Eight-run second inning pushes Padres over Angels 8-5
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres used a pivotal second inning to get the 8-5 victory and split the series with the Los Angeles Angels.
With the win and a Cincinnati Reds loss on Wednesday, San Diego is back in sole possession of the second and final National League wild-card spot.
Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish, coming off his worst start with team, found himself in a somewhat shaky situation in the second inning. Angels’ first baseman Jared Walsh stood on third with one out and watched a Max Stassi fly ball to right-center field. Fernando Tatis Jr. called off Trent Grisham, got behind the ball, and gunned a 97 MPH throw to get Walsh at home and end the inning with no runs.
Niño by a MILE 💪 pic.twitter.com/Yl0DnzusBe
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 9, 2021
In the bottom of the second inning, Adam Frazier drove in Will Myers with his fourth extra-base hit since joining the Padres to get on the board 1-0. After a Trent Grisham hit-by-pitch, Jake Cronenworth got the massive two-out rally started an RBI single. Then, the floodgates opened for the Padres as Sam Selman, and Jake Petricka struggled to throw strikes. They walked four straight batters before Adam Frazier drove in two more runs, and the Padres led 8-0 despite only having five hits at the time and three hits in the inning.
Walks, but mostly runs. pic.twitter.com/4di5MqZJyl
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 9, 2021
After the second inning, the Padres’ offense seemingly shut down, as they failed to score and only tallied two more hits in the remaining six innings. They did walk three times but looked lost once one of the worst bullpens in baseball started to throw strikes.
Darvish finished the day with a strong start of six innings while allowing just one run. He struck out seven Angels and issued only one walk. At Petco Park this season, Darvish previously had a 3.30 ERA in 15 starts. This impressive mark shot down to 3.19 following Wednesday’s start.
“That’s the Yu Darvish we know,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. “I thought he wasn’t leaving the mistakes up. The cutter, the slider, and the curveball all had good finish to it.”
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Once Darvish left the game, the bullpen was called upon to finish the last three innings of the blowout. Dinelson Lamet pitched the seventh inning and allowed a two-run home run, then Tim Hill and Daniel Hudson each surrendered a run in the eighth inning when Hudson allowed a home run with Hill’s baserunner on first. The Padres’ bullpen is continuing to show cracks after being heavily taxed to start the second half of the season.
The Padres will get a day off on Thursday before beginning a crucial ten-game road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals, who are all competing for playoff spots. The first game will be on Friday in Los Angeles with Joe Musgrove on the mound.
Dominic is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism. He also is the producer and co-host of the “Padres EVT Podcast.”