NewsPair of big flies not enough vs. Mariners
Padres' drought in Interleague Play reaches 13 games
By Amy Brittain / MLB.com
06/18/09 2:30 AM ET
SAN DIEGO -- The moniker of "June Gloom," a typical San Diego weather pattern characterized by heavy cloud cover, could easily apply to the Padres' current offensive plight. |
The Padres tacked on their 11th loss in 14 games this month when they dropped a 4-3 contest to the Mariners on Wednesday at PETCO Park. The loss also extended the Padres' Interleague losing streak to 13 games, the longest in Major League history.
"We've got to come out and do a better job swinging the bats," said left fielder Chase Headley. "For whatever reason, we haven't played well against those guys [American League]." The Padres had four hits on the night, with two coming on home runs off Mariners left-handed starter Garrett Olson (2-1). "We couldn't muster anything against their pitching," said Padres manager Bud Black. "Four hits is not going to do a lot of damage." Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff got the Padres out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a home run to left-center field. Headley knocked a two-run homer 404 feet, where it landed on the third deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building behind the left-field wall. Headley's hit, which tied the game at 3 in the fourth inning, was his first right-handed homer this season and the fifth of his career. "I hit it good," he said. "I hit that about as good as I could hit it." Even with the two home runs, Black said offensive production was difficult with the lack of baserunners. "We did get the two homers, which got us some runs," Black said. "But we've got to get more guys on base as well and put a little stress on the pitcher." Edgar Gonzalez, who started in right field on Wednesday, said the struggling Padres' bats will eventually find their way. "It's part of the game. ... It's streaky," he said. "Hitting is streaky. Pitching is streaky. ... Even winning is streaky. We hit it some balls hard at people and didn't get hits. You can't really control that." Padres starting pitcher Chad Gaudin threw three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fourth. Left fielder Ken Griffey Jr. hit a double to score first baseman Russell Branyan, who singled to lead off the inning. Second baseman Jose Lopez then hit a two-run homer that gave the Mariners a 3-1 lead. With the game tied at 3, Franklin Gutierrez scored the go-ahead run in the fifth on catcher Nick Hundley's throwing error in a pickoff attempt at third base. Gaudin (2-6) threw six innings, allowing four runs, with three earned, on six hits. He struck out eight and walked two. "I made one bad pitch to Lopez," Gaudin said. "It seems every little thing that can happen is happening. I'm trying to make each pitch a quality pitch. I felt I had good command of my fastball and threw it for strikes." Black said he was pleased with Gaudin's recovery after his worst start of the season on June 12, when he pitched three-plus innings and allowed a season-high eight runs in a loss to the Angels. "The last time out, there were a couple of hard-hit balls and balls that found holes," Black said of Gaudin. "He was much better overall. ... He needed to bounce back. His stuff was good." Black agreed that Gaudin's major slipup was the fastball to Lopez in the fourth. "The one pitch he'd probably like to get back is the one to Lopez," Black said. "He tried to throw a fastball down and away, and it just sort of ran up and in for a two-run homer."Amy Brittain is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
