LDN - Sports

Rosales helps Padres salvage split versus Nationals

[June 20, 2016] SAN DIEGO -- The fortunes of baseball are fickle.

After winning a second straight game against the San Diego Padres Friday night -- to run their record to 10-2 over 12 games -- the Washington Nationals seemed poised for a four-game sweep of the last-place team in the National League West.

Then the Padres responded with two of their most complete games of the season, scoring a second straight win Sunday by a 6-3 score to gain a split of the series.

"The Padres outplayed us the last two days and I'm not real happy about it," said Nationals manager Dusty Baker.

"I thought we played them tough all four games and the last two games were all-around sharp for us," said Padres manager Andy Green.

On Sunday, the Padres reversed Washington's winning formula of the first two games, answering Nationals runs with runs of their own behind solid pitching by left-handed starter Drew Pomeranz and three relievers.

The Padres broke ties in both the fourth and fifth innings with a pair of two-run innings -- the key plays being a two-run, tie-breaking double by Adam Rosales in the fourth and a throwing error by Washington starter Gio Gonzalez in the fifth that led to two runs. Those runs eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Derek Norris and a single by Alexei Ramirez.

Although he allowed three solo homers, including two to Nationals lead-off hitter Michael Taylor, left-hander Pomeranz (6-7) picked up the win, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six innings.

Right-handed closer Fernando Rodney picked up his 14th save in as many chances and still has not allowed an earned run in 25 1/3 innings this season. He struck out the side for a second straight night.

"I thought Drew was solid," said Green. "I'd like to see him come out a little more aggressive against a guy who swings a lot," continued the manager of Taylor's first home run, which came off the game's first pitch.

"I made a stupid pitch," said Pomeranz. "I pulled it back over the middle of the plate. I made three mistakes. I have to clean that up. I feel that I was in good counts and was efficient (85 pitches in six innings)."

Gonzalez wasn't nearly as satisfied with his performance. The left-hander gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings to suffer the loss. He has lost five straight decisions since his last win on May 2 to fall to 3-6.

"It sounds cliche, but this was one of those games you learn from and move on," said Gonzalez. "Rosales put a good swing on that double. It's very frustrating. That's all you can say."

After Rosales' two-run double in the bottom of the fourth, the Nationals had tied the game in the top of the fifth on solo homers by Danny Espinosa and Taylor off Pomeranz.

Washington scored on the game's first pitch as Taylor lined the game-opening fastball from Pomeranz 355 feet into the left-field seats. His second homer traveled 358 feet in much the same direction to give the center fielder his first career multi-homer game. Espinosa's homered on a 2-0 pitch, the drive carrying 426 feet to center.

The Padres got on top to stay in the bottom of the sixth thanks to the second costly throwing error by a Nationals pitcher in as many games.

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Padres third baseman Adam Rosales (9) hits a two RBI double during the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Yangervis Solarte drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Melvin Upton Jr. then dribbled a ball down the first-base line. Gonzalez had no play at either base but threw wildly to first, allowing Solarte to reach third and Upton second on the single and error.

Norris broke the 3-3 tie with a sacrifice fly to left. Ramirez made it 5-3, scoring Upton on a single to center.

The Padres made it 6-3 in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Ryan Schimpf opened the inning with a single, moved to second on Travis Jankowski's ground out to the right side and scored on Matt Kemp's two-out, RBI single to left.

In the bottom of the fourth, Rosales snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-run double over the head of Nationals center fielder Taylor.

Upton and Norris opened the Padres' fourth with back-to-back singles. Gonzalez retired Ramirez on a foul popup behind third. Rosales, who was hitting .189 with 42 strikeouts in 106 at-bats, one-hopped the wall in center on a 2-1 fastball to drive in Upton and Norris. The Padres then loaded the bases on a hit batter and a full-count walk drawn by Wil Myers before Gonzalez retired Kemp on a grounder to end the inning.

The Padres countered Taylor's game-opening homer in the bottom of the first. Myers singled with one out, moved to second on an infield out and scored on a Solarte single.

NOTES: Padres CF Jon Jay left Sunday's game in the top of the sixth with a right forearm contusion two innings after being hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative and Jay is expected to be back in the lineup Tuesday after the Padres have an off-day Monday . . . Travis Jankowski replaced Jay in center and made a leaping catch at the fence on Daniel Murphy's sixth-inning drive to rob the Nationals' second baseman of a game-tying homer . . . Taylor's first-pitch homer Sunday was the fourth game-opening homer by a Nationals lead-off hitter this season and the third by Taylor . . . Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper beat the Padres shift with a perfectly placed bunt up the first-base line in the first . . . Starting with Monday, the Padres have three days off in an 11-day span. But Padres manager Andy Green said he will make no changes to the rotation until RHP Andrew Cashner (neck strain) returns from the disabled list . . . 2B Cory Spangenberg will start running on a treadmill this week and Green is hopeful he will be running on the ground by the time the team returns from a road trip on June 28. Green hopes Spangenberg, who has been sidelined with a quad strain since April 20, will return to action immediately after the All-Star break.

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