Lucchesi labors, bullpen collapses, Padres routed by Rays 10-4
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego, California
In what was the start of an interleague series with the Tampa Bay Rays of the American League East, Joey Lucchesi looked to bounce back in his third start of the month after his first two outings brought him a 4.91 ERA. From the beginning, every out was hard-earned after grueling at-bats.
He allowed a two-run home run to Avisail Garcia, giving the Rays an early 2-0 lead.
The Friars responded in the bottom of the first with an RBI double by Eric Hosmer, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Manuel Margot led off the bottom of the second with a double. After Luis Urias struck out, Lucchesi came up to the plate with a chance to help himself. He lined a single up the middle, scoring Margot and tying the game at two. Everyone was all smiles after the pitcher, with a career batting average of .058 with one RBI in 79 plate appearances entering the day.
From there, the Rays began to roll. Lucchesi continued to labor in just about every inning and ended up being chased after 4 2/3 innings with three earned runs allowed, three walks and six strikeouts. “He was battling himself from the get-go,” Andy Green proclaimed after the game about his starting pitcher. “Everything was a fight and a struggle.”
In the top of the third, Jesus Aguilar lined out to shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. in what was one of the best plays by an infielder you will ever see.
We're amazed by @tatis_jr every day. pic.twitter.com/MYKO4sNbcw
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2019
Luis Perdomo worked 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after Lucchesi. Trey Wingenter came in for the seventh and continued to struggle, as he has most of the second half, with an 8.59 ERA entering Monday since the All-Star break. After three hits and a walk, Wingenter allowed three runs and allowed the Rays to extend their lead to 6-2.
Carl Edwards Jr. came in for the eighth and did not fare much better, allowing four earned runs and has struggled mightily in his short time with the Padres since coming from Chicago.
The Rays extended their lead to 10-2 after the eighth inning.
The Padres bats were unable to capitalize, and the Rays bullpen did a good job quieting their bats. Kevin Kiermaier robbing Francisco Mejia of a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning was indicative of how this game went for San Diego.
Ian Kinsler made his professional pitching debut in the ninth, with the game well in hand as the Rays boasted an eight-run advantage. He tossed a scoreless inning. “He was the only one I trusted in that dugout that wasn’t going to try and throw 100,” Green said after the game.
Kinsler quickly became a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy game for the Friars, as he added a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning making it 10-4.
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.
Edwards was a complete disaster on Sun and only lasted 2/3 inning. The Cubs got rid of him for a reason. Along with control issues. he is a head case. The Padres should have done their homework. I saw him pitch recently for the Iowa Cubs. One inning, 2 earned runs. At one point during that game after a hit, his body language changed and he literally bent over and hung is head. His personality is too brittle for MLB. The Cubs got rid of him shortly after that episode. He had a few dominant years with Cubs, but even then it seemed he was always one hitter away from becoming unglued.