Bats bash and Musgrove marvels, Padres thump Rockies 9-0
Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Petco Park- San Diego, CA
After a day off following an emphatic series win over the Mets, the Padres were back in action at home against the Colorado Rockies. The two division foes faced off for the first time this season since the first week of the season was torpedoed by the CBA lockout.
Joe Musgrove kicked off the weekend series for the Padres, looking to continue his hot start to 2022. Opposite him for Colorado was his former teammate in Pittsburgh, Chad Kuhl. It certainly seems like the two are chummy, given the shenanigans that went on behind the pitcher’s rubber on the mound throughout the game.
Opposing pitchers Joe Musgrove and Chad Kuhl played tic tac toe on the mound pic.twitter.com/WHmWYxCl3c
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 11, 2022
The Padres got to Kuhl early as Trent Grisham doubled home a run in the bottom of the second. They added on thanks to a clutch, two-out hit by Austin Nola, scoring Grisham.
An inning later, Manny Machado padded the lead further with his 10th home run of the season, a liner to left.
Manny hit it. Sean called it.
Vote Machado āļø https://t.co/gyd80CVeWT pic.twitter.com/9NKjsrLFKj
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 11, 2022
The Friars were just beginning, only up 3-0. Jake Cronenworth doubled home two runs in the fourth inning. He collected another RBI later, giving him 10 in his last three games. Luke Voit put the Padres up 6-0 with an RBI double in the sixth.
Meanwhile, Musgrove continued his dominant stretch. Though he did not look as sharp as his near-no hitter in Milwaukee, he battled for six innings. He did not allow a run, and his ERA continued to plummet, now at a major league-best 1.50. He is building as strong a Cy Young case as anyone in the league and is off to one of the best starts by a starting pitcher in Padres history.
Lowest ERAs through 11 starts in Padres history:
1.47 – Jake Peavy in 2007, the year he won the Padres' last Cy Young award
1.50 – Joe Musgrove, who wears No. 44 in honor of Peavy
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) June 11, 2022
Musgrove struck out eight and walked just two in another solid outing.
“Wow, he’s nasty,” newcomer Nomar Mazara said following the game. “Whatever he is doing out there, it’s amazing.”
The Padres were not done pounding Rockies pitching. Ha-Seong Kim doubled home a run, extending the lead to 7-0. In the bottom of the seventh, the Padres put the final nail in the coffin with two more runs, thanks to Jurickson Profar’s second triple of the season, scoring one. Then Cronenworth finished the night with a ground out, scoring Profar, putting the Padres up by nine.
Following Musgrove, Craig Stammen, Tim Hill, and Steven Wilson combined to finish the game and preserve the shutout.
Mazara and Ha-Seong Kim both had three hits. San Diego hitters combined for six extra-base hits and worked six walks in a relentless effort at the plate.
Mazara continues to be an encouraging recent development, now 8-for-20 (.400) to start his stint with the Padres. He could prove vital over the next stretch of time as the Padres are without Wil Myers in the outfield due to knee issues.
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“The hard work is paying off,” he said.
Dating back to the series against the Mets, the Padres have scored a total of 29 runs in their last three games.
The Padres and Rockies meet again on Saturday for an unusual day/night doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. PT.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.