Before Saturday night's game against the Dodgers in L.A., Padres manager Bud Black tweaked his lineup again. He put Will Middlebrooks at shortstop and juggled the batting order, admitted the team needed to try and generate some offense.
This particular configuration needs to never, ever happen again.
Yangervis Solarte led off the game with a single, then Dodgers starter Mike Bolsinger retired 24 straight hitters in a 2-0 Dodgers win.
Solarte was erased when Cory Spangenberg hit in to a double play in that first inning. Bolsinger only needed 92 pitches and struck out eight in his 8.0 near-perfect innings. When Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen threw a perfect 9th he ensured the L.A. pitching staff faced the minimum: 27 batters for 27 outs.
I really never thought I'd see the day I longed for the 2014 Padres offense, but that might actually be happening right now.
Padres starter Ian Kennedy was the tough-luck loser. He threw 6.0 innings and allowed only two runs. One of them came courtesy of a solo home run by Joc Pederson on a pitch that was up around his eyes.
The Padres fall to 20-24. They're in trouble of getting swept in L.A. On Sunday James Shields takes the mound against Carlos Frias.
