Padres vs Brewers Game Recap: Pinch-Hit Homer Lifts San Diego

As is often the case in games played at Petco Park, last night’s contest was a pitcher’s duel.   Edinson Volquez matched each other step for step throughout the game.  It wasn’t until both pitchers had exited the game without allowing  run before either team could break through.  Fortunately, the team breaking through was the Padres.

In the bottom of the eighth, with Marcum finally out of the game and watching from the dugout, Mark Kotsay came into the game as a pinch-hitter for Chris Denorfia.  Denorfia has had a solid season so far, but he was to face Francisco Rodriguez who can make righties look foolish at times.  Kotsay entered the game with a runner on and quickly continued his impressive pinch-hitting streak with a two-run home run that barely cleared the wall in right.

"It was a wall-scraper, I had my doubts off the bat,” Kotsay said, smiling."

Edinson Volquez had one of his best games of the year.  Coming off a seven inning, one run performance against

the Washington Nationals, Volquez pitched seven innings last night and did not allow a run.  He gave up just three hits and two walks.  The performance helped him lower his ERA to 2.92 on the season.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to grab a win as the Padres couldn’t score until the eighth.

Shaun Marcum was every bit as good as Volquez.  Marcum pitched seven innings, allowed three hits, and walked four.  He did not allow a run.

Andrew Cashner earned the win for the Padres after tossing a perfect top of the eighth.  Huston Street closed things out for his fourth save of the season.

While the team managed a win, they weren’t able to escape without committing an error.  Jason Bartlett, who has hit into the most double plays in the National League and already had four errors coming into the came, committed another error in the first inning.  The total puts him at five errors on the season and helped keep San Diego firmly planted in last place with the most errors in all of baseball.

Jeff Suppan, recently called up from Triple-A Tucson, will start against the Brewers today at 3:35 PT.  He will be making Cory Luebke‘s start and will face Yovani Gallardo.

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