Nick Hundley, helped tie the game with an RBI 3B that also set himself up to score on a groundout and it was a 2-2 ballgame.

The fifth again presented the Friars with a chance to blow the game open with back to back walks to set the stage. Myers then dropped a single into right field but Barmes was run down in a pickle after over rounding third base.  A Colorado error again set the table for damage, but Matzek was able to finally deliver one well located fastball to get a double play to end the threat. Big time wasted opportunity, and momentum changer.  The Rockies jumped on the opportunity and plated 3 runs in their half of the inning to take a 5-2 lead.

It stayed that way for another inning. However, remember above…relentless, exciting, clutch?  Well, all those elements showed up in the seventh starting with a Spangenberg pinch hit double, and a Myers double to trim the deficit to 5-3. Then in the 8th this team’s character and ability came out in full force with Middlebrooks starting the charge with a leadoff single. Alonso was then hit by a pitch. Next SuperUtility hero Solarte did his thing again with a pinch-hit single to score Middlebrooks and send Alonso to third to get the Pads to within 1.  With Amarista at the plate Buddy put on a safety squeeze, but the bunt was a little firm allowing for a do-or-die bare hand grab by the pitcher which turned into an out at home.  No worries, with 2 outs Myers walked to the plate and promptly lined a single into left field to score Solarte and tie the game at 5 – clutch!  Norris followed that with his second double of the night, a 2-run back breaker scoring Amarista and Myers to give the Friars a 7-5 lead – clutch and exciting!

With the lead back in hand Buddy was able to go to his eighth inning specialist, Benoit, who posted a scoreless frame (that’s odd!), to get the ball to Kimbrel.  Again the former Friar, Hundley, was a thorn in the Padres side as he homered opposite field to lead of the ninth and give Kimbrel no breathing room with now a 1-run lead. The fireballing closer was not going to let that lead evaporate though, and retired the next three batters in order to nail down the 7-6 victory and notch his 5th save – exciting!

The fellas were really fired up afterwards and understandably so!

It was a gutsy come from behind victory, the likes of which this team has not seen much of in recent years. But this Padre club is not anything like those teams of old.  This team has a lineup full of potent MLB hitters, dynamic veteran leadership, and an emerging attitude of “Can do, and will do” confidence that is palpable.  It’s far from a finished product but already you can see this team developing it’s own personality and identity, and winning whatever it takes appears to be a major ingredient.

Tomorrow Shields will look to lock in the series win, with first pitch being thrown at 5:40. You know where to hear all the action – the Mighty 1090 of course with the voice of Padres baseball, Ted Leitner, and myself talking Pads hardball with you. Look forward to you joining us!

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