Padres Continue Offensive Surge

Friars Beat The Marlins 5-4 To Take Series

In their last three games against the Marlins, the Padres scored a total of 24 runs. To put that in some perspective, in their previous 10 games the Padres had scored 23 runs.

I don't know who these people are wearing the uniforms, of what they did with the Padres, but I am not going to complain.

After erupting for 10 runs on Friday night and nine more on Saturday, the Padres were more economic on Sunday. They had 10 hits, but eight of them were singles. They just came at the right time, something the team had collectively not done for the majority of the season.

Will Venable led off the game with a home run, his first of the year. After that the only extra-base hit was a Seth Smith double.

In the 4th inning, the Padres killed the Marlins with paper cuts. Chase Headley led off with a single. Then Yonder Alonso walked, Alexi Amarista singled home Headley, Venable walked, Chris Denorfia singled home Alonso and Amarista, and Smith singled in Venable. Add it up and you get four runs, old-school National League style.

After that inning, it was a pretty good bet the Padres had the game in hand. They came in to the game with a 12-1 record when scoring at least four runs (yes, that means they're 5-20 when scoring three runs or less, and it's nauseating they've done that 25 times in 39 games).

Starting pitcher Robbie Erlin was solid for the second straight start. He tossed 6.1 innings of shutout ball, striking out seven. In a way, the entire Padres pitching staff was on a strike against Florida.

Over the 4-game series, Padres pitchers whiffed Marlins hitters 48 times, a new franchise record for a 4-game set. The previous mark was set by the 1998 staff that went to the World Series.

The Padres have Monday off, then start a 3-game set in Cincinnati against the Reds on Tuesday. Andrew Cashner gets the start against Fallbrook H.S. alum Mike Leake.

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