SAN DIEGO, CA – MAY 6 : Yu Darvish #11 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on May 6, 2022 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
The Padres didn't get much offense against the Marlins. It didn't matter.
One night after Nick Martinez threw 7.0 innings of 1-run ball to beat Miami 2-1, Yu Darvish spun a gem of his own. Darvish went 7.0 innings and allowed two runs in a 3-2 win that moved the Padres to 18-9 on the season and into a virtual tie (with the Dodgers) for 1st place in the National League West.
Darvish didn't have his usual strikeout stuff but actually had better command than he's had early in 2022. The right-hander only struck out three but also didn't walk anyone. The only runs he gave up came on a 2-run homer by Marlins slugger Jesus Aguilar.
Even with that blast Darvish pitched with a lead nearly the entire night. In the 1st inning Eric Hosmer lined a double to right-centerfield to bring home Manny Machado to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. They got the rest of the runs they needed in the 5th inning.
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Trent Gisham led off with a triple against Miami starter Sandy Alcantara. He scored on a line drive double by Matt Beaty, who finally got his first Padre RBI since being acquired in a trade with the Dodgers during Spring Training. Beaty came home on a single by Machado (Manny had two more hits to keep his Major League lead) that pumped the Padres lead up to 3-2.
When Darvish left Robert Suarez came on. The rookie reliever has either been extremely good or extremely bad in his outings. This time it was the former. Suarez threw seven pitches, six for strikes, in a perfect 8th inning.
With regular closer Trevor Rogers unavailable after working two straight days manager Bob Melvin gave rookie Steven Wilson a chance to get his first Major League save. He certainly did not do it the easy way. Wilson opened the inning giving up a hit and a walk getting three straight flyouts to end it.
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The Friars can win the series on Saturday evening when Sean Manaea runs up against Pablo Lopez.
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