This is the way the Padres imagined things would go when they started the season. Get a good start, have the bullpen bridge the gap to a dominant closer, while the offense does enough damage to get a win. Rinse and repeat.
Tyson Ross locked up the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second straight start, three relievers threw hitless innings and Cory Spangenberg sparked the offense in a 4-2 Padres win on Friday night at Petco Park.
Over his last two starts, both against the D-Backs, Ross has gone 15.0 innings and allowed a total of three runs. That's not too shabby.
Spangenberg went 3-3 with three singles, scored a pair of runs and stole two bases. In the third inning it was Spangenberg's hustle that tied the game at two. He stole third and came home on a bad throw by Arizona catcher Wellington Castillo.
On Saturday the Padres can do something they have not done since Pat Murphy took over as manager ... win a series. Andrew Cashner gets the start against Jeremy Hellickson.