The Padre Post

PHOENIX– On a day of the long ball, the Milwaukee Brewers just  barely edged out the San Diego Padres who fell a run short losing 5-4 Monday afternoon.  Both starters allowed first inning solo homeruns, one from Padre Will Venable, the other from the Brewers Ryan Braun.  They each homered again in the fifth and third innings respectively.  As result, both starters’ outings were short due to the amount of early runs being scored.

Milwaukee’s starter, Shaun Marcum, went four innings with three earned runs and two homeruns along with four strikeouts.  Padres starter, Anthony Bass, did not get a chance to go four as he was pulled after 3 1/3 innings.  He allowed five runs on seven hits and allowed three big ones to leave the park.  However, with both starters retired, both bullpens came ready and virtually shutdown each other.

San Diego’s relievers pitched a solid 4 and 2/3 innings in which they allowed only one additional hit and walk.  Milwaukee’s relievers were efficient and did exactly what a bullpen is supposed to do, prevent the other team from overtaking the lead.  Despite allowing another run in the fifth, the Brewers were still up 5-4, and that was all they needed as both sides did not score another run from that point on as Milwaukee went on to earn its 18^th win of spring training.

PEORIA– Monday’s game between the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres was a back and forth affair as the Padres duplicated Seattle’s run production in the top innings.  Both starters, Doug Fister of Seattle and Wade LeBlanc of San Diego, each struggled, giving up two runs on three hits in two innings.

Seattle opened up the first with two runs, only to let San Diego right back into the game.  Ryan Ludwick got an RBI single which Orlando Hudson followed with an RBI double to tie the game at 2-2 in the first inning.  The scoring seized until Padre Greg Halman hit a two-run home run that gave the Padres a short lived lead in the fifth.  In the bottom inning, Will Venable earned an RBI, and the very next inning Eric Patterson came off the bench to tie the game at 4-4 with his own RBI pitch-hit single.

Seattle and San Diego then proceeded to each score a run a piece in the seventh and ninth inning leading to a 6-6 final score.  Although, LeBlanc of the Padres struggled early with mechanics, at this point in spring training, he is still being considered for a spot in the final rotation.