Ten times now the Padres have had a chance to sweep a series. Ten times they have failed.
The Padres lost to the Reds 3-0 on Sunday at Great American Ballpark, making them 0-10 in games where they’ve been in position to sweep the other team. It’s also the 11th time they’ve been shut out this season (but the first since May 23). Cincinnati starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani looked a lot like an early 1990’s version of Jose Rijo.
DeSclafani tossed 8.0 innings, striking out five without a single walk. All five of the Padres hits were singles and when they did get on base they had a lot of trouble staying there.
The Friars had three runners thrown out on the basepaths. One of them came in the 2nd inning when Melvin Upton Jr., who had been hit by a pitch, got a good jump in his attempt to steal second base. Reds catcher Tucker Burkhart made about as good a throw as a catcher can make, putting the ball right on the bag an instant before Upton slid in to the inning-ending tag.
The other two, however, were simply bad baseball plays. Alexei Ramirez singled in the 1st inning but then decided to try and steal second before DeSclafani started his move to the plate. Ramirez was thrown out easily trying to return to first base. In the 5th inning Upton was picked off first after his leadoff single.
Padres starter Luis Perdomo made one of the better starts of his young career. Perdomo went 6.0 innings, allowing just three runs and striking out five. What’s really promising is he was able to avoid the big inning.
Perdomo’s main struggle has been getting runners out when they reach base and preventing the dreaded snowball effect. Of the 10 baserunners he allowed only three of them scored and one was on a solo home run by Reds slugger Jay Bruce.
Right fielder Matt Kemp was not in the lineup in Cincy. Padres Manager Andy Green decided with a day off on Monday and another one on Thursday he’d like to let Kemp get a long rest. Alexi Amarista started in right field and made a nice defensive play on a fly ball against the fence in foul territory but at the plate went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
The Padres start a 2-game series against the Orioles on Tuesday at Petco Park. Erik Johnson goes for his first win as a San Diego starter against Ubaldo Jimenez.
