Padres Analysis: The Top 10 Padres Games of 2014

With the 2015 MLB Opening Day just over a month away, it is time for one last look back at the previous year. The 2014 San Diego Padres, and the 2015 Padres are completely different.

There is a different look, more swagger and more muscle on this year’s team. Last year’s team was inexperienced and underwhelming.

Although the Friars finished 3rd with a 77-85 record with the worst offense in recent memory, some good things still happened.

For starters, the Padres had a dominating pitching staff all year long. Most of the players that made those good things happen are still on the team currently. They are ready to contribute along with the newcomers.

2014 was definitely an up and down year. There were times where the pitching staff was absolutely filthy and no offense could handle them.

Then there were other times when the Padres could not square up their bats on a beach ball if they tried. All in all, there were some good times in 2014. We will take one last look at the past season before the new era of San Diego Padres baseball starts this spring. Here is a look back at the top 10 games of last year.

Jul 23, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman

(1) hits a RBI double against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

10. July 24th, Padres Pound Cubs 13-3

The Padres had clubbed the Chicago Cubs earlier in the year and now this was the icing on the cake.

In fact, the 13 spot the Friars put up in this game was the highest run total they would achieve all year. For an offense that was historically bad, scoring 13 runs was a big deal.

It had the makings of a decent pitching matchup between All-Star Tyson Ross and the veteran Edwin Jackson. Not so. The Padres tagged Jackson for five earned runs and putting up a total of nine runs in the top of the 6th inning.

They took an early lead after a Yasmani Grandal triple and Will Venable single. The floodgates opened in the 6th after a throwing error by Luis Valbuena.

Tyson Ross struck out 11 in six innings. Rene Rivera finished with three hits including a home run and 3 RBI. Three different Padres had three hits. Along with Rivera, Seth Smith and Venable also had a 3-hit night.

The Friars hit .500 with runners in scoring position, going 8 for 16 that night. This was a rare occurrence for the Padres, as they often squandered opportunities to drive in runners in scoring position throughout the 2014 season.

May 5, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman

(5) and shortstop

(2) celebrate after a win against the Kansas City Royals at Petco Park. The Padres won 6-5 in twelve innings. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

9. May 5th, Venable Hits Walk-Off in 12th vs. Would-Be AL Champion Kansas City Royals

The Royals jumped out to a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the 6th, Yasmani Grandal tied things up with a 3-run home run.

To which Eric Hosmer responded the next inning with a home run to give Kansas City the lead again.

Yordano Ventura pitched well enough to win, going 6 innings and striking out 10. Eric Stults was chased in the 5th inning after allowing 11 hits.

The Royals took the lead into the ninth inning and put their closer, Greg Holland, in to try and shut things down. The Padres had other ideas.

Grandal started the inning flying out to center. Jedd Gyorko came to the plate and smacked a game-tying home run to left, the score now 4-4.

The score remained tied until the 12th inning. By that time, the Royals and Padres had burned through 13 pitchers combined.

With Tim Stauffer on the mound, Salvador Perez doubled with one out. Mike Moustakas then singled Perez home to give the Royals a 5-4 lead.

Normally, when a team takes a lead late into extra innings, it usually holds. Not that night. In the bottom of the 12th, Louis Coleman took the mound to try and get the 12th inning save for KC.

Chris Denorfia led off with a base hit. Alexi Amarista then bunted Denorfia over for Yonder Alonso, who doubled to set up runners on second and third for Venable. On an 0-2 count, Venable lined one in the gap to score both Denorfia and Alonso for the walk-off, comeback win. All in all, the Padres came back to tie the game 3 different times.

May 9, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko (9) after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports=

8. May 9th, Padres Slam Miami Marlins’ Ace Fernandez, Gyorko With 2 HR’s

The Marlins’ young Cuban ace Jose Fernandez looked to mow down the Padres impotent offense.

The Friars had a strategy to jump on him early in the count and to look for fastballs. It worked. In the 2nd inning, Grandal reached on an error before Gyorko came to the plate.

He then lined a shot just over the right field porch for a two-run shot. Fernandez then settled down for a few innings until the 6th inning.

The inning started with 2 singles and a walk, loading the bases for Gyorko. On a 2-0 count, Gyorko launched a ball far into the seats in left for a grand slam, giving the Padres a 6-0 lead. For most of the night, the Padres squared up ball after ball hitting many line drives.

