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 Common practice for a player in that situation is to run on
contact.
"I was going on the swing," the San Diego center fielder said after
scoring the winning run on first baseman Yonder Alonso's grounder to
first, giving the Padres a 4-3, walk-off win. San Diego prevented
Arizona from sweeping the three-game series between bottom two teams
in the National League West.
The decisive slide across the plate capped an unusual ninth that
opened with Maybin being called out at first by first base umpire
Bill Welke.
Padres manager Bud Black successfully challenged the call -- his
second successful challenge of the day, making him 4-for-4 on the
season.
Maybin opened the inning with a slow grounder to Arizona second
baseman Aaron Hill, who made a barehanded grab and a perfect throw
to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, leading to Welke's call. However,
Black challenged, and a 55-second review showed Maybin beat the
throw.
That was only one of three atypical plays in the inning.
Catcher Rene Rivera followed by driving a fastball from left-handed
reliever Oliver Perez (0-1) over the head of right fielder Gerardo
Parra. Normally, a player with Maybin's speed would score from first
on such a hit. However, on Saturday night, Maybin was doubled off
first base while thinking a ball into the left-center gap wasn't
going to be caught. It was.
"After what happened Saturday night, I didn't want to make that
mistake again," said Maybin, who stopped at third on Rivera's
double.
That brought up the left-handed-hitting Alonso to face Perez. Maybin
was headed down the line almost as soon as Alonso started swinging
at the first pitch.
"Arizona's infield was really in close," Maybin said. "Alonso makes
contact. With the third baseman off the bag and a left-hander
pitching, I thought I could take a quicker jump and still get back
if Alonso missed the ball. But if he had hit a line drive, I was
going to get doubled off."
Instead, Alonso topped the ball toward Goldschmidt, who charged,
made a barehanded pickup and threw in the same motion. However,
Maybin, with his huge jump and speed, slid home well ahead of any
play.
"That's the shortest RBI in my life," Alonso said of his 70-foot
roller. "I saw Maybin coming out of the corner of my eye when I hit
the ball. Even though Goldschmidt made an excellent play, I didn't
think he had a chance."
Goldschmidt said, "I was a little surprised how quickly Maybin got
down the line. I thought I came in there, barehanded it and threw as
hard as I could. I figured he had a pretty good lead. We were
infield in."
Perez added, "I thought we made as good a play as we could have."
[to top of second column] |
The Padres snapped a four-game losing streak. Arizona saw its three
game-winning streak end.
San Diego closer Huston Street (1-0) threw a scoreless ninth inning.
The Padres took their first lead in the series in the third.
Peterson was hit by a Wade Miley pitch, moved to second on a
sacrifice bunt by Padres starting pitcher Tyson Ross and scored on
left fielder Chris Denorfia's two-out single to right.
Arizona tied the game on one swing by Goldschmidt leading off the
fourth. The 412-foot homer to right-center landed in almost the same
spot as Miguel Montero's blast on Saturday night.
Goldschmidt's fifth homer of the season also keyed a three-run
inning.
With two outs, Cody Ross reached on shortstop Everth Cabrera's
fielding error. Ender Inciarte singled, and both runners advanced on
a passed ball by Rivera. Reserve Arizona catcher Tuffy Gosewisch,
who was 1-for-14 on the season, followed with a two-run single to
left.
The Padres countered in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run,
two-out hit by their own backup catcher, Rivera.
After Yasmani Grandal grounded into a double play, Maybin and
Venable hit back-to-back singles ahead of Rivera's double inside the
bag at third.
Both starting pitchers worked seven innings. Miley allowed three
runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out four. Ross gave up three
runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts.
NOTES: Diamondbacks RHP Trevor Cahill was unavailable Saturday and
Sunday due to a virus. ... Manager Bud Black said there is a chance
that LF Carlos Quentin and 3B Chase Headley would be in the Padres'
lineup before the end of the homestand. Headley will join Quentin on
a rehab assignment with Class A Lake Elsinore on Monday or Tuesday
and is expected to be activated Saturday, the first day he is
eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list. ... San Diego's
Yasmani Grandal, normally a catcher, made his second start at first
base.
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