Olivo fuels Padres to win over Marlins

MIAMI - Miguel Olivo missed the sign for a suicide squeeze, swung away and hit a triple to give the San Diego Padres the lead.
"I missed the sign, it was my fault," Olivo said. "I saw the runner coming and it was too late to bunt so I gave a swing at it. It worked out for the best."
Instead of squaring to bunt as Mark Loretta broke for home from third, Olivo tripled to deep center in the sixth inning to break the game's final tie and lead the Padres to a 4-2 victory over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night.
Padres manager Bruce Bochy gladly accepted Olivo's mistake.
"Sometimes you're better off missing a sign," Bochy said. "You hit a triple and get another run in."
Brian Lawrence (7-12) allowed six hits and a run in five innings for San Diego.
In other games• Phillies, Nats gain on Astros — It was a win for Washington and Philadelphia even without playing a game.With the NL wild-card leading Astros and East-leading Atlanta both losing, the Nationals and Phillies each gained a needed half-game when their game in Philadelphia was postponed after two second of two rain delays, with the Phillies leading 1-0 in the bottom of the first.
The game was rescheduled for a day-night doubleheader Thursday.
• Cardinals 8, Diamondbacks 2 — So Taguchi matched career highs with four hits and three RBIs, and Jeff Suppan pitched seven strong innings to win for the third time in four starts as St. Louis beat visiting Arizona.Jim Edmonds had a pair of run-scoring singles, one on a bunt, and Albert Pujols had two hits and an RBI to help the Cardinals beat the Diamondbacks for the 11th time in 13 games over the last three seasons.
• Mets 6, Pirates 2 — Kris Benson recovered from a shaky start and hit a two-run single against his former team, pitching New York to a home victory.Cliff Floyd hit his 27th homer for the Mets, who hung right fielder Mike Cameron's jersey in their dugout during the game. Cameron is recovering from facial surgery after a head-to-head collision with teammate Carlos Beltran in San Diego last week.
• Dodgers 6, Braves 4 — Olmedo Saenz drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single in the ninth, and visiting Los Angeles rallied for the win.• Brewers 6, Rockies 4 — Victor Santos earned his second win in 14 starts, and Wes Helms homered and drove in two runs to help Milwaukee win at Coors Field.• Giants 10, Reds 8 — Deivi Cruz and Pedro Feliz set career highs with five hits, and San Francisco came from behind to win at Cincinnati.Cruz fell a triple short of the cycle and tied a career high with five RBIs, while Feliz scored four runs and was a home run shy of the cycle.

Source: http://www.chron.com/

Marlins 2, Padres 0

MIAMI - Florida Marlins right-hander Josh Beckett surprised himself by beating Jake Peavy and the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.
Beckett pitched seven innings and had an RBI single to help Florida to the 2-0 win, the Marlins' second straight shutout over the Padres.
"You go into a game against Peavy just hoping to get a no-decision," Beckett said. "If you keep your team in the game, you feel pretty good."
Beckett (12-6) allowed four hits, two walks and struck out six in winning his fourth straight decision.
Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 26th save. The shutout tied Florida's team record of 14 set last year.
Peavy (10-6) allowed two runs, five hits, three walks and struck out nine in losing consecutive starts for the only second time this season.
"This is as bad as it gets, I don't know what it takes to win a ballgame," Peavy said. "I'm not going to blame the hitters. I didn't do my job."
Mike Lowell led off the second with his third career triple. Following strikeouts by Alex Gonzalez and Matt Treanor, Lowell scored on Beckett's bloop single to center.
Treanor's run-scoring single in the fourth gave Florida a 2-0 lead.
Although Florida's top four hitters were a combined 0-for-13, Nos. 8 and 9 - Treanor and Beckett - knocked in the runs.
"We can do the same thing," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "We're just not doing it."
The Padres, who were shut out on five hits by Dontrelle Willis on Wednesday night, put together their most serious threat in the seventh. Beckett retired pinch-hitter Eric Young on a pop up to third with runners on second and third and one out. Then, following a walk to pinch-hitter Robert Fick, Dave Roberts struck out.
"We might be struggling but those are two good quality pitchers," Young said. "Dontrelle wasn't an All-Star for nothing. And Beckett, if he had been healthy, would have been an All-Star, too."
Florida has gone 8-1-1 in its last 10 series after beginning the season's second half by losing three of four games in Philadelphia. The Marlins are six games above .500 (63-57) for the first time since May 30.
"Another series win," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "We're not going to brag about it. We just want to win as many series as we can."
Peavy, the NL leader in strikeouts, has fanned nine or more in five consecutive games.
Marlins starters have a 0.95 ERA (seven earned runs, 66 innings) over the past nine games.
Notes: The Marlins have scored first in 24 of their last 29 games. ... The Padres had been shut out 12 times this season after being held scoreless three times in 2004. ... Florida 2B Luis Castillo (strained left quad) did not start a second consecutive game. McKeon said Castillo would miss "a couple of more days, at least."

