NewsKouzma-walk-off: Padres win in 10
Gonzalez has four hits, including game-tying shot in sixth
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
06/18/09 8:12 PM ET
SAN DIEGO -- There was still sweat on Adrian Gonzalez's brow by the time he stepped in front of television cameras and exhaled heavily on Thursday, the perfect metaphor for the afternoon and the current state of affairs for his team.Gonzalez looked relieved more than anything as he answered questions about the Padres' 4-3 victory over the Mariners in 10 innings at PETCO Park, in which he scored the winning run on Kevin Kouzmanoff's walk-off single.
His reaction certainly made sense given the length of the game and what it represented.
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"It seems like every homestand, we play an extra-inning game," Gonzalez said regarding the Padres' ninth extra-inning affair this season and only 11 days removed from an 18-inning loss against Arizona at home. "It was nice to just play one extra inning."
And, to be sure, nice to finally defeat an American League team, as the Padres managed to snap their 13-game skid -- the longest such streak in Interleague history -- dating back to last season.
"You can't explain it," said Gonzalez, who had four hits, including his 23rd home run of the season. "Maybe it's that we were facing these guys when we're not playing our best baseball."
The Padres (29-36) had lost their previous five games before Thursday, all coming against teams from the junior circuit, a three-game sweep at the hands of the Angels a week ago and then the first two games of this series against the Mariners (32-34).
"It's just bad luck -- we haven't been hitting the ball lately," said Padres closer Heath Bell, who worked the final two innings for the victory. "That's what happened last year, as well."
There wasn't a whole lot of hitting on Thursday, as Gonzalez had four of the nine hits for the Padres. Kouzmanoff, who wasn't unavailable following the game, struck out three times before lining a fastball to left field off Miguel Batista for the game-winner, which allowed Gonzalez, who had doubled, to score.
"I was going all the way, whether he was waving me in or not," Gonzalez said of third-base coach Glenn Hoffman.
The Padres can't tell you why they've struggled so mightily against teams from the AL, nor do they really want to ponder the issue much longer, not with nine more games against teams from the AL West Division still on the schedule.
Instead, they savored the victory and Kouzmanoff's game-winning hit, which allowed an on-field celebration that have been few and far between this season.
"It was nice to get out and jump all over each other on the field and celebrate," Bell said. "And it was nice to get rid of that losing streak."
The Padres, a team that had scored one run in its previous 29 innings before Wednesday, scored two quick runs in the first inning off Mariners starting pitcher Brandon Morrow. David Eckstein had an RBI double that scored Tony Gwynn. Two batters later, Gonzalez singled in Eckstein for a 2-0 lead.
The Padres wouldn't score again until Gonzalez connected for a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, a long fly ball to center field that just got over the fence, and one that barely eluded Franklin Gutierrez's glove. It was Gonzalez's first home run since June 2, marking the longest he's gone without a home run this season (12 games).
"He had a good day," Padres manager Bud Black said. "The swings he's been taking have been good swings. It was good to see him getting pitches and getting hits."
San Diego pitcher Josh Geer was hurt by two solo home runs off the bat of Gutierrez, one in the fourth inning and another in the sixth inning. Geer, who has allowed 16 home runs this season, pitched well otherwise, allowing three runs in six innings.
This was an improvement from his last start, against the Angels, in which Geer allowed four home runs.
"Yeah, compared to my last outing, it went well," Geer said. "I made probably about two or three bad pitches today -- the fastball that ran back over the plate to Gutierrez, and the slider [that] backed up on me, [the second home run to Gutierrez].
"Other than that, I felt really good. ... The guys played good defense behind me, and we were able to come back and finish it up right."
Greg Burke and Edward Mujica followed Geer, as each tossed a scoreless inning before handing the ball over to Bell, who struck out two and allowed one hit over two innings, lowering his ERA to 1.23.
Bell pitched the ninth and 10th innings, helping this one from reaching as far as the 18-inning loss to the Diamondbacks did on June 7. The Padres, who are 6-3 in extra-inning games, have played the second-most extra-inning contests in the National League behind the Phillies (10).
The air of relief was palpable in the clubhouse, from players who seemed just as happy that the game had ended in 10 innings than for the streak it ended. Well, everyone but Bell.
"I don't mind," Bell said. "As long as we win, I don't care. For the bullpen, it means more innings ... so we get to pitch longer."
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
