ICYMI: Amarista the highlight in lopsided loss
If somebody were to tell you that Padres shortstop Alexi Amarista hit a home run on Wednesday, you would probably believe them. Now, if somebody were to tell you that Amarista also pitched in relief on Wednesday? Then you'd probably be scratching your head. Well, believe it or not that was the case at O.co Coliseum on Wednesday as Amarista was called in to pitch in relief to preserve the arms of the Padres bullpen amidst a 16-2 loss in Oakland. The Friars dropped game three of four against Oakland, guaranteeing the A's a series victory with the Padres looking to try and preserve a road-split in tomorrow's series finale.
Padres starter Odrisamer Depsaigne stumbled out of the gates on Wednesday as he allowed four runs to score on five hits in the first inning. The game didn't get much better for Despaigne, as he would go on to surrender six earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and one walk over 6.0 innings. Things did not improve from there as the bullpen went on to surrender 10 more runs on 12 hits, the majority of which came off of struggling righty Cory Mazzoni whose ERA rose to 20.77. With the game out of reach, manager Pat Murphy made an unconventional decision and placed position player Amarista in to pitch to close out the 8th inning. Amarista needed only two pitches to retire Billy Burns and get the Friars out of the inning.
On the offensive side of things, the Padres had a difficult time figuring out starter Jesse Chavez, who surrendered only three hits to the Friars. Matt Kemp, Yonder Alonso and Yangervis Solarte all collected singles off of Oakland while Amarista and Will Middlebrooks each tacked on a homer against the A's. The two solo-shots would not prove to be enough, however, as the early deficit proved to be too much for the Padres to contain. Fortunately for the Padres, an improved and rejuvenated Ian Kennedy will take the hill tomorrow and attempt to get the team back on track. Kennedy has gone 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts since working on his mechanics.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights and stories you may not have seen from Wednesday:
Padres post-game recap: Padres struggle to contain A's, drop 4th straight
"Little Ninja" launches a solo shot into deep right field in the 6th inning:
Video: LAD@SD: Shields holds Dodgers to one run over seven
Will Middlebrooks drills his 9th home run of the season into deep center field:
Video: LAD@SD: Upton singles in a pair to break deadlock
Amarista makes his major league pitching debut by retiring Burns in the 8th inning:
Video: SD@OAK: Amarista pitches, retires Burns to end frame
Outfield corps takes a loss with Myers' injury: Myers to undergo wrist surgery, miss 8 weeks
Enhanced play under Murphy on his first day: Murphy brings own approach to Padres in debut
Respect comes easy for those who know Murph: Murphy has respect of his former 'students'
Down on the Farm: Hancock, Rondon lead San Antonio to big win
Murph's Marks: Murphy has bad news on Myers, shares his thoughts on his new job in his first daily media session
Game Note Highlights: Game Notes @ OAK (06.17) Friars Continue Series Against A's in Oakland
Looking forward:
Friar Forecast: Kennedy looks to avoid sweep in Oakland
Thursday's probable pitchers: Ian Kennedy (3-5, 5.84 ERA) vs. Kendell Graveman (3-3, 4.22 ERA)