Alonso then doubled and scored on Amarista’s base hit. Tyson Ross bunted him over to set up a sac fly for Will Venable. When the dust settled at the end of the inning, the Padres had an 8-0 lead.

The Padres added two more in the 8th with a two-run double by Seth Smith. They ended up winning 10-1. Ross got his 4th win by pitching 7 solid innings while striking out 8.

Unfortunately for Fernandez, this game ended up revealing damage in his arm that led to him having Tommy John surgery and ending his season early. He is scheduled to return sometime early this season but will most likely miss Opening Day.

Aug 30, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Alexi Amarista (center) is doused with bottled water by teammates after hitting a game winning walk off single in the tenth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

 7. Padres Get 3rd Straight Walk-Off Win

It is not very often a team has back-to-back walk-off wins, much less 3 straight. The Friars achieved that from August 27th to the 30th.

It was against the Dodgers, no less. It was a good pitching duel between Ian Kennedy and Zack Greinke. Kennedy ended up pitching 7 innings with 8 strikeouts. Greinke threw 8 innings and also struck out 8.

Scoring was few and far between. The Padres took a 1-0 in the 3rd inning when Kennedy helped himself out with an RBI double. The score remained the same until the 6th when Adrian Gonzalez launched a home run to tie the game at one. The bullpens then shut each other’s offenses down for the next 3-plus innings until the 10th.

Jamey Wright came in and allowed a leadoff single to Venable in the bottom of the 10th. Rymer Liriano then struck out. However, Venable did steal second in the process. Amarista came up and lined a ball up the middle into center field and Venable was able to score and win the game.

It marked the third time that season that the Padres had a walk-off win against the Dodgers. This was also the 4th consecutive win by the Friars. Amarista led the offense by reaching base 3 times and ultimately ending the game with a single up the middle.

Jun 7, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres centerfielder

(24) and 1st base coach

(17) celebrate Maybin

6. June 7th, Padres Walk-Off vs. Washington Nationals After Alonso Ties It With HR in 9th

Andrew Cashner and Blake Treinen had quite the pitching duel. Each combined for only 7 hits and 2 runs allowed.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 4th when Chase Headley doubled home Seth Smith to take a 1-0 lead. Cameron Maybin then doubled home Headley two batters later as the Padres took a 2-0 lead.

The Nationals countered with a 3-run top of the 7th when Ryan Zimmerman had an RBI double and Ian Desmond homered to drive in Zimmerman, giving Washington the lead. The scored held until the bottom of the ninth.

The Nationals closer Rafael Soriano came in and retired the first two Padres with ease. Then came Yonder Alonso. On a 1-0 count, Alonso sent a fly ball into the right field seats for a game-tying solo home run for his 5th of the year.

Each bullpen stymied the bats for the next inning and a half until the bottom of the 11th. Craig Stammen came in and retired the first two he faced. He then surrendered a single to Headley and walked Alonso. Maybin then sent a shot between first and second base into the outfield, scoring Headley for the walk-off single.

San Diego’s bullpen held the Nats scoreless in the last 4 innings of relief and Joaquin Benoit got credited with the win. The Friars accumulated 10 hits and had 3 two-out RBI.

Aug 29, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher

reacts during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

5. March 30th, Padres Come Back to Bite Wilson, Los Angeles Dodgers

The stage was set for a great Opening Night game on ESPN, Dodgers vs. Padres. The Padres were showcasing their spiffy, classy camo uniforms.

Many tuned in probably to watch the Dodgers showcase their new phenom Yasiel Puig and an easy win against a mediocre team. For most of the game, that is how it looked (besides the Puig part, who was 0 for 3 with a strikeout).

It was a pitchers duel for 4 full innings until the Dodgers broke the scoreless tie with a Carl Crawford RBI single. With the way Hyun-jin Ryu was pitching, that may have seemed to be enough. He was relieved by the unkempt and wild Brian Wilson. He had done a solid job as a reliever the past few years and nothing less was expected this time out.

Wilson fell behind to the new Padre Seth Smith 2-0, who was pinch-hitting and making his first at-bat as a Padre. The next pitch got lost in the lights and in the stands for a game-tying 8th inning home run on national television.

