On paper it looked as though this one would be a mismatch. Stephen Strasburg entered Tuesday's game with a 3-0 record, Anthony Bass a 1-4 mark. But a funny thing happened on the way to another Padres loss, they actually won thanks in part to a sloppy Washington defense and a very soggy field.
The Padres scored all the runs they would need in the first inning. Will Venable led off the game with a routine fly ball that dropped in for a double. Left fielder Roger Bernadina, center fielder Rick Ankiel and shortstop Ian Desmond all thought the other would make the catch. None did.
Venable scored three batters later when Yonder Alonzo singled to right. After a mid-inning rain delay John Baker stepped to the plate and also added a single, scoring two more runners.
Staked to a 3-0 early lead Bass pitched well. He gave up one run on five hits in eight innings pitched to get the victory.
James Darnell hit his first homer of the season in the third, a no-doubter into the left field bleachers off Strasburg. Rookie Bryce Harper also went deep for the second time in this series and his career. It came in the fifth off Bass.
The Padres are headed home after the 6-1 victory in Washington. They finished the road trip a respectable 2-3 and open a five game home stand Wednesday against the Dodgers.