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Beckett, Marlins blank Padres again

MIAMI (AP) -- Florida Marlins right-hander Josh Beckett surprised himself by beating Jake Peavy and the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.
Beckett pitched seven innings and had an RBI single to help Florida to the 2-0 win, the Marlins' second straight shutout over the Padres.
"You go into a game against Peavy just hoping to get a no-decision," Beckett said. "If you keep your team in the game, you feel pretty good."
Beckett (12-6) allowed four hits, two walks and struck out six in winning his fourth straight decision.
Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 26th save. The shutout tied Florida's team record of 14 set last year.
Peavy (10-6) allowed two runs, five hits, three walks and struck out nine in losing consecutive starts for the only second time this season.
"This is as bad as it gets, I don't know what it takes to win a ballgame," Peavy said. "I'm not going to blame the hitters. I didn't do my job."
Mike Lowell led off the second with his third career triple. Following strikeouts by Alex Gonzalez and Matt Treanor, Lowell scored on Beckett's bloop single to center.
Treanor's run-scoring single in the fourth gave Florida a 2-0 lead.
Although Florida's top four hitters were a combined 0-for-13, Nos. 8 and 9 -- Treanor and Beckett -- knocked in the runs.
"We can do the same thing," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "We're just not doing it."
The Padres, who were shut out on five hits by Dontrelle Willis on Wednesday night, put together their most serious threat in the seventh. Beckett retired pinch-hitter Eric Young on a pop up to third with runners on second and third and one out. Then, following a walk to pinch-hitter Robert Fick, Dave Roberts struck out.
"We might be struggling but those are two good quality pitchers," Young said. "Dontrelle wasn't an All-Star for nothing. And Beckett, if he had been healthy, would have been an All-Star, too."
Florida has gone 8-1-1 in its last 10 series after beginning the season's second half by losing three of four games in Philadelphia. The Marlins are six games above .500 (63-57) for the first time since May 30.
"Another series win," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "We're not going to brag about it. We just want to win as many series as we can."
Peavy, the NL leader in strikeouts, has fanned nine or more in five consecutive games.
Marlins starters have a 0.95 ERA (seven earned runs, 66 innings) over the past nine games.
Notes: The Marlins have scored first in 24 of their last 29 games. ... The Padres had been shut out 12 times this season after being held scoreless three times in 2004. ... Florida 2B Luis Castillo (strained left quad) did not start a second consecutive game. McKeon said Castillo would miss "a couple of more days, at least."

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

Padres 7, Braves 2, 13 innings

ATLANTA - Joey Devine was one pitch away from a memorable big league debut.
Then Xavier Nady made it a day for the rookie to forget.
Nady hit his first career grand slam off Devine with two outs in the 13th inning to lead the San Diego Padres past Atlanta 7-2 on Saturday, handing the Braves their third straight loss at Turner Field.
Devine (0-1), the Braves' first-round pick in the June draft, was called up from Double-A Mississippi, took an early morning flight to Atlanta and got into his first game on 45 minutes sleep.
The right-hander pitched a scoreless 12th and was on the verge of escaping a bases-loaded jam in the 13th, pushing the count to 1-2 on Nady with a steady stream of fastballs clocked as high as 96 mph.
With the crowd roaring - including Devine's father, sitting behind home plate wearing a red N.C. State T-shirt - the rookie left a fastball over the plate. Nady sent a 415-foot drive into the center-field seats.
"I knew I had hit it good," said Nady, who was hitless in his first five at-bats. "I looked up as I rounded first base, and when I saw it was out, I was beside myself. The best part was looking in the dugout and seeing their reaction."
Devine wanted to throw a high fastball to Nady.
"I didn't get it up in the zone enough," the rookie said. "It was pretty much right down Broadway. I felt strong. I was just one pitch away from getting out of that inning."
The Padres loaded the bases on Eric Young's single and two walks, one of them intentional. After Nady's 13th homer, the Padres added another run on Miguel Olivo's run-scoring single off John Foster.
"You've got to overcome adversity if you're going to be a successful player," Devine said. "I'll come to the ballpark tomorrow with a smile on my face."
Nady was the only hitter to face Devine twice, leading off the 12th with a weak grounder to the pitcher.
"That definitely helped," Nady said. "The second at-bat, you know what he has."
First-place Atlanta has its first three-game home losing streak. Overall, it's only the third time the Braves have lost three in a row.
"We better get it turned around quick," Chipper Jones said. "We need to pitch better and hit better. About the only thing we're doing is playing defense."
The Braves have struggled against the Padres, losing all five meetings this season. San Diego will try to complete another three-game sweep Sunday night, the final regular-season meeting between the teams.
"We know how good a team they have," said San Diego manager Bruce Bochy, whose NL West-leading team climbed back to .500 (61-61). "Some things are hard to explain. There are some teams we should have a better record against and don't."
Rudy Seanez (5-1) got the win with a scoreless 12th.
Both starters - Atlanta's Horacio Ramirez and San Diego's Pedro Astacio - pitched well, though Ramirez struggled through the first.
Damian Jackson led off with a double and scored on Mark Loretta's sacrifice fly, just beating Jeff Francoeur's strong throw to the plate from right field. The Padres put together two more hits in the first, but the Braves escaped a bigger deficit when Nady grounded out.
Astacio breezed through the first five innings, giving up four hits and benefiting from a couple of double plays.
"I had a lot of situations where I had guys on base, and I had to make a good pitch," he said.
He didn't make a good one to Rafael Furcal, who led off the sixth with a drive off the right-field foul pole for his 11th homer. The Braves added another run on Francoeur's run-scoring single with two outs.
The rookie sensation had three more hits, raising his average to .379.
Ramirez recovered from his shaky start, allowing only one hit and two walks over the next 5 1-3 innings. But Olivo tied the game at 2 in the seventh, hitting a one-out homer into the left-field seats.
Ramirez went eight innings, giving up six hits and two runs. Astacio was lifted for a pinch-hitter after the sixth, having also allowed a pair of runs on seven hits.
Notes: Braves CF Andruw Jones, who leads the majors in home runs, didn't start but was used as a pinch-hitter. He flied out to center in the 10th. ... The Padres improved to 5-7 in extra-inning games, while the Braves dropped to 4-4. ... Nady's grand slam was the second of the season for the Padres. Ryan Klesko hit one at Colorado on July 8. ... Devine got his first career at-bat, striking out attempting to bunt in the 12th.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Peavy outduels Clemens as Padres beat Astros

