On Sunday the Padres are going to get infielder Yangervis Solarte and catcher Austin Hedges back from the disabled list. Those two guys are joining a team that’s on a hot streak most people didn’t think it was capable of going on.
The Friars beat the Pirates 4-2 on Saturday night at Petco Park. San Diego has won four straight games and seven of their last 10. Since June 20, when they were a season-high 16 games under .500, the Padres have gone 19-13.
San Diego took the lead with a pair of runs in the 1st inning. Jose Pirela, who was starting at 1st base to give Wil Myers a day off, tripled home Manuel Margot (rookie) to make it 1-0. Pirela hit a pair of triples, the first Padre to triple twice in one game since Nick Hundley in 2011. He scored on a Hector Sanchez double to put the Padres on top 2-0.
In the 4th inning the Friars got another run on a Hunter Renfroe (rookie) double that brought home Cory Spangenberg and scored again in the 5th when Margot launched his 8th homer of the season off the Western Metal Supply Building in left field. Margot continued his torrid week with a 2-for-4 night, giving him five multi-hit games in his last six starts.
On the mound Dinelson Lamet (rookie) did not allow a hit until the 5th inning. He went 6-plus innings and gave up just two runs on two hits and struck out seven to get the win.
Since new closer Brad Hand was unavailable after throwing three straight games, Kirby Yates was on 9th inning duty. He handled it pretty darn well. Yates tossed a perfect 9th with a pair of strikeouts to get his 2nd career Major League save. The last one came when he was a rookie for Tampa Bay in 2014.
The Padres can sweep the Pirates on Sunday when Clayton Richard takes the mound against Gerrit Cole.
