I suppose we can call it the Battle for the Basement.
The Padres started their final series of the year against the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Friday night. If the Friars can win just one of their last three games they will guarantee they do not finish in last place in the National League West. They will have two more chances to do that.
San Diego lost 5-3 at Chase Field. Padres starter Edwin Jackson was tagged for a pair of home runs, one by Paul Goldschmidt and another by Chris Owings, in his 6.0 innings of work. The positive for the Padres came off the bat of 2nd baseman Ryan Schimpf.
The rookie smashed his 20th home run of the year, a 469-foot bomb off Braden Shipley in the 4th inning. Schimpf is only the third Padres rookie to hit 20 homers. Jedd Gyorko had 23 in 2013 and Nate Colbert ripped 24 in 1969.
In his first big league call-up Schimpf has gone deep every 13.6 at-bats. If he was able to get enough at-bats to qualify (and he kept up that pace) that would be enough to lead the National League.
San Diego’s next shot at avoiding the cellar comes on Saturday when Clayton Richard takes the mound against Archie Bradley.
