Clayton Richard and Will Venable Send Padres Off Walk-Off Winners

It had been since August of 2011 that the Padres had a walk-off win.  But they got one yesterday afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels.

After Yonder Alonso drove him two runs in the fifth to tie the game, neither club could score again

until the 12th.  In the 13th inning, with the Padres bench depleted, Bud Black sent Clayton Richard to bat with two outs and no one on.  Richard, who hadn’t had a hit all season, picked a great time to get his first base knock.  He slapped a solid single into left field to keep the inning going.

Will Venable was up next.  He worked the count full which proved to be important.  With a full count and two outs, Clayton Richard got a running start on the pay-off pitch.  Venable smacked the pitch into left center field for a single.  Richard, with his head start, kept running to third, but Angels outfielders Howie Kendrick misplayed the ball and Richard never stopped running until he crossed home plate with the walk-off win.

The win gave the Padres a series victory over the normally nightly Angeles.  San Diego held the struggling Albert Pujols to no home runs in the series.

Anthony Bass started the game, and he was solid.  In six innings of work, Bass allowed five hits, two runs, and struck out six.  Ervin Santan, of the Angeles, was every bit as good.  Santana allowed two runs in six innings and also struck out six.

The Padres hit the road and will face the Cardinals in St. Louis tonight at 5:15 PT.  The hero of yesterday’s game, Clayton Richard, will get the start against Jaime Garcia.

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