The good news is the Padres are coming back from their 7-game Midwest road trip with a winning record. The bad news is they could have done a whole lot more than just go 4-3.
The Friars fell 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on Sunday afternoon, splitting their 4-game series in Wisconsin. This was a reminder of why Padres fans can be so thoroughly frustrated with their team. San Diego was one run shy of sweeping the Cubs, who have the best record in baseball … then they dropped a pair to the Brewers, one of the few teams in the National League who have a worse record than they do.
Padres rookie pitcher Cesar Vargas started and only allowed two runs in 5.0 innings. He struck out seven but the two runs that came in were both on ridiculously long solo home runs. First Chris Carter smashed one 443 feet to centerfield in the 3rd inning.
The Padres were able to tie it in the top of the 4th when Travis Jankowski, who was starting for the second straight game in place of Jon Jay, tripled and scored on a Derek Norris sacrifice fly. Jankowski had a pair of hits but there is concern about Jay, who fell hard on a defensive play in Friday’s 1-0 loss and has reported a sore right shoulder.
In the 5th inning Jonathan Lucroy hit a 435-foot laser off Vargas to put the Brewers back on top 2-1. That lead lasted until the 7th inning, when Brett Wallace ripped a solo homer to left-centerfield to chase Milwaukee starter Zach Davies. Wallace was a late addition to the lineup at first base when another Padre was sidelined with an injury.
Wil Myers felt tightness in his forearm and about 10 minutes before first pitch he was scratched from the lineup. Myers also had to be removed from Saturday night’s game with what was called a calf cramp.
The Brewers took the lead for good in the bottom of the 7th when Carter doubled off Kevin Quackenbush to bring home Lucroy. The Padres put the tying run on second base in the both the 8th and 9th innings but could not push the run across.
Manager Andy Green says he hopes both Jay and Myers will benefit from Monday’s scheduled off day and return to the lineup on Tuesday night at Petco Park against the Giants. Colin Rea gets the start against San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner.