Peavy (11-6) tossed his third shutout of the year and of his career, walking two batters with six strikeouts, as he snapped a two-game losing streak. "I knew it was a big game for us," Peavy said. "I tried not to get too excited and keep my emotions in check. I am proud to be part of the Padres' team and I hope to be here for a long time to come." Giles finished the game 2-for-3 and Dave Roberts added a triple for the Padres, who have won three of five and lead Arizona by five games in the NL West. Roger Clemens (11-6) was the hard-luck loser after he tossed his first complete game in the National League. In eight frames, he was touched for two runs on five hits, mixing in a walk with seven strikeouts. Willy Taveras and Lance Berkman each had a hit for the Astros, who lost for the seventh time in 11 games and fell a 1/2 game back of Philadelphia in the NL wild card race. San Diego wasted little time getting on the scoreboard with a run in the first frame off Clemens. Roberts stroked a leadoff triple and after Joe Randa struck out swinging, Giles singled to plate Roberts to put the home club in front. However, both pitchers would take over from the there. Peavy worked easily through the first two frames, but ran into a bit of jam in the third. Adam Everett began the frame with a double, before Brad Ausmus walked. Peavy, though, got Clemens and Taveras to ground out consecutively. Craig Biggio reached on an infield single to load the bases, but Peavy induced a ground out by Berkman to end the threat. Houston loaded the bases again in the sixth stanza, but Peavy was up to the task and got Jason Lane to ground into a fielder's choice before Chris Burke grounded out to end the frame. After the first inning, Clemens settled down and kept the Padres hitless until the seventh. Giles followed a Randa fly out with his 13th home run of the season that found the seats in right, staking San Diego to a 2-0 lead. Houston was unable to mount any type of comeback the rest of the way, as the young Padres hurler was too tough on the hill. Game Notes Peavy, who was making just the 25th start of his career, improved to 4-3 lifetime against the Astros. He is now 6-2 at PETCO Park this year...Clemens dropped to 6-2 on the road this year. He has allowed five earned runs in 81 innings on the road this season...San Diego is 38-18 when scoring first...The game lasted just one hour and 53 minutes.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Padres and Astros conclude three-game set

(Sports Network) - The playoff hungry Houston Astros visit the National League West Division-leading San Diego Padres tonight at Petco Park for the finale of a three-game set. Houston has won four of the six contests between the clubs this year. This is the final time the teams will meet this season. The Astros, who are 12 games behind St. Louis in the National League Central, are one-half game behind Philadelphia in the wild card race, while San Diego, despite its losing record, leads the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers by five games for the top spot in the NL West. On Tuesday, Jake Peavy tossed a four-hit shutout and Brian Giles homered and drove in two runs to lead San Diego over Houston, 2-0. Peavy (11-6) tossed his third shutout of the year and of his career, walking two batters with six strikeouts, as he snapped a two-game losing streak. Giles finished the game 2-for-3 and Dave Roberts added a triple for the Padres, who have won three of their last five contests. Roger Clemens (11-6) was the hard-luck loser after he tossed his first complete game in the National League. In eight frames, he was touched for two runs on five hits, mixing in a walk with seven strikeouts. Willy Taveras and Lance Berkman each had a hit for the Astros, who have lost seven of their last 11 games overall. Chan Ho Park takes the hill for the Padres in the series finale. He faced the Astros on June 26 when he was a member of the Texas Rangers. Park pitched seven frames and gave up two runs on five hits and did not figure in the decision, as Houston edged Texas, 3-2. Park will be making his fifth start of the year for San Diego. The 32-year-old righty is 5-3 with a 3.53 ERA lifetime versus the Astros. Houston counters with Ezequiel Astacio, who is 0-2 in his last three outings. He did pitch well in his last start, as he did not figure in the decision but worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed one run on six hits while striking out five and walking just one. The 25-year-old Astacio, who will be making his 12th start of the year, will be facing the Padres for the first time. The Houston righthander is 2-3 with an 8.76 ERA on the road this season. The Astros, who will visit the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games after the San Diego series, are 25-37 as the visitor this season. The Padres, who will also host Colorado and Arizona in a pair of three- game sets during the homestand, are 33-28 at Petco Park this year.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Padres 7, Astros 4

