Sometimes, no matter how hot a team is, if a certain pitcher comes along on a certain day, the team is just not going to win.
That was the case at PETCO Park on Friday night. The Padres, winners of 6 straight games, ran in to Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo and his dizzying array of off-speed pitches.
Arroyo throws from several different arm angles, with velocities varying from 68 MPH to 88 MPH, causing the ball to break on various planes.
If his stuff is working, he's extremely hard to hit. If it's not, he's a glorified batting practice hurler. This time it was working.
Arroyo threw a complete game, 3-hit (all singles) shutout, striking out 8. Padres manager Bud Black seemed as flummoxed as his hitters were.
"He does a tremendous job of throwing off a hitter's timing," said Black.
Tomorrow the Padres get someone a little more conventional in Homer Bailey, who can touch 97 miles an hour with his fastball.