That is not all. He then walks Grandal, Everth Cabrera reaches on Wilson’s throwing error and then Grandal steals third. Cabrera stole second and Chris Denorfia puts the Padres on top with a two-run single up the middle, giving the Padres a 3-1 lead. Huston Street then came in to close things down in the 9th and did so with a 1-2-3 inning to cap a dramatic victory on Opening Night.

Jun 18, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Fans take pictures and pay their respects to San Diego Padres former player

at his statue before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

4. June 18th, To Honor Tony Gwynn, Padres Win Close Game vs. Seattle Mariners 

It was the first home game since the death of Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn. It was a night of ceremony and remembrance. But it was also a night for a baseball game.

With the number “19” displayed in the cuts of the right field grass, the Padres squared off against the Seattle Mariners. In fact, they had to deal with their ace Felix Hernandez. He pitched a great game, going 7 innings and striking out 10. Cashner nearly matched him pitch for pitch.

The Mariners took an early 1-0 lead when Brad Miller singled home a run with one out in the 2nd. It took until the bottom of the 6th for the Padres to respond.

Amarista led off the inning with a single through the “5.5 hole” as Tony Gwynn called it, between shortstop and 3rd base. A bunt, ground out and wild pitch later, he scored to tie the game at 1 a piece. Charlie Furbush came in to relieve Hernandez in the 8th.

Cabrera led things off with a single. Amarista bunted him to second. Tommy Medica got to the plate and lined an 0-2 pitch into center field, scoring Cabrera. This gave the Padres a 2-1 lead heading into the ninth.

Huston Street shut the door once again for his 19th save. It was much more than a win. It was an emotional night celebrating the greatest player in franchise history. It was raw emotion from players, coaches and fans alike. It was a game Padres fans will not soon forget.

Jul 20, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher

(40) pitches against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

 3. July 20th, Despaigne Takes No-Hitter Into 8th vs. New York Mets

Odrisamer Despaigne was just making his 5th start in the big leagues. His counterpart was the Mets’ bright young starter, Zack Wheeler.

Despaigne threw 123 pitches and was tossing a masterpiece. He went into the 8th inning with a no-hitter. Padres fans held their breath, wondering if they would finally be witnesses to the franchise’s first no-hitter.

He struck out the first two batters he faced in the 8th in Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Curtis Granderson. He then faced David Murphy and on a 2-2 count with 2 outs in the 8th, Murphy lined one in the left-center gap for a double, ending Despaigne’s bid for history.

He received a standing ovation from the home crowd. Then he gave up an RBI singe to David Wright in the next at-bat and was pulled from the game having taken a no-hitter 7 2/3 innings.

Now the task at hand was to reclaim the lead as he had surrendered a run to tie the game 1-1. The Padres entered the bottom of the 9th still tied.

Carlos Quentin leads off with a walk and Maybin pinch runs for him. Amarista then reaches on an error attempting to bunt which put runners at 1st and 2nd. Headley then grounded into a double play and with a load groan from the home crowd, it looked as if the Friars had squandered a golden opportunity to win the game.

With 2 outs and Maybin still at 3rd, Seth Smith hits a dribbler towards the mound that no one can get to or handle cleanly and he gets to first safely as Maybin scores, ending the game. The Padres won 2-1 walk-off style after the game started as a possible no-hitter.

Apr 11, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Andrew Cashner (34) throws during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

2. April 11th, Cashner Throws 1-hit Masterpiece Against The Mighty Detroit Tigers

When the Detroit Tigers came into town, everyone expected to see Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Company to knock the Padres around.

It was quite the contrary that Friday night. Andrew Cashner was slated to pitch against upstart Tiger Rick Porcello. All Cashner did was mow down the beefy lineup all night long.

It took the Tigers until the 6th inning to get a hit off of Cashner when Rajai Davis lined one up the middle with one out. And that was it. Cashner settled right back in and struck out 11. After that hit, he never even allowed a baserunner for the rest of the game.

On the other side of things, the Padres jumped on Porcello early for 2 runs in the first. Jedd Gyorko had an RBI triple and then scored on Headley’s double. Headley continued his great night with a two-run home run in the 6th, giving the Padres a 4-0 lead.

Cashner only really needed one. The Padres did add two more in the 7th and ended up winning 6-0. Cashner not only did serious damage with his arm, he also chipped in with his bat by singling and then later scoring in the 7th on a ground ball by Denorfia.

Andrew Cashner completed the game by striking out the Triple Crown winner, Miggy Cabrera. It was an impressive display against what many thought was the team to beat in the American League.