SAN DIEGO - Trevor Hoffman has gotten used to the blaring music and cheering fans when he jogs in from the bullpen in the ninth inning, and the feeling Wednesday night wasn't any different than the hundreds of other times he'd done it.
The result, though, was definitely significant.
Hoffman earned his 425th save to take sole possession of second place on the career list and the NL West-leading San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros 7-4 on Wednesday night to climb back to .500.
Hoffman broke a tie with John Franco for second place, pitching the ninth for his 32nd save in 34 chances this year. With 54 more saves, the closer will pass Lee Smith, who retired with 478.
Hoffman has been pretty durable during his march up the career list, with the exception of 2003, when he had zero saves as he rehabbed from two offseason shoulder surgeries.
"The ability to do it for a long period of time, I think, is something that kind of separates a little bit from other guys that had phenomenal years," Hoffman said. "The ability to hold the position down for a few years and go out and do your job is something I'm proud of."
All but two of Hoffman's saves have been with San Diego, which acquired him from Florida on June 24, 1993, in a five-player deal that sent Gary Sheffield to the Marlins.
Hoffman tries not to think about catching Smith.
"Having gone through a couple of surgeries with the shoulder, and as close as maybe the numbers do look after 12 years and seeing where you've put yourself, I don't really allow myself to kind of look too far beyond that next opportunity," he said.
"But you know that it's in reach. There were a few years back there when I'm going through rehab that you're just worried about getting back on the mound. I'm excited where individually it stands, but more importantly, I'm glad it's happening in a San Diego Padres' uniform."
Hoffman saves the ball from each of his saves, and he got a lineup card from Wednesday night's game.
He said he'll remember this save because longtime bullpen catcher Mark Merila, who's battling a brain tumor, warmed him up in the bullpen. Merila has been working home games only since he had a seizure in New York during a road trip in late July.
"Really, the hard work that I get accolades for, he's the guy behind the scenes that has much more on his shoulders than going out and pitching a ballgame," Hoffman said. "This is something that we'll share together."
Brian Giles had three hits and two RBIs, Joe Randa had three hits and three runs, and Miguel Olivo drove in three runs for San Diego. Giles was 7-for-12 with five RBIs in the series.
The Padres took two of three from the Astros, who dropped 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia in the wild-card race. The Phillies beat San Francisco.
San Diego increased its lead to six games over Arizona, which lost to the New York Mets, and Los Angeles, which lost to Colorado.
Leading 5-2 in the sixth, the Padres loaded the bases with one out against Mike Gallo before Chad Qualls came on and struck out Xavier Nady before hitting Damian Jackson and Olivo on consecutive pitches to force in two runs.
"It wasn't too pretty," manager Phil Garner said. "We were in trouble the whole night, it seemed like. We couldn't find the plate. When we did we gave up some hits."
The Astros pulled to 7-4 in the eighth on Brad Ausmus' RBI single and an unearned run that scored on a fielding error by Randa, the third baseman.
Giles drove in runs with a single in the first inning and a triple in the third. On Tuesday night, he drove in both of San Diego's runs in a 2-0 win over Roger Clemens, including a seventh-inning homer.
Padres starter Chan Ho Park (3-1) allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Lance Berkman had two RBIs for the Astros.
Giles tied the game at 1 in the first when his single bounced off first base, bringing in Dave Roberts from third. Roberts drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced on Randa's groundout.
Berkman, who had an RBI double in the first, tied it in the fifth when his hit-and-run single brought in Ausmus from second.
But the Padres went ahead 5-2 in the fifth on four hits and two walks off two relievers.
The big hit was Olivo's two-run, bases-loaded single to right off Russ Springer with two outs to make it 5-2. Ryan Klesko singled in the go-ahead run off Wandy Rodriguez (8-6) with one out.
Astros starter Ezequiel Astacio lasted 3 2-3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He was pulled with runners on second and third and two outs in the fourth. Chad Harville came on and got Roberts to ground to first.
Notes: Rodriguez was bumped from the Astros' rotation because of off days on Thursday and Monday. ... The Padres will go with a six-man rotation, at least one time through. Adam Eaton will come off the DL and start Friday night, followed by Brian Lawrence, Pedro Astacio, Woody Williams, Jake Peavy and Park.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Padres 4, Rockies 3

