Waldron & Profar silence Marlins in 4-0 Padres win
Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-USA TODAY Sports
The Padres relied upon the power of Jurickson Profar and the knuckleball of Matt Waldron to secure their third straight victory and another series win as the hometown Friars beat the Marlins 4-0.
In the first inning, Profar came to bat after a Tatis single and promptly deposited a two-run homer into the Padres bullpen.
And that ball is… GONE! pic.twitter.com/BoNzutimP5
ā San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 29, 2024
Two runs would be all that the Padres needed, but for added measure, Profar added an RBI single in the fifth, driving in former Marlin Luis Arraez.
What can we say? This guy’s a Pro š¤· pic.twitter.com/LcB3TEzVvD
ā San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 29, 2024
Finally, former Marlin Donovan Solano put the finishing touches on the game with an RBI double, driving in Manny Machado after an impressive steal, giving the Padres all their runs.
Profar’s 2-for-4 day at the plate would account for most of the offense, as the Padres’ bats would be mostly silenced by Jesus Luzardo.
The Marlins starter pitched six quality innings with three runs alongside two walks and four strikeouts, good enough for a quality start but not enough for a win.
Matt Waldron, on the other hand, was outstanding in what was arguably the best pitching performance of his young career.
The knuckleballer went seven strong innings on 85 pitches, allowing only six hits while getting eight strikeouts – the most ever by a knuckleballer. Despite some initial difficulties, Waldron has turned in a number of quality starts in a row, solidifying the fifth rotation spot for the foreseeable future.
Wandy Peralta followed the knuckleballer with an easy 1-2-3 inning on all ground outs, and Jeremiah Estrada ended the game with an equally easy 9th inning.
Estrada added his name to history books by breaking the record for most consecutive strikeouts in modern MLB history with 13 and has the chance to continue carving a path into history the next time he pitches.
On Wednesday, the Padres will go for the sweep as they send Yu Darvish onto the mound to face LHP Braxton Garrett.
A Native San Diegan, Loren has spent his entire life not only as a fan but an active participant in San Diego’s sports world. In 2006 Loren joined two other die hard Charger fans to create Bolttalk, where Loren was a co-host and regular columnist from 2006 until the Chargers left in 2017. After that he started another podcast, The Grid Podshow, from 2020-2021 with his former co-host and colleague, speaking about the local sports community and popular culture.
When he’s not giving his opinion about San Diego sports, Loren is an adjunct professor at San Diego State and an attorney.
I know Fernando is highly skilled and very fast but he needs to learn proper angles on how to play line drives hit in his direction.