There are bad baseball plays. They happen all the time. But occasionally you see something so nuts that it makes you re-think what version of reality you are currently living in.
We got one of those moments on Friday night when the Padres lost to the Reds 3-2 in 11 innings to run San Diego’s losing streak to five games. We’ll get to that in a second.
First, how we got here and it’s a shame we did because Matt Strahm was sensational on the mound. The Friars lefty gave up a solo home run to Eugenio Suarez, the 2nd batter of the game. The only other hit he allowed was a single. Strahm went a career high 8.0 innings, striking out five with no walks, and he did it in an obscenely efficient 87 pitches.
Strahm’s previous longest outing was 7.0 innings. He did that twice in 2016 when he was starting for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. And his outing got him a no-decision.
San Diego’s only run while Strahm was in the game came on another long home run from Fernando Tatis Jr. in the 3rd inning off Cincinnati starter Anthony DeSclafani. It traveled 438 feet to centerfield and might not have been the most impressive part of his night.
Tatis also walked twice and stole three bases to give him four on the year and planting the very real seed that as a 20-year-old rookie he might be in for a 30-30 season. Oh, and he’s got himself an 8-game hitting streak going, too.
But other than that the Padres only had three hits, two of them singles by Manny Machado. Their fourth knock came from Ian Kinsler and it brings us to our “WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?” moment of the evening.
Kinsler doubled with one out in the 10th inning, putting himself into scoring position. He then inexplicably took off for 3rd base and was picked off by Jared Hughes. It was one of those moments where you had to take a second to consider whether or not it actually happened.
Somewhat predictably the 11th inning started with a throwing error by Tatis and a 2-run home run by Derek Dietrich off Craig Stammen that put Cincinnati up 3-1. The Friars got one back when Tatis walked, stole 2nd and 3rd, and scored on a groundout by Eric Hosmer (who went 0-5 and is now hitting .184 this year).
The Padres record drops to 11-10 and they’re in danger of their winning record going away unless Eric Lauer can beat Luis Castillo on Saturday night in the East Village.
