With the success guys like Ryan Schimpf and Travis Jankowski have had this year we've kind of grown accustomed to seeing Padres rookies play well. On Saturday night at Petco Park the Padres lost to the Diamondbacks 2-1 but another youngster added his name to the list of rookies who announced their presence with authority.
Patrick Kivlehan made his big league debut and in his second career MLB at-bat he went big fly. Like, really big fly. Kivlehan ripped a Robbie Ray offering in to the left field seats for a 451-foot home run, his first Major League hit. Kivlehan, who just joined the Padres organization after the Mariners put him on waivers a couple of weeks ago, had two of his new team’s three hits.
His blast was the only run the Padres scored but at least it was earned. Both runs the Diamondbacks got came courtesy of errors by starting pitcher Clayton Richard.
Arizona put runners on base in the 5th and 6th innings and both times Richard got a comebacker that should have been a double play ball. But both times the Richard threw the ball wide of 2nd base and in to centerfield. Both miscues led to Arizona runs.
The Diamondbacks had a 2-1 lead in the 8th inning but it looked like the lead was going to evaporate. Kivlehan singled, Adam Rosales doubled and Travis Jankowski walked to load the bases with nobody out. Then the Padres went around the horn in a bad way. Alexei Ramirez popped out to third, Wil Myers lined out to second and Yangervis Solarte fouled out to first to end the threat.
The Padres can still win the 4-game series on Sunday. Luis Perdomo takes the mound against Braden Shipley.