SAN DIEGO - Ryan Klesko drove in three runs and Pedro Astacio pitched seven solid innings to lead the San Diego Padres over the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Sunday, handing Jamey Wright his NL-leading 16th loss.
Klesko, who had been struggling recently, broke a 2-all tie in the fifth inning with a bad-hop single that knocked in two runs and salvaged the last game of a three-game series against the Rockies, the last-place club in the NL West.
Astacio (2-2) had his fourth consecutive strong start, allowing two runs and five hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 33rd save in 35 chances.
The NL West-leading Padres (64-65) lost right fielder Brian Giles. Giles, who leads the majors with 98 walks and has a team-high 68 RBIs, left the game with a right knee injury in the third inning.
The injury occurred when Giles collided with center fielder Dave Roberts in the second inning while both were attempting to field a one-hop double by Choo Freeman in the right-center field gap. Television replays showed that Roberts' right knee hit into Giles' right knee. Giles fell and remained down for a few minutes while trainer Todd Hutcheson worked on his knee.
Giles stayed in the game and doubled down the right-field line in the third. But after pulling up into second base, he was replaced by Xavier Nady came in as a pinch runner. There was no word from the Padres on the specific nature of the injury.
Wright (6-16) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings as he tied Kansas City's Zack Greinke (3-16) for the major league lead in losses. Wright, who struck out seven and walked two, also lost his career-high fifth straight start.
The Rockies had their four-game winning streak - all on the road - snapped.
Wright hurt himself in the fifth inning when he gave up a one-out single to Roberts, then hit Joe Randa and Nady in consecutive at-bats. Klesko hit a one-hopper to Todd Helton at first base. As Helton dove for the ball, it took a bad hop over his glove into right field, scoring two runs and putting San Diego ahead 4-2.
Klesko drove in a run with an RBI single in the first and Randa hit a solo homer in the third.
Garrett Atkins had a two-out, run-scoring single in the first for Colorado, which tied the game at 2 in the fifth on Wright's single and a two-out double by Helton.
The Rockies added a run in the eighth off Akinori Otsuka after Helton drew a leadoff walk and scored when Matt Holliday tripled off the center-field fence. Atkins reached on a throwing error by shortstop Damian Jackson with Holliday holding at third.
Otsuka escaped the jam by getting Jorge Piedra on a popup and pinch-hitter Cory Sullivan on a double play.
Notes: The Padres committed two errors, their fifth consecutive game with an error. During that stretch, San Diego has made 11 errors. ... Wright is 1-8 in his last 10 starts. His last win came Aug. 2 at San Francisco in a 4-3 victory.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Padres beat Diamondbacks 9-5 to reach .500

SAN DIEGO - Ben Johnson hit his first career homer, a three-run drive, and the San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 on Wednesday to chug into September with a .500 record.
The Padres (66-66) took two of three from the Diamondbacks, who dropped into third place in baseball's worst division, 6 1/2 games back in the NL West. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 7-0 to take sole possession of second place, 5 1/2 back.
The Padres were 15-12 in August, only their second winning month of the season. The other was May, when they were 22-6 to set a franchise record for wins in a month. On May 31, they were 33-19 and led Arizona by three games.
Dave Roberts homered, had three hits and scored three times, and Khalil Greene and Mark Loretta each had three hits. Chan Ho Park (4-1) held Arizona to two runs and three hits in six innings.
Arizona's Javier Vazquez (10-14), whose start was pushed back a day because of stomach flu, allowed both Padres homers in losing to San Diego for the first time in three starts this year.
After Greene and Miguel Olivo singled to open sixth, Johnson drove a 2-2 fastball to straightaway center for a 7-1 lead. Johnson was recalled from Triple-A Portland on Monday when right-hander Pedro Astacio went on the disabled list. He made his major league debut on June 26 against Seattle, during his first stint with the Padres.
San Diego added two more runs in the sixth, on Robert Fick's single and a throwing error by shortstop Royce Clayton.
Park walked Shawn Green leading off the seventh and made way for Clay Hensley. The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the inning, on three hits, two walks and two errors. Chad Tracy singled in one run, and two runs scored on reliever Clay Hensley's throwing error on Craig Counsell's infield hit.
Roberts hit an opposite-field homer to left with two outs in the fourth, his eighth. It came just after Johnson was tagged out by catcher Chris Snyder on a botched suicide squeeze.
Luis Gonzalez hit a solo shot off Park with one out in the sixth. It was his 21st, and his second in two games.
Vazquez, who had beaten the Padres twice this year, allowed 10 hits and eight runs, seven earned, in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out five and walked two. In his last six starts against San Diego, dating to Aug. 17, 2001, he'd only allowed four earned runs in 50 innings.
San Diego took a 3-0 lead in the first. Greene had an RBI single, one run scored on a wild pitch by Vazquez and another scored on third baseman Troy Glaus' throwing error on a grounder by Olivo.
Notes: The Diamondbacks were 9-19 in August. On Aug. 1, the Padres were 51-54, percentage points ahead of the Diamondbacks, who were 52-55. ... The Padres recalled 3B Sean Burroughs from Triple-A Portland before the game. Burroughs replaced Joe Randa during a double-switch in the seventh, and singled in the eighth. Burroughs was demoted on July 23 to work on his batting stroke. ... The error by Glaus was his 21st, the second-highest total of his career. He had 33 with the Angels in 2000. ... Snyder went 0-for-2 to extend his slump to 0-for-18. He's 7-for-55 over his last 20 games.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Padres take aim at fourth consecutive win

