PADRES PLAY WITH HEART; BEAT THE BEST TEAM IN THE AL EAST WITH DOUBLE DIGITS

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By Liz Alper

Photo:  did you know that Babe Ruth was born right behind the center field wall at Camden Yards, or close to it?  Courtesy @Padres on Twitter

June 21, 2016 (Baltimore) – Good news:  Padres baseball is back.  The bad news:  it’s against the Orioles, who started the season undefeated, so no one has high expectations for this series.  Maybe some more good news (?):  this series is only for two games.  More bad news:  Luis Perdomo was starting tonight’s game against Tyler Wilson for Baltimore.

After a rain delay, the game got underway at 4:40 p.m. our time (I love early games). 

Remember what I said about the Padres probably having no chance against a first place AL East team?  They proved me wrong, for once.  Matt Kemp singled in the first, scoring Travis Jankowski and the Padres took a 1-0 lead in the first.

Perdomo pitched surprisingly well the first two and a half innings, but the O’s came back and showed why they’re the best team in the AL East and the Padres proved us right again.  Adam Jones doubled in the third, driving in Francisco Pena and the birds tied the game at one.  Hyun-soo Kim singled, driving in Jones and the Orioles took a 2-1 lead.

But the Padres decided to prove us wrong again with Derek Norris’ solo homer in the fourth to tie the game at two.  The Friars took the lead again on Wil Myers’ single that scored Alexei Ramirez and the score was 3-2.

But alas, this lead too would not last.  Former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Pedro Alvarez launched a two-run bomb in the O’s half of the fourth to give Baltimore a 4-3 lead.  He did it again in the fifth and the O’s took a 6-3 lead.

The Padres got a run back in the seventh on Yangervis Solarte’s single to score Kemp and the O’s led 6-4.  With the bases loaded, Norris walked and Solarte scored and it was a one-run game.  The Padres ended up tying the game at six on a wild pitch that score Melvin Upton Jr.  Christian Bethancourt grounded out and once Ryan Schimpf scored, the Padres took the lead again, 7-6.  Who saw this coming?  No one. 

The Padres added a few more runs in the ninth on Ramirez’s single that scored Norris to lead 8-6.  Jankowski hit a sac fly to score Bethancourt and the score was 9-6 Padres.  Kemp singled and drove in Ramirez and the Padres went to double digits, 10-6.

Myers ended the scoreless streak of Fernando Rodney by bobbling a routine ground ball and the Orioles got Kim home for a run, but the Padres still won 10-7.  The Padres ended the game in double digits in both the hit and score columns.  Not bad.

The Padres will play their last game against the O’s until next week tomorrow at 4:05 p.m.

 


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