Padres 10, Diamondbacks 1: Sweep?

 
Record: 43-69 Pace: 62-100 2004: +8 2009: -7 Hinch/Gibson: .392/.364

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT HOW THE ACTUAL GAME WENT. THIS IS A RECAP OF AN IMAGINARY GAME.

The Dbacks put the hurt on the Padres' top pitching prospect today, lighting up Mat Latos and the San Diego bullpen for 10 runs, while Colonel Saunders was lights-out once again, shutting out the Padres through 6 and getting the W to sweep the division-leading Padres out of town.

Saunders had a no-hitter and faced the minimum through 3, demoralizing the Padres with a walk in each of the first three innings erased by double plays. Montero gets credit for the 3rd DP, as it was a K-em-out-throw-em-out with a caught stealing. Montero also threw out another baserunner in the 7th.

The Dbacks batted around in the 3rd, turning a 1-0 game (on a solo shot by CY leading off the game) into 7-0. It was a comedy of errors for the Padres, as Upton led off the inning with a double, misplayed by S. Hairston into an inside-the-park home run. The next two batters reached on a LaRoche walk, and a Montero single. Reynolds struck out but reached on a dropped third strike, and a Stephen Drew double cleared the bases, making it 5-0. Parra popped up for the second out, but Joe Saunders put the ball into play and it found a hole between Gonzalez and Jerry Hairston, Jr., and Chris Young's 2-run triple made it 7-0, Dbacks. Kelly Johnson struck out to end the inning. The boys in Sedona red then got two more runs in the 7th, off of Ernesto Frieri, when a LaRoche walk preceded a Montero blast.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT HOW THE ACTUAL GAME WENT. THIS IS A RECAP OF AN IMAGINARY GAME.

After consecutive singles chased Saunders to leadoff the top of the 7th, putting runners on first and second, Gerardo Parra, who went 2-4 at the plate with an RBI and did NOT strike out or ground into any DPs, fielded a shallow flare into LF off Blaine Boyer that looked like it might be caught. Instead, it was Scott Hairston who was caught hesitating, as Parra gunned him down with a perfect strike to Mark at third. Ryan Ludwick grounded out weakly to Adam LaRoche on a grounder that was too slow to turn for two. However, after Kyle Blanks took third on a wild pitch, he took too much of a lead, and Montero was able to pick him off with a bullet from behind the plate. Boyer wasn't as lucky in the 8th, loading the bases on two walks and a single, and giving up the game's only run on a deep, deep sacrifice fly caught by Chris Young at the top of the wall, robbing Adrian Gonzalez of a grand slam. Jerry Hairston, Jr. took 3rd on the play, but another deep fly ball off the bat of Nick Hundley found Upton's glove, and the Jupzooka blew up Hairston at the plate to end the inning and any threat the Padres might have posed.

Mark Reynolds, making his return from fastball-induced woozyness, went 0-3 with 3 Ks his first three times up. Mark worked the count full his 3rd AB before taking a called strike 3 at least 6 inches out of the zone. That must have awoken Kirk Gibson's fieryness, because he came out to argue and got ejected for the first time this season. Mark rewarded him with a solo blast in the bottom of the 8th inning to cap the scoring.

Rafael Rodriguez pitched a perfect 9th in his debut in a Dbacks uniform, with two strikeouts and a popout to LaRoche to close this one out. DBACKS SWEEP PADRES FTW!!!!

I hope you enjoyed reading this imaginary recap. It was almost certainly more fun to read about than the recap of the ACTUAL game, wherein the Padres blew out the Dbacks 10-1 to prevent being swept in Phoenix.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT HOW THE ACTUAL GAME WENT. THIS IS A RECAP OF AN IMAGINARY GAME.

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