The Padres, who hold a six-game advantage over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division, rallied from a 3-2 deficit after seven innings to take Thursday's series opener, 6-5. Khalil Greene went 2-for-4 and hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning, while rookie Ben Johnson added a two- run blast in the ninth -- his second homer in two games. With Milwaukee clinging to a one-run lead in the eighth, Joe Randa greeted reliever Kane Davis (1-1) with a one-out double to put the tying run in scoring position. Davis would get Xavier Nady to ground out before Greene cracked an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right-center to give San Diego a 4-3 edge. Johnson, who hit his first major league homer in Wednesday's win over Arizona, gave the Padres some insurance in the ninth when he followed a walk to Paul McAnulty with a line drive home run to left off Jose Capellan. Rudy Seanez (6-1) earned the victory after throwing a scoreless seventh, while Trevor Hoffman held on for his 35th save despite yielding a two-run homer to J.J. Hardy in the bottom of the ninth. Geoff Jenkins also slugged a two-run shot in the loss, the Brewers' fourth in five games. Brian Lawrence, who is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his last three road starts, will take the mound for San Diego on Friday. The right-hander will attempt to rebound from a rough outing against Milwaukee at Petco Park on June 1, when he was tagged for five runs and 12 hits -- including a pair of home runs -- over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 loss. Lawrence is 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA in his career against the Brewers. He allowed four runs and five hits over seven frames to suffer the loss in his last start, a 4-2 defeat to Colorado on Saturday. Milwaukee, which has a chance for its first winning season since 1992 with a strong final month of the season, will counter with left-hander Chris Capuano, who is search of his 15th victory. The 27-year-old put forth back-to-back outstanding starts to earn wins over Colorado and Florida from August 17-23, but slipped somewhat in his most recent outing. Capuano took the loss in Sunday's 5-2 setback to Atlanta after yielding five runs-- four earned -- over seven innings. He gave up just four hits, but two were home runs to Braves slugger Andruw Jones. Capuano owns a 1-1 mark and a 4.22 ERA in two lifetime starts against San Diego. The Padres have taken seven of 10 meetings with the Brewers since the start of the 2004 season, including three of four this year.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Padres finish up set against Milwaukee

Taking the hill for the Padres will be Jake Peavy, who has won two straight contests. In his last outing, a 5-3 victory over Arizona, the righthander allowed three runs on seven hits, while recording eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of work. Away from Petco Park this season, the 24-year-old is 5-4 with a 3.24 ERA. Earlier in the season against Milwaukee, the righthander allowed four runs on six hits in just four innings of work. Despite the rough outing, Peavy did not factor into the decision. In three career meetings with Milwaukee, the righthander is 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA. As for the Brewers, they will send Doug Davis to the hill this afternoon. Davis comes into today's contest winless in his last 13 starts. In his last start, a 6-0 setback to Pittsburgh, the southpaw allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in seven innings of work. In 15 starts at Miller Park this season, Davis is just 6-4 with a 3.58 ERA. Earlier in the season against the Padres, the 29-year-old pitched well, tossing eight strong innings, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out seven batters in a 5-2 victory. On Saturday, Woody Williams pitched six outstanding innings to lead San Diego to a 6-1 victory over Milwaukee. Joe Randa drove in a pair of runs while Dave Roberts and Brian Giles each finished 2-for-5 with RBI singles to help the National League West-leading Padres to their fourth win in five games. San Diego enjoys a 6 1/2-game lead over San Francisco in the division. Williams (7-11) rebounded from a string of three straight poor starts with a strong effort on the hill. The veteran right-hander allowed just one run on five hits with one walk. Williams had been touched for 14 runs over his previous three outings, all losses. Geoff Jenkins knocked in the lone run for the Brewers, who fell for the fifth time in seven chances. Brewers' starter Wes Obermueller (1-3) surrendered five runs on six hits and walked three over 4 1/3 innings in his first major-league start since early June. The Padres have taken eight of 12 meetings with the Brewers since the start of the 2004 season, including four of six this year.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Brewers 3, Padres 2

MILWAUKEE - Everyone in the Milwaukee Brewers' dugout knew Brady Clark was planning to bunt home the winning run. The only question was on which pitch.
Clark's suicide squeeze on the second pitch from Akinori Otsuka (1-6) scored Corey Hart from third with one out in the ninth inning, giving Milwaukee a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
Yost said he told Clark before he left the dugout that the squeeze would be called. Once Clark got to the plate, the debate started in the dugout.
"I told our guys it would be the second pitch," Yost said. "Lyle (Overbay) said, 'Do it the third pitch.' I said, 'No. Do it on the second pitch.'"
The first pitch from Otsuka was high and inside for a ball. The second pitch was on the plate, and Clark put down a perfect bunt.
"It was a good pitch to bunt," Clark said. "You're just trying to find the ball and get the bat on it."
Wes Helms singled to lead off the inning. Hart ran for Helms and stole second, and then moved to third on Chad Moeller's sacrifice. After pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks walked, Clark bunted and Otsuka attempted a late flip to catcher Miguel Olivo but Hart scored standing.
Otsuka stumbled and fell after making the throw, hitting his head hard on the ground. He stayed on the ground for a couple minutes before getting up and heading to the lockerroom.
"He's a little dizzy, but he's going to be OK," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said.
Derrick Turnbow (6-1) pitched the ninth, allowing a leadoff single to Xavier Nady and stranding him on third.
Milwaukee starter Doug Davis couldn't hold a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning, failing to win for the 14th consecutive start. Eric Young doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Dave Roberts and scored the tying run on a bloop single by Mark Loretta.
Davis, winless since June 22, gave up two runs and seven hits while striking out seven in 7 1-3 innings.
"I guess winning the game is the most important part," he said.
The Brewers scored two runs in the sixth off reliever Chris Hammond after being shut down by San Diego starter Jake Peavy. Geoff Jenkins led off with a single and scored on Bill Hall's double that rolled to the left-field wall, tying the score at 1.
Hall moved to third on left fielder Damian Jackson's late throw to the plate. Clay Hensley replaced Hammond, and Helms hit a sacrifice fly to right to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.
Peavy pitched five scoreless innings, giving up four hits and four walks while striking out four. The Brewers were only 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position against Peavy, but the right-hander was pulled after throwing 92 pitches.
"He wasn't feeling his best," Bochy said. "It was just as much fatigue as it was anything else."
The Padres scored their first run in the third on Loretta's RBI single, scoring Olivo.
Notes: Davis is 0-4 with 10 no-decisions since winning his last game. ... Olivo singled in the third, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. ... Brewers RHP Julio Santana, on the DL since Aug. 9 with tendinitis in his right shoulder, played catch on flat ground before the game. He is scheduled to play catch again when the team travels to Cincinnati this week. ... Peavy's four strikeouts give him an NL-leading 201. ... The Padres won the season series 4-3. ... Milwaukee went 6-6 on its season-high 12-game homestand.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Padres try to get back on winning track

