Padres Look Normal Again in Colorado

The Padres last week traded away veteran starter James Shields for the White Sox Erik Johnson who made his debut for the team Saturday night in Colorado. It did not go well for the Padres or for Johnson. He did do better than Shields debut in Chicago though…

Of course the Padres were hoping that he wouldn’t allow 10 earned runs in under 3 innings like Shields did, but starting Johnson in Coors Field didn’t do him any favors either.

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Here was how the line for Johnson read after his first Padres start:

4 2/3 IP, 9H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 3K, 2HR L

Not the best start you could hope for. Johnson admitted he wasn’t at his best and paid for it in the end:

“[You don’t want to] put yourself behind like that, letting two free passes go and then first-pitch fastball to CarGo,” newly-acquired Padres starter Erik Johnson said of his debut inning in a Padres uniform. “It’s definitely an adjustment that you gotta to make [in Colorado], and the sooner the better.”

The Padres were able to score three runs themselves, but the 5 spot would do them in. Carlos Villanueva and Brandon Maurer finished up the game for the Padres allowing no further damage.

Next: A Year After Black Firing

On Sunday, Christian Friedrich continued his solid run as Padres starter going 6 innings and striking out 9 and allowed just one unearned run. Unfortunately for him, the Padres only got one run and the Padres Kevin Quackenbush allowed the go-ahead run in the 7th for the Rockies. Quackenbush was saddled with the loss falling to 3-3.

The Padres mustered 8 hits to the Rockies 4, but were unable to get the hits that mattered in the end. They fall to 26-38 on the season and come home to face Miami and Washington this week – both teams with records over .500. The excitement of WI Myers Friday night victory was quickly replaced by two losses that easily could have been Padres victories.