Give the Padres credit. They lost their fourth straight game on Monday afternoon but they did it in a really interesting way.
The Rockies handed the Friars their fourth straight loss, 6-4 at Petco Park on Monday afternoon. Here are just a few of the unique things that went down:
- Rockies pitcher Kyle Kendrick hit his first career home run, a solo blast off Padres starter Ian Kennedy.
- As a team the Rockies struck out 16 times and still won.
- In one stretch between the 7th and 8th innings eight consecutive batters struck out (five Rockies, three Padres)
Those are the statistical anomalies. It goes deeper than that. In the 3rd inning Daniel Descalso lofted a fly ball to right field. Matt Kemp, who had hit a 2-run home run in the first inning to tie the game at 2-2 (and extend his streak to 27 straight games reaching base), settled under it at the wall and simply dropped it. Much like Nick Vincent’s throwing error in Sunday’s game against the Dodgers it was a play that you would never expect that guy to not make.
“I’m sure it was a tougher play than what fans can see,” said Padres Manager Pat Murphy. “Things went against him after the 2-run homer that made us even but he’s done so many great things for us all year we’ve got to pick him up.”
That’s one thing the Padres have simply not been able to do this year, but as Murphy said it’s not for a lack of trying.
“I wouldn’t challenge the effort,” said Murphy. “I would never challenge the mental makeup. I think the guys are going after it.”
Had it not been for a few feet the end result may have been different. In the 6th inning Wil Myers was batting with the bases loaded when he hammered a long drive that hooked just foul down the left field line. The grand slam likely would have won the game. Myers ended up striking out.
As Murphy said, it’s one of those things that typifies the 2015 Padres season. Things just don’t seem to go their way.
“This is Major League Baseball and as I’m finding out it’s tough to win games,” said Murphy. “Every team is close. Every team can beat you.”
Over the weekend I spoke with Padres radio announcer Bob Scanlan, a walking encyclopedia of baseball knowledge. We talked about what went wrong this year and what needs to happen in the off-season to make sure we don’t see it again next year.
