Record: 64-62; Pace: 84-80; Change on last season: -5
Energy was high in the fan base coming off of a double header sweep of the Marlins and a 5-2 week overall. It was time for the Padres to come to town, fourth in the division. It was time to face a pitcher whom we'd gotten for six runs on three home runs in early June. It was time to win.
Except, the Padres had just won four games in a row, including a sweep of the Pirates. The Padres were out to play spoiler. And nobody told the Arizona Diamondbacks that it was time to win...
Patrick Corbin's highlight of the game was an 11-pitch 1st inning. He gave up a base hit to Chris Denorfia to lead off the game, but the next batter lined out to Paul Goldschmidt, who tagged Denorfia as he tried to get back to first for the double play. Goldshmidt then got the putout on Chase Headley for all three outs in the inning. In the 2nd inning, Corbin threw nearly twice as many pitches en route to giving up the first runs of the game. He loaded the bases with two outs on two singles and a walk, and the pitcher Eric Stults hit a single up the middle to drive in two.
Denorfia apparently really likes facing the Diamondbacks (hitting .363/.400/.613/1.013 against Arizona pitchers coming in to tonight) because he hit a solo home run in the third to put the Padres up 3-0. Eric Stults must like our pitchers too, because in the 4th inning, and again with two outs, Stults doubled to center to drive in Cameron Maybin. After that, and with his team behind 4-0, Patrick Corbin's night was done - 4IP, 9H, 4R, 1HR.
Brad Bergesen came in in relief and pitched two perfect innings, but allowed the fifth and final Padre run in the 7th inning on a sac fly from Denorfia. Bryan Shaw gave up a hit in the 8th, and Matt Albers pitched a clean 9th.
Offensively... well, there was no offense. After a leadoff single from Chris Young in the 1st, Stults sat down 11 Diamondbacks in a row. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits. Arizona's biggest opportunity to score came in the 5th inning, when Chris Johnson and Gerardo Parra each singled to put two on with nobody out, but nothing happened with that. Chris Young also had a two-out single in the 8th.
Yes, really, that was the extent of Arizona's offense. I'm honestly not sure if/why the team bothered to show up today.
Source: FanGraphs
A for Effort: G Parra, +4.3%;
Needs Work: P Corbin, -20.4%
Did Not Show Up for Class: The Bats
Believe it or not, that was only Arizona's second shutout (of the losing kind) at home all season, and I'm not sure it could've come at a worse time. If the scores of the late games hold (the Giants and Dodgers both lead their opponents), the Diamondbacks would be seven games back of the NL West title and six back of the new and improved expanded wild card position. In late August, with the Diamondbacks already dragging, and the Dodgers about to receive an infusion of cash talent players in this trade... well, it doesn't look good, boys and girls.
The gameday thread was feeling the lack of offense and responded with a lack of comments. There were barely 450 posts tonight. DC didn't even get to 100; soco and Clefo were behind him. All present were: AzDbackfanInDc, soco, xmet, Jim McLennan, Clefo, Medusas_Daughter, snakecharmer, luckycc, hotclaws, grimmy01, Azreous, kishi, Rockkstarr12, rd33, asteroid, blank_38, Muu, egboyz, TinySarabia, SongBird, BattleMoses, jjwaltrip, Backin'the'Backs, and aricat.
Comment of the Night to Clefo for this most-rec'd post:
Damn
Hate losing to the Padres, especially since they have all those perfect games and those cycles and no hitters and championships.
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3.
Owes Ian Kennedy a T-Shirt.by Clefo on Aug 24, 2012 9:11 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
But, tomorrow is another day. Ian Kennedy will take on Clayton Richard at 5:10pm.