San Diego split four games with the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, including a 3-2 defeat on Sunday. Padres reliever Akinori Otsuka allowed a hit, a walk and a run over one-third of an inning for the loss. San Diego starter Jake Peavy held the Brewers scoreless over the first five innings, but was removed to start the bottom of the sixth with San Diego clinging to a 1-0 lead. Mark Loretta went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Padres, who are five games ahead of second place San Francisco in the NL West. No other Padre tallied more than one hit in the contest. San Diego catcher Miguel Olivo pushed his hitting streak to a career high nine contests. The Padres, who has just three home tilts before embarking on a six-game road trip, are 37-31 at home this season. San Diego will send righthander Chan Ho Park to the hill this evening. Park has won three straight starts and four of his last five, including a defeat over Arizona last Wednesday. The 32-year-old held the Diamondbacks to three hits and two runs over six innings, while fanning four and walking three. At home this season, Park is 8-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 14 contests. Park has registered an 8-5 mark with a 5.34 ERA versus the Rockies in his lifetime. Colorado will respond with righthander Aaron Cook on the mound. Cook is 3-0 over his last six starts, including a tough luck no-decision versus San Francisco last Tuesday. The 26-year-old limited the Giants to just seven hits and a run over six innings, while fanning three and walking nobody. Cook is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three contests on the road this season. Cook is 4-2 with a 3.34 ERA against the Padres in his career. Colorado is fresh off sweeping a three-game set against the Dodgers, including a 7-6 victory in 10 innings on Sunday. Brad Hawpe singled home the game- winning run with one out in the bottom of the 10th. Cory Sullivan amassed a career-high four hits and finished with a pair of RBI, while Matt Holliday slugged a two-run homer to help the Rockies earn their first series sweep since taking three games from Kansas City from June 24-26. Scott Dohmann (2-1) worked a scoreless inning of relief to claim the win for the Rockies. Zach Day, acquired by the Rockies from Washington in the Preston Wilson trade during the All-Star break, threw five innings in his first start in a Colorado uniform and left with a 6-2 lead before the bullpen coughed it up. Colorado's Garrett Atkins went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. The Rockies have registered just a 19-46 record in foreign ballparks this season. San Diego is 7-4 versus the Rockies this season, including a 4-2 home mark.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Rockies 6, Padres 5

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres sure didn't look like a first-place team on Tuesday night.
Catcher Miguel Olivo committed two critical errors and the NL West-leading Padres walked 10 as they lost 6-5 to the last-place Colorado Rockies. Colorado's Todd Helton reached base five times and scored twice.
The Padres (68-69) again dropped below .500, making this the latest in a season a team has led a division with a losing record.
"We shot ourselves in the foot a couple innings there, and that was the difference in the ballgame," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We fought hard to try to get back to winning the game, and came close, but bottom line is we didn't play well tonight."
But the Padres remained five games ahead of San Francisco, which lost 4-2 to Los Angeles in 12 innings.
Olivo committed a pair of two-base errors in the seventh that allowed the Rockies to score two unearned runs and take a 6-0 lead. San Diego then rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh before pulling to 6-5 in the eighth. San Diego's Mark Loretta had four hits and two RBIs.
Rockies closer Brian Fuentes walked two batters with two out in the ninth to load the bases before striking out Khalil Greene to earn his 26th save in 29 chances.
The last-place Rockies, coming off a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, have won three of four games in San Diego since Aug. 26. Each team committed three errors.
Cory Sullivan drew a leadoff walk in the Rockies' seventh and took third on Olivo's errant pickoff throw that skipped past first baseman Robert Fick and into the right field corner. Helton walked, and Matt Holliday hit a sacrifice fly to left. Ryan Klesko's throw home was up the first-base line. After Olivo fielded it, he turned toward home, then, inexplicably, instead of throwing the ball back to the pitcher, flipped it to a bat boy near the Padres' dugout. Helton was waved in from second base.
Olivo wasn't at his locker when the clubhouse was opened to reporters.
Bochy, a former big league catcher, wasn't able to explain Olivo's actions.
"I guess he thought the play was dead and he was throwing the ball out," Bochy said. "I don't know why. I think we were probably as surprised as anybody.
"He just didn't call time out before he threw the ball away. You have to, and it's something he'll learn from, but that inning he made a couple of mistakes there that cost us a couple of runs."
The Padres pulled to 6-4 in their half of the inning before Eric Young struck out on a checked swing with runners on first and third. The Rockies committed two errors in the inning. Loretta hit a two-run, bases-loaded single, Dave Roberts had an RBI single and pinch-hitter Ben Johnson had an RBI grounder.
Joe Randa led off the Padres' eighth with a triple to the gap in right-center and scored on Greene's sacrifice fly.
Helton, who's hitting .452 against San Diego this year, had three hits, two walks and drove in a run. Right-hander Aaron Cook (4-1) won his fourth straight decision. He allowed six hits and two runs, one earned, in six innings.
"We didn't play our best," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We wobbled out of the bullpen, we got six runs on six hits and 10 walks, which probably wasn't very artistic from an offensive standpoint, but we played better than the other team tonight."
The Rockies had two two-out rallies against Chan Ho Park (4-2), whose three-game winning streak ended.
Helton doubled with two outs in the first to start a three-run rally. Park walked Holliday and Brad Hawpe to load the bases before Garrett Atkins hit a two-run, broken-bat blooper that fell in between shortstop Greene and second baseman Loretta. Luis Gonzalez drove in the third run when he reached on an infield single to shortstop.
Park struck out the first two batters in the fourth, then walked Clint Barmes, who took third on Cory Sullivan's single to right and scored on Helton's single to right.
Park allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, struck out five and walked four.
Notes: Padres ace Jake Peavy had his sore right shoulder examined on Tuesday. He's due to pitch in the bullpen on Thursday and then be re-evaluated. He's currently scheduled to start at Los Angeles on Saturday. ... Rancho Buena Vista, which finished third in the Little League World Series, was honored before the game. Padres owner John Moores gave the players gloves embroidered with their names.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Rockies 6, Padres 5

