The first place Padres are varying their victory formula. After spending two months depending on their bullpen, ballpark, and timely hitting, San Diego’s offense is starting to warm up with the weather.
Spotting Baltimore a 4-0 lead on Sunday, San Diego roared back to score six runs in the first three innings, pulling away for a 9-4 victory at Petco Park. Will Venable homered and tied a career high with 4 RBI, and Adrian Gonzalez continued a torrid 20 game stretch with three doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.
Postgame video interview: Will Venable
“We’re a team,” said Gonzalez after the game, “we’re not just a good pitching team, we can get it done on the offensive side too.”
Gonzalez is leading the way, hitting safely in 17 of his last 20 games. Adrian went 14-for-32 on the nine-game homestand, lifting his average to a season high .310.
Padres manager Bud Black is seeing Gonzalez using the whole field, a sure sign of a hot streak (embedded soundbyte):
Read more after the jump, and watch postgame video comments from Adrian Gonzalez and Jon Garland:
Jon Garland retired the final 14 Orioles he faced (AP photo courtesy SDNN)
The Padres found themselves in an early hole thanks to a combination of early struggles from starter Jon Garland, and one particularly ill-timed defensive miscue.
After loading the bases in the first inning with two outs, Garland (7-5) induced a slow grounder to third base off the bat of Adam Jones. Lance Zawadzki, spelling Chase Headley in the lineup and making his first career start on the hot corner, double clutched on the throw to first, which Jones beat out to reach safely. The play was originally ruled an error but later changed to an infield single.
Orioles catcher Matt Weiters followed by snapping an 0-for-16 streak, slamming a three-run double into the left-center field gap. The four run frame had the Padres down, but not out according to Black (embedded soundbyte):
Garland was shaky again in the second, but this time Zawadzki rode to the rescue. After walking opposing pitcher Jake Arrieta to open the inning, Corey Patterson singled to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Miguel Tejada then hit a smash to third that Zawadzki knocked down and converted into a 5-3 double play.
Garland finished by retiring the final 14 Orioles he faced, finishing with four earned runs allowed over six innings.
Postgame video interview: Adrian Gonzalez and Jon Garland
Meanwhile, the Padres offense was busy tearing apart rookie right-hander Jake Arrieta, who had won his first two major league starts but struggled from the outset on Sunday. Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run with his first double of the day in the first inning, and an Orioles error made it a 4-2 game after two innings.
In the third, David Eckstein led off with a double down the third-base line and scored on Nick Hundley’s one out single. After Scott Hairston walked, Venable took a hanging curveball deep down the right field line for his fifth home run of the season.
Black said Venable has been working with hitting coach Randy Ready on some mechanical adjustments which the Padres hope will get their right fielder back on track offensively (embedded soundbyte):
Venable drove in his fourth run of the game with a 5th inning RBI single, and Hundley capped the scoring with a two-run homer off the facade of the Western Metals building second deck in the 7th.
The Padres can look back at their now-concluded nine game homestand and thank their offense for keeping the ballclub on track. If not for a pair of 9th inning comebacks, the Padres would have fashioned a 3-6 record. Instead, a 5-4 record allowed San Diego to remain 1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants and 2 games ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West.
San Diego now embarks on a six-game Florida road swing, facing the Rays on Tuesday-Thursday and the Marlins over the weekend.
Looking forward to an upcoming story in the @NCTimes on the #Sockers winning streak. Just sent some research to reporter Brian Hiro. 2012-02-14
@SKHansen001 No there were no new medical updates out at the field. The team is watching and waiting just like us. 2012-02-14
I'll post the video of my interview with Coach Mark, who will be the acting head coach, shortly on 619Sports.Net. 2012-02-14
Baseball's the kind of game that you can lose yourself in the craft and help manage the stress of bad news. The #Aztecs are doing just that. 2012-02-14
While everyone is stunned and anxious and praying for Coach Gwynn's recovery, they also are ready to start the season. 2012-02-14
Just got done talking to Coach Mark Martinez at TGS. Team had known about Coach Gwynn's situation for two weeks. 2012-02-14
@hacksaw1090 I'm with you on this one Hacksaw, don't let the haters get you down. We stand with Coach Gwynn. 2012-02-14
Craig Elsten -
Craig@619Sports.net
Chainsaw -
Padres Blow Past O’s To Win Homestand
by Craig on June 20, 2010
The first place Padres are varying their victory formula. After spending two months depending on their bullpen, ballpark, and timely hitting, San Diego’s offense is starting to warm up with the weather.
Spotting Baltimore a 4-0 lead on Sunday, San Diego roared back to score six runs in the first three innings, pulling away for a 9-4 victory at Petco Park. Will Venable homered and tied a career high with 4 RBI, and Adrian Gonzalez continued a torrid 20 game stretch with three doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.
Postgame video interview: Will Venable
“We’re a team,” said Gonzalez after the game, “we’re not just a good pitching team, we can get it done on the offensive side too.”
Gonzalez is leading the way, hitting safely in 17 of his last 20 games. Adrian went 14-for-32 on the nine-game homestand, lifting his average to a season high .310.
Padres manager Bud Black is seeing Gonzalez using the whole field, a sure sign of a hot streak (embedded soundbyte):
Read more after the jump, and watch postgame video comments from Adrian Gonzalez and Jon Garland:
Jon Garland retired the final 14 Orioles he faced (AP photo courtesy SDNN)
The Padres found themselves in an early hole thanks to a combination of early struggles from starter Jon Garland, and one particularly ill-timed defensive miscue.
After loading the bases in the first inning with two outs, Garland (7-5) induced a slow grounder to third base off the bat of Adam Jones. Lance Zawadzki, spelling Chase Headley in the lineup and making his first career start on the hot corner, double clutched on the throw to first, which Jones beat out to reach safely. The play was originally ruled an error but later changed to an infield single.
Orioles catcher Matt Weiters followed by snapping an 0-for-16 streak, slamming a three-run double into the left-center field gap. The four run frame had the Padres down, but not out according to Black (embedded soundbyte):
Garland was shaky again in the second, but this time Zawadzki rode to the rescue. After walking opposing pitcher Jake Arrieta to open the inning, Corey Patterson singled to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Miguel Tejada then hit a smash to third that Zawadzki knocked down and converted into a 5-3 double play.
Garland finished by retiring the final 14 Orioles he faced, finishing with four earned runs allowed over six innings.
Postgame video interview: Adrian Gonzalez and Jon Garland
Meanwhile, the Padres offense was busy tearing apart rookie right-hander Jake Arrieta, who had won his first two major league starts but struggled from the outset on Sunday. Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run with his first double of the day in the first inning, and an Orioles error made it a 4-2 game after two innings.
In the third, David Eckstein led off with a double down the third-base line and scored on Nick Hundley’s one out single. After Scott Hairston walked, Venable took a hanging curveball deep down the right field line for his fifth home run of the season.
Black said Venable has been working with hitting coach Randy Ready on some mechanical adjustments which the Padres hope will get their right fielder back on track offensively (embedded soundbyte):
Venable drove in his fourth run of the game with a 5th inning RBI single, and Hundley capped the scoring with a two-run homer off the facade of the Western Metals building second deck in the 7th.
The Padres can look back at their now-concluded nine game homestand and thank their offense for keeping the ballclub on track. If not for a pair of 9th inning comebacks, the Padres would have fashioned a 3-6 record. Instead, a 5-4 record allowed San Diego to remain 1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants and 2 games ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West.
San Diego now embarks on a six-game Florida road swing, facing the Rays on Tuesday-Thursday and the Marlins over the weekend.
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