If you only needed two outs to get out of an inning in Major League Baseball the Padres would have one of the best pitching staffs in the game.
On Sunday the Royals scored seven of their eight runs with two outs to beat the Padres 8-3 and win their weekend series at Petco Park.
San Diego starter Dinelson Lamet got the first two outs of the game but then the rookie lost the feel for his fastball. He walked Lorenzo Cain on four pitches and let loose a pair of wild pitches with Eric Hosmer at the plate. Just looking to get something over, Lamet threw a 3-1 changeup that Hosmer sent in to left field for an RBI single and 1-0 lead.
Salvador Perez singled on a slider and then Mike Moustakas belted a 3-run home run off another change and the Royals had a 4-0 lead before the Padres could get an at-bat.
In the 4th inning, again with two outs, Lamet served up a solo home run to Alex Gordon to put KC up 5-0. The Padres got a run back in the 4th when Cory Spangenberg hit the first of his two solo home runs. Spangenberg had two hits, as did Jose Pirela, who hit a solo shot of his own and is still hitting .500 since being recalled from El Paso.
The only other hits the Padres could come up with were singles from Rule 5 rookies Luis Torrens and Allen Cordoba.
In the 5th inning, again with two outs, Lamet was touched up by Hosmer once more. The All-Star 1st baseman crushed a 2-run home run to right field for a 7-1 Kansas City lead. Lamet allowed seven earned runs in 5.0 innings to take his second straight loss.
There is a positive, though. Rookie reliever Phil Maton, a guy who many believe is being groomed to be the next great Padres closer, made his MLB debut and worked a 1-2-3 inning, striking out one.
The Padres drop two of three from the Royals and open a 3-game series on Monday night at Petco Park against the Cincinnati Reds. Luis Perdomo gets the start against Bronson Arroyo.