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres sure didn't look like a first-place team on Tuesday night.
Catcher Miguel Olivo committed two critical errors and the NL West-leading Padres walked 10 as they lost 6-5 to the last-place Colorado Rockies. Colorado's Todd Helton reached base five times and scored twice.
The Padres (68-69) again dropped below .500, making this the latest in a season a team has led a division with a losing record.
"We shot ourselves in the foot a couple innings there, and that was the difference in the ballgame," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We fought hard to try to get back to winning the game, and came close, but bottom line is we didn't play well tonight."
But the Padres remained five games ahead of San Francisco, which lost 4-2 to Los Angeles in 12 innings.
Olivo committed a pair of two-base errors in the seventh that allowed the Rockies to score two unearned runs and take a 6-0 lead. San Diego then rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh before pulling to 6-5 in the eighth. San Diego's Mark Loretta had four hits and two RBIs.
Rockies closer Brian Fuentes walked two batters with two out in the ninth to load the bases before striking out Khalil Greene to earn his 26th save in 29 chances.
The last-place Rockies, coming off a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, have won three of four games in San Diego since Aug. 26. Each team committed three errors.
Cory Sullivan drew a leadoff walk in the Rockies' seventh and took third on Olivo's errant pickoff throw that skipped past first baseman Robert Fick and into the right field corner. Helton walked, and Matt Holliday hit a sacrifice fly to left. Ryan Klesko's throw home was up the first-base line. After Olivo fielded it, he turned toward home, then, inexplicably, instead of throwing the ball back to the pitcher, flipped it to a bat boy near the Padres' dugout. Helton was waved in from second base.
Olivo wasn't at his locker when the clubhouse was opened to reporters.
Bochy, a former big league catcher, wasn't able to explain Olivo's actions.
"I guess he thought the play was dead and he was throwing the ball out," Bochy said. "I don't know why. I think we were probably as surprised as anybody.
"He just didn't call time out before he threw the ball away. You have to, and it's something he'll learn from, but that inning he made a couple of mistakes there that cost us a couple of runs."
The Padres pulled to 6-4 in their half of the inning before Eric Young struck out on a checked swing with runners on first and third. The Rockies committed two errors in the inning. Loretta hit a two-run, bases-loaded single, Dave Roberts had an RBI single and pinch-hitter Ben Johnson had an RBI grounder.
Joe Randa led off the Padres' eighth with a triple to the gap in right-center and scored on Greene's sacrifice fly.
Helton, who's hitting .452 against San Diego this year, had three hits, two walks and drove in a run. Right-hander Aaron Cook (4-1) won his fourth straight decision. He allowed six hits and two runs, one earned, in six innings.
"We didn't play our best," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We wobbled out of the bullpen, we got six runs on six hits and 10 walks, which probably wasn't very artistic from an offensive standpoint, but we played better than the other team tonight."
The Rockies had two two-out rallies against Chan Ho Park (4-2), whose three-game winning streak ended.
Helton doubled with two outs in the first to start a three-run rally. Park walked Holliday and Brad Hawpe to load the bases before Garrett Atkins hit a two-run, broken-bat blooper that fell in between shortstop Greene and second baseman Loretta. Luis Gonzalez drove in the third run when he reached on an infield single to shortstop.
Park struck out the first two batters in the fourth, then walked Clint Barmes, who took third on Cory Sullivan's single to right and scored on Helton's single to right.
Park allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, struck out five and walked four.
Notes: Padres ace Jake Peavy had his sore right shoulder examined on Tuesday. He's due to pitch in the bullpen on Thursday and then be re-evaluated. He's currently scheduled to start at Los Angeles on Saturday. ... Rancho Buena Vista, which finished third in the Little League World Series, was honored before the game. Padres owner John Moores gave the players gloves embroidered with their names.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/