NewsCorreia drops duel with Mariners' ace
Padres righty allows two hits over eight innings in loss
By Amy Brittain / MLB.com
06/17/09 2:00 AM ET
SAN DIEGO -- On any other night, it likely would have been enough for Padres starting pitcher Kevin Correia. |
He threw eight innings on Tuesday to match his longest career start, and he surrendered a season-low two hits, both solo home runs.
"He was awesome tonight," said Padres second baseman David Eckstein. "He threw the ball really well. I just wish we could have gotten him some runs." Held to a season-low two hits, the Padres couldn't give Correia any run support in a 5-0 loss to the Mariners at PETCO Park. The Padres lost their 12th consecutive Interleague game, going back to last season, to set a new Major League record for the longest Interleague drought. Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (7-3) threw his third career shutout. He finished with six strikeouts and four walks. "He did a great job of keeping us off the bases," Eckstein said. "With the fastball and two-seamer, and throwing his changeup and mixing in some of the breaking balls ... when he's on like that, he's really tough." The Padres' offensive woes resulted in their seventh shutout this season and second consecutive shutout for the first time since 2005. They have scored one run in their last 29 innings. Correia struck out five and walked none, throwing 96 pitches with 60 for strikes. Padres manager Bud Black said Correia, who induced 12 ground-ball outs, was "very efficient" with the use of all four pitches, his fastball, slider, curve and changeup. "Kevin pitched great, but Hernandez was just a little bit better," Black said. "Two hits in eight innings? That's a heck of a pitching performance." The Padres' first hit of the night came in the second inning on a single to right field by third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff. The Padres were held hitless until the ninth inning, when Tony Gwynn singled. Without Gwynn's hit, the Padres would have recorded their first single-hit game since 2001. "He had all four of his pitches going for strikes," Gwynn said, referring to Hernandez. "And whenever we did square one up, it seemed like it was right at somebody." Gwynn said the Padres' struggles at the plate shouldn't take away from the impressive nature of Correia's start. "Kevin pitched a great game. To give up two runs, and one was late, you can live with that," Gwynn said. "That's a good outing. Especially after a tough road trip, we needed someone to step up like he did." Seattle got out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning when center fielder Franklin Gutierrez homered off Correia to left-center field. The Mariners added a run in the seventh inning with Adrian Beltre's shot to left field. "I threw a couple of mistakes and they took advantage of them," Correia said of the home runs. The Mariners added three runs for additional cushion in the ninth inning. Left fielder Ken Griffey Jr. hit a two-run single off Padres reliever Mike Adams. Jose Lopez then hit a sacrifice fly off Padres reliever Mike Ekstrom to score Beltre and give Seattle a 5-0 lead.Amy Brittain is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
