SAN DIEGO -- The Padres escaped an early jam, then scored four runs in the first inning en route to a 4-1 victory over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
Here’s some reaction from Petco Park:
Brito’s return was an impactful one
The Padres probably didn’t envision thrusting Jhony Brito into a high-leverage spot for his first appearance in nearly two years. But with two on and one out in the sixth, the situation called for Brito. He delivered.
The right-hander needed only one pitch to escape the jam, promptly inducing an inning-ending double-play ball from Nolan Arenado. Manager Craig Stammen stuck with Brito for the seventh inning as well. He retired the D-backs in order.
“That was Buck Showalter style: Just throw him into the fire and see what he’s got,” Stammen said. “We planned for Jhony to pitch tonight. We felt good about the way he’d been throwing in Triple-A. It ended up being a really good spot for him and a good matchup.
Brito underwent elbow surgery last April and missed the entire season. The Padres recalled him prior to Tuesday’s game, though his role was unclear. Brito can start and pitch both short and long relief.
He’s already proving his usefulness to a pitching staff that is currently dealing with an overwhelming number of injuries. Those injuries have put an undue burden on the bullpen -- which is part of the reason Brito was thrown into such a tricky situation right off the bat.
“It worked out perfectly,” Stammen said. “I don’t think we drew it up that way. But it worked out.”
Márquez makes it work
Germán Márquez recorded one out with his first 31 pitches, and you started to wonder how long his night might last.
As it turns out? Five innings, one run, and he picked up the win.
Márquez found himself in some serious trouble early. Jake Cronenworth’s error didn’t help. But he also allowed a double and two walks. The D-backs loaded the bases with no outs. Then, after getting a force out at the plate, Márquez walked in the game’s first run.
But Arenado’s ensuing line drive went right to Padres second baseman Sung-Mun Song, who gloved it and stepped on the bag for the double play. From there, Márquez wouldn’t allow another runner into scoring position.
“I was like, ‘I have to get five in this game,’” Márquez said. “We’ve been using a lot of the bullpen. … My mindset was just: hitting my next spot. And I had a good game.”
One of his best games as a Padre, in fact. Márquez didn’t allow an earned run, and he struck out four. His fastball hit 97.6 mph.
As Márquez alluded to, the Padres’ pitching staff is currently on shaky ground because of injuries. They need some of their fringe arms to step up. Márquez and Brito both did on Tuesday night.
“A week ago, those two were in Triple-A,” Stammen said. “Both of those guys have the capability of being really good pitchers. In the right spots and against the right lineups, they can have success.”
Cronenworth’s eventful night
I’m not sure Cronenworth’s evening could’ve started much worse. He was practicing picks at first base when one took a bad hop and hit him in the nose during warmups. He sustained a bloody nose, but was cleared to play, then committed a first-inning error that led to the Diamondbacks’ only run.
But he made up for it all rather emphatically. Cronenworth launched a three-run homer into the right-field seats, giving the Padres a 4-1 lead in the first.
“Funny how this game works sometimes,” Cronenworth said.
The home run was the latest sign that Cronenworth is back to his old self. He struggled at the plate early this season. Some of those struggles came after he began experiencing concussion symptoms after he was hit by a pitch in the face. Eventually, Cronenworth landed on the IL and missed nearly two months.
Since his return, he’s hitting .310 with two homers, including Tuesday’s shot which proved decisive.
“Smacked in the face, error in the first inning -- and then a homer,” Cronenworth said. “Just the cherry on top. What a day.”