D-Backs rally late, but fall to Friars
SAN DIEGO -- When they came to Southern California on Monday for their three-game series with the Padres, the Diamondbacks were looking to make a run at first place.
Wednesday, as they boarded their charter jet bound for Phoenix after a 9-5 loss, not only is first place farther away, but they can no longer lay claim to second.
"We really wanted to come in here and -- if not sweep -- at least win the series, so it's disappointing," outfielder Shawn Green said.
The series started with much promise, as Arizona beat the Padres, 7-5, to close the gap in the National League West to just 4 1/2 games. But after scoring two runs in the first inning on Tuesday, it was all downhill for the D-Backs, as they dropped a 5-3 decision.
Now after Wednesday's setback and the Dodgers' win over the Cubs, the Diamondbacks find themselves out of second place for the first time since June 8, and the 6 1/2-game deficit, with 27 games to play, matches their largest of the season.
The Diamondbacks, though, aren't ready to wave the white flag just yet.
"Especially after winning Game 1, we didn't feel like we were going to lose two out of three," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "But back to the drawing board. Nothing's been settled. Obviously we're a little more underwater than we were, but we still have three games left with them, we've got the Giants next and we've got to just keep playing."
Speaking of the Giants, they enter Friday's opener of a three-game set just a half-game behind the D-Backs.
"We've just got to come back on Friday and try to have a really strong September," Green said.
Diamondbacks starter Javier Vazquez was scratched from his Tuesday start with a stomach virus, and the Padres made him feel even worse when they scored three runs in the first inning on Wednesday.
A solo homer by Dave Roberts in the fourth pushed the San Diego advantage to 4-0, but the Diamondbacks were still within shouting distance when Luis Gonzalez hit a solo shot of his own in the sixth.
But Vazquez could not hold the Padres at bay, as they scored five runs in the sixth to take a commanding 9-1 lead.
Khalil Greene and Miguel Olivo started off the decisive frame with singles, and Ben Johnson followed with his first Major League homer.
"Johnson's blow is really the one that makes you think, 'Now we've really got to scramble,'" Melvin said. "4-1 or whatever, we were still in the ballgame there."
The loss was the second consecutive for Vazquez, who has lost five of his last six decisions to fall to 10-14 on the year.
"I did the best I could," said Vazquez, who allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. "They beat me today. What can I say? They hit me good today. I've thrown good against them a few times, and they beat me today. That's the bottom line."
The D-Backs did rally for three runs in the seventh and one in the eighth against the San Diego bullpen, but it was too little too late.
Padres starter Chan Ho Park (4-1) held Arizona to just two runs on three hits in six-plus innings.
"He was throwing a lot of sliders in fastball counts and was almost effectively wild with his fastball," Melvin said. "He got good movement on it, and he's always had a delivery where he hides the ball pretty well. You just don't really get a real good feeling on a certain spot where he's going to throw the ball."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
Wednesday, as they boarded their charter jet bound for Phoenix after a 9-5 loss, not only is first place farther away, but they can no longer lay claim to second.
"We really wanted to come in here and -- if not sweep -- at least win the series, so it's disappointing," outfielder Shawn Green said.
The series started with much promise, as Arizona beat the Padres, 7-5, to close the gap in the National League West to just 4 1/2 games. But after scoring two runs in the first inning on Tuesday, it was all downhill for the D-Backs, as they dropped a 5-3 decision.
Now after Wednesday's setback and the Dodgers' win over the Cubs, the Diamondbacks find themselves out of second place for the first time since June 8, and the 6 1/2-game deficit, with 27 games to play, matches their largest of the season.
The Diamondbacks, though, aren't ready to wave the white flag just yet.
"Especially after winning Game 1, we didn't feel like we were going to lose two out of three," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "But back to the drawing board. Nothing's been settled. Obviously we're a little more underwater than we were, but we still have three games left with them, we've got the Giants next and we've got to just keep playing."
Speaking of the Giants, they enter Friday's opener of a three-game set just a half-game behind the D-Backs.
"We've just got to come back on Friday and try to have a really strong September," Green said.
Diamondbacks starter Javier Vazquez was scratched from his Tuesday start with a stomach virus, and the Padres made him feel even worse when they scored three runs in the first inning on Wednesday.
A solo homer by Dave Roberts in the fourth pushed the San Diego advantage to 4-0, but the Diamondbacks were still within shouting distance when Luis Gonzalez hit a solo shot of his own in the sixth.
But Vazquez could not hold the Padres at bay, as they scored five runs in the sixth to take a commanding 9-1 lead.
Khalil Greene and Miguel Olivo started off the decisive frame with singles, and Ben Johnson followed with his first Major League homer.
"Johnson's blow is really the one that makes you think, 'Now we've really got to scramble,'" Melvin said. "4-1 or whatever, we were still in the ballgame there."
The loss was the second consecutive for Vazquez, who has lost five of his last six decisions to fall to 10-14 on the year.
"I did the best I could," said Vazquez, who allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. "They beat me today. What can I say? They hit me good today. I've thrown good against them a few times, and they beat me today. That's the bottom line."
The D-Backs did rally for three runs in the seventh and one in the eighth against the San Diego bullpen, but it was too little too late.
Padres starter Chan Ho Park (4-1) held Arizona to just two runs on three hits in six-plus innings.
"He was throwing a lot of sliders in fastball counts and was almost effectively wild with his fastball," Melvin said. "He got good movement on it, and he's always had a delivery where he hides the ball pretty well. You just don't really get a real good feeling on a certain spot where he's going to throw the ball."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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