|
 Kimbrel added another strikeout victim to his five-year total when
he struck out the side in the ninth inning of the Padres' 4-3
victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday at Chase Field,
all after he made his first career plate appearance ended with a
strikeout.
"It was fun," Kimbrel said of his at-bat in the ninth inning during
a four-out save. "Kind of caught off guard, but it didn't matter if
knew I was going to get it or not. The outcome would have been the
same. He threw me a nasty front-door cutter."
Kimbrel was his typical nasty self in getting his 37th save, getting
catcher Jerrod Saltalamacchia to ground out with a runner on second
base to end the eighth before striking out the side in the ninth. He
has 553 strikeouts, and rookie Socrates Brito was the 310th
different one.
Matt Kemp's three-run homer in the fifth inning gave the Padres a
4-2 lead, and right-hander Andrew Cashner (6-15) made that stand up
despite a sixth-inning homer by Saltalamacchia.
"I have my job and he has his job," Kemp joked when asked about
Kimbrel's at-bat. "I'm going to stick to hitting and he needs to
stick to pitching."
Kemp's homer was his 26th, and he has 97 RBIs, the most for a Padre
outfielder since Greg Vaughn had 119 in 1998.
The shot against left-hander Robbie Ray (4-12) just cleared the
right field fence.
"I hit it pretty well. I knew it was at least over his head," Kemp
said. "The ball travels pretty well here. Good thing that we were
playing here."
Cashner gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings. He
struck out six and walked two. He threw 71 fastballs in 90 pitches,
manager Pat Murphy said.
"Cash was great," Muprhy said. "He just attacked with his fastball.
Got away from trying to trick them and pitch the corners and
attacked a very good offensive team. His fastball was the difference
tonight."
First baseman Brett Wallace had two hits for the Padres (69-78), who
lost five of their previous six games.
Saltalamacchia's homer was his ninth, his eighth with Arizona, and
second baseman Chris Owings had a two-run single.
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Arizona center fielder A.J. Pollock had three hits to improve his
batting average to .315, tied with teammate Paul Goldschmidt for
fifth in the league.
The Diamondbacks (69-77) lost for the fourth time in five games.
Owings' two-run single in the fourth gave Arizona a 2-1 lead, but
the Padres scored with two outs in the fifth. Left fielder Wil Myers
walked and third baseman Yangervis Solarte singled before Kemp
homered on a 1-1 pitch.
"I left him in because it was his game to win," Arizona manager Chip
Hale said of letting Ray face Kemp.
"At some point in their careers they are going to have to take the
bull by the horns in the fifth inning, to get out of that inning and
get a win. That is his game to win right there."
Ray gave up six hits and three walks in 4 2-3 innings, using 102
pitches.
"Really it was just one pitch that got me," Ray said. "I went back
and looked at it. it is not really a bad pitch. It was off the plate
but a little up. We had been staying out all day on him so he kind
of went with the pitch. It is frustrating. I get the two outs then I
walk a guy. You can't walk guys like that."
NOTES: San Diego LF Justin Upton did not play because of an
undisclosed illness, manager Pat Murphy said. Upton has five homers
in 15 games against Arizona this season. ... Padres RHP Josh Johnson
is to undergo his third Tommy John surgery, his second since joining
the Padres in the winter of 2013. Johnson, 32, experienced a setback
in a rehab appearance at Class A Lake Elsinore on Sept. 4, when he
threw four pitches before being removed from that game. ... Both
Wednesday starters were among the least supported in the NL this
season. San Diego RHP Andrew Cashner had received an average of 3.46
runs per game in 28 starts. Arizona LHP Robbie Ray had been given
3.11 runs in 19 starts.
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