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 "That was not good," the Padres right-handed starter said of his
five-inning performance against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night
at Petco Park.
"Luckily, I go some big outs right when I needed them. And then
Justin flips the game with one swing."
Left fielder Justin Upton hit a two-run homer, and Kennedy and four
relievers held Cincinnati to four hits as the Padres defeated the
Reds 2-1 to end a six-game losing streak.
And, no, it wasn't pretty.
The bottom line for Kennedy (7-10) looked good. He allowed one run
-- on a Jay Bruce solo homer on the first pitch of the second inning
-- on two hits over five innings. However, he also issued a
season-high six walks and twice had to pitch out of bases-loaded
jams.
By the end of the fifth, Kennedy was done after 98 pitches.
Right-handed relievers Dale Thayer, Shawn Kelley, Joaquin Benoit and
Craig Kimbrel all followed with scoreless innings, and Kimbrel
picked up his 32nd save.
As Kennedy said, the game turned on one swing -- Upton's 20th homer
of the season in the fourth. The blast immediately followed right
fielder Matt Kemp's inning-opening single, the first hit allowed by
Reds rookie left-hander David Holmberg (1-1).
"That is real power," Padres manager Pat Murphy said of Upton's
417-foot drive into the sand beyond the fence in right-center. "That
is thoroughbred power."
Reds manager Bryan Price after Cincinnati's fifth loss in six games,
"After missing those opportunities early, their bullpen shut us
down."
The Reds had Kennedy on the ropes throughout the first four innings,
but they pushed across only one run, when Bruce rocketed Kennedy's
first pitch of the second 406 feet into the right field seats. It
was the right fielder's 18th homer of the season and the 200th of
his career.
Cincinnati left the bases loaded in the second and fourth and
stranded a total of seven runners in the first four innings as
Kennedy struggled with his command.
Kennedy walked his first hitter in the first but got out of what had
been a troublesome inning for him. In his 20 previous starts,
Kennedy had a 8.10 ERA in the first inning.
After Kennedy gave up his 25th home run this season to Bruce, he
walked the bases loaded in the second, getting out of that jam when
shortstop Eugenio Suarez popped out to second.
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In the fourth, the Reds couldn't score even though catcher Brayan
Pena singled with one out and Kennedy again loaded the bases with
two walks around steals by Pena and center fielder Billy Hamilton.
Kennedy again retired Suarez, this time on a fly to short right, to
end the threat.
"I did everything I could not to give up a big hit," Kennedy said.
"Those were the times I located my pitches."
Actually, Padres manager Pat Murphy thought Kennedy threw more
strikes than plate umpire Tony Randazzo called. In the bottom of the
fourth, Murphy was ejected by Randazzo after a heated exchange about
balls and strikes.
Minutes later, Upton homered. The blast was his 20th homer of the
season and his 15th of the year at Petco Park, tying the
single-season record at the Padres' downtown home. The mark was set
by outfielder Will Venable in 2013.
The home run accounted for the Padres' only damage against Holmberg,
who allowed six hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out
five.
NOTES: Padres RHP Colin Rea will make his major league debut Tuesday
night against the Reds. Rea, 25, had a 1.98 ERA between Double-A San
Antonio and Triple-A El Paso this season. ... The Padres will have
to make a 40-man roster move to add Rea, who replaces RHP Odrisamer
Despaigne in the rotation. Despaigne becomes the long man in the
bullpen. ... RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-7, 4.84 ERA) will start for
Cincinnati on Tuesday. ... C Brayan Pena had two of Cincinnati's
four hits. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto went 0-for-4 with three
strikeouts.
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