Exhausted Padres bullpen comes up short vs. Reds

CINCINNATI -- A tired bullpen filling in for a scratched starter ended poorly for the Padres on Sunday in a 4-3 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

It was the seventh loss in eight games for the Padres, who ended the road trip 1-5. San Diego comes home for six games before the break, searching for answers and wins.

"We're just trying to win games," Padres manager Bob Melvin said. "Yesterday was a feel-good one. Come back today and have it tied, feel like we have a good chance to win the game. We lose. We've experienced this quite a bit. We have to pick ourselves up.

"Every series right now is a big series for us."

"We've got to come out every day and play like it's our last one," shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. "We got to get to amping. We didn't have the road trip we wanted. We've got to go back and see things change."

Adrian Morejon started for the Padres in place of Yu Darvish, who is dealing with an illness.

Morejon got the call as the most-rested member of San Diego's bullpen. In the last seven games entering Sunday, Padres relievers worked at least four innings in five of those games and put up a 6.00 ERA.

The left-hander acquitted himself well over three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, walked two and struck out one and was aided by two double plays.

"[Morejon showed] a lot, especially after the first two guys get bases," Melvin said. "He ended having to get two double-play balls, which maybe is not his forte. He was able to give us three innings. Hopefully, that's a big springboard for him."

The next pitcher up, lefty Tim Hill, looked like he'd get out of the fourth unscathed. But he hit Joey Votto with a pitch with two outs. Five pitches later, Spencer Steer launched one into the second deck above left field to make it 2-0. The ball left Steer's bat at 108.4 mph and traveled 441 feet.

Pedro Avila took over for Hill and threw three innings to get the game to the back of the bullpen. Avila didn't allow a run on one hit and one walk while striking out four.

"[Avila] set up well for us," Melvin said.

But the offense couldn't solve lefty starter Andrew Abbott. The rookie pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed one on four hits. He walked one and struck out a career-high 12. The run came when the last batter Abbott faced, Ha-Seong Kim, homered to left. It was Kim's 10th homer.

"His ball was running a little more away from our righties," Melvin said. "Playing a little at the top of the zone. Changeups. The breaking ball had tough spin to track. Mixed it. He wasn't throwing 98 [mph], but it felt like it was playing a little better than that. You saw our guys chase some balls at the top that were running away."

Said Bogaerts: "His fastball was coming in at the top of the zone. It had some nice run on it."

Fernando Tatis Jr. followed Kim's homer with a shot of his own to make it 2-2.

But it didn't stay tied for long. Left-hander Tom Cosgrove came in to start the seventh. He got two outs, then walked pinch-hitter Stuart Fairchild after getting ahead 0-2. The Reds sent up Tyler Stephenson to pinch-hit for Joey Votto.

Melvin countered by bringing in right-hander Nick Martinez. Stephenson hit the first pitch Martinez pitched the opposite way for his seventh home run.

"Down the whole game," Melvin said. "Their guy pitched great. Hit two home runs. The momentum is in our dugout, and they had one more big swing than us."