Baseball managers will tell you going on long winning streaks is fun but in the grand scheme of a 162-game season consistently winning series is more important.
The Padres only won four of their first 17 series and had one of the worst records in baseball. Maybe they’re playing teams worse than they are or maybe they’re simply improving as a whole but on Sunday they’ll have the chance to win their 4th straight series.
The Friars beat the Marlins 5-4 in Miami on Saturday to even their weekend 3-game set at one game each.
After being shut out on Friday night San Diego got the bats going early. With two on and two out in the first inning Cory Spangenberg singled home Eric Hosmer to put the Padres on top 1-0. A few pitches later Jose Pirela scored on a passed ball by Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, then Freddy Galvis stroked a double down the left field line off Miami starter Dan Staily to score Spangenberg and give the Padres a 3-0 lead before the Marlins even picked up a bat.
Miami got one back off Padres starter Tyson Ross in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by Derek Dietrich but Galvis answered with a solo homer in the top of the 4th to make it a 4-1 game.
Ross got in trouble in the 5th, allowing a solo homer to Dietrich then a pair of base hits to put the tying runs on base. Craig Stammen came in and uncorked a wild pitch that brought home Justin Bour before Miguel Rojas hit an infield single to plate Brian Anderson and tie the game 4-4.
In the 8th the Padres loaded the bases with one out and Travis Jankowski came up large with a single to right field that brought home Hunter Renfroe with what proved to be the winning run.
Brad Hand was called on in the 8th inning to deal with the heart of the Marlins order and set down Realmuto, Bout, and the Anderson (the 3-4-5 hitters) in order. Kirby Yates threw a perfect 9th inning to get his second save of the season.
On Sunday the Friars send veteran lefty Clayton Richard to the mound against Jose Urena.
