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 But the diminutive shortstop packs a punch as the Philadelphia
Phillies learned Tuesday night at Petco Park.
Amarista hit a two-run, two-out homer off Phillies starter A.J.
Burnett (8-17) in the sixth inning to erase a 3-2 Phillies advantage
and lead the Padres to a 5-4 victory.
The win was the Padres second straight over the Phillies to open a
10-game homestand and improved the Padres record at Petco Park to
18-6 since the All-Star break.
Right-handed starter Ian Kennedy (11-13) and three relievers held
the Phillies to five hits -- although two of the hits were homers by
left fielder Dominic Brown and shortstop Freddy Galvis off Kennedy.
Galvis's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Phillies their 3-2
lead. But the Padres scored three times in the sixth.
Left fielder Jake Goebbert drew a two-out walk from Burnett to start
the rally. Amarista followed with his fourth homer of the season, a
357-foot drive that reached the first row of seats in right. The
Padres added a third run in the inning on consecutive singles by
right fielder Rymer Liriano and pinch-hitters Tommy Medica and Jedd
Gyorko.
"I wasn't surprised," Amarista said of his home run. "It was a
breaking ball low and in. The ball carried and I was happy to set it
get out."
Amarista was 3-for-4 and finished a triple shy of the first cycle in
Padres history. It marked the second time this season that Kennedy
won a game as a direct result of an Amarista homer.
"The way Alexi has stepped up makes him a real valuable player,"
said Kennedy, who had lost his two previous starts. "This was a good
enough outing to win," he said.
Kennedy allowed three runs on the pair of homers over six innings.
He allowed three hits and four walks while striking out seven.
Right-hander Kevin Quackenbush picked up his fourth save despite
giving up a run in the ninth.
But the key Tuesday was Amarista, who has been the starting
shortstop during Everth Cabrera's two trips to the disabled list
with left hamstring strains in addition to his recent DUI arrest.
"That was a huge home run," Padres manager Bud Black said of
Amarista's decisive shot. "Galvis's home run changed the momentum of
the game. Amarista brought it back to us."
Burnett, who leads the National League in losses, blamed himself for
Amarista's homer.
"I'm not going to make any excuses," said Burnett. "I messed up. I
walked a guy with two outs and the curve ball to Amarista wasn't
down enough. Bottom line, I didn't get it done tonight."
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the first on two hits and two
Philadelphia errors.
Second baseman Cory Spangenberg led off the Padres first with a
triple to the wall in right center and scored on center fielder Will
Venable's single. Venable raced to third and Burnett's wild pickoff
throw and scored on an infield grounder.
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Brown put the Phillies on the board in the second with a 383-foot
drive into the right field seats. And Galvis put the visitors on top
3-2 with a two-run homer in the fifth after the Padres wasted
several opportunities to break the game open.
In the second, Amarista doubled and Liriano singled and stole second
to put Padres on second and third with none out. But Burnett pitched
out of that jam and another in the fourth when the Padres had
runners on first and second with no one out.
Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp drew a one-out walk from Kennedy in
the fifth and came around ahead of Galvis, who pulled a Kennedy
fastball 368 feet into the right-field seats.
Second baseman Cory Spangenberg led off the Padres' first inning
with a triple to the wall in right-center field and scored on center
fielder Will Venable's single. Venable raced to third on Burnett's
wild pickoff throw and scored on an infield grounder.
Left fielder Dominic Brown put the Phillies on the board in the
second with a 383-foot drive into the right-field seats.
The Padres wasted several opportunities to break the game open. In
the second, shortstop Alexi Amarista doubled and right fielder Rymer
Liriano singled and stole second to put Padres at second and third
with no outs. But Burnett pitched out of that jam and another in the
fourth when the Padres had runners on first and second with no outs.
Shortstop Freddy Galvis put the visitors on top 3-2 with a two-run
homer in the fifth. Catcher Cameron Rupp drew a one-out walk from
Kennedy and came around ahead of Galvis, who pulled a Kennedy
fastball 368 feet into the right-field seats.
NOTES: Phillies OF Tony Gwynn Jr., a San Diego native, received a
warm ovation as he led off the first inning Tuesday night in his
first appearance at Petco Park since the death of his Hall of Fame
father in June. ... Padres OF Seth Smith was a late scratch due to a
hamstring tweak he sustained while making a running catch in left
for the final out of RHP Andrew Cashner's two-hit shutout Monday.
... The Phillies were ordered off the field during batting practice
due to very rare thunderstorms in the area around Petco Park. Fans
were ordered to seek cover due to lightning in the area, and the
infield was covered by the tarp -- a September first in the 10-year
history of Petco Park.
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