Padres 2, Rockies 1: Stults Stops The Slide

Well, if you're going to break a ten game losing streak, you really should do it in style. And when I think style, I think complete game. Eric Stults thought so, too. Of course, he wasn't content just to dominate on the mound. He had to do it at the plate, too, picking up a pair of singles against Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin. He had backup from Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista, who each went 2 for 4.

The first two and a half innings were uneventful, with Stults giving up just a lone walk. The Padres picked up a couple of baserunners, but couldn't bring them home. A familiar story of late. So they shook things up in the bottom of the third. Stults led off with his first single of the night. Cabrera nearly followed up by grounding into a double play, but shortstop Jonathan Herrera threw the ball away. Lucky thing, because it meant San Diego had a runner on base for Amarista's third triple of the season. One zip, Padres.

Stults kept mowing down Rockies, but Chacin did the same to the Padres until he was pulled after the sixth inning. Will Venable immediately hit a double off WIlton Lopez, then advanced to third on Nick Hundley's single. Stults did his best to bring another run home, but Venable was out at the plate. Undaunted, Cabrera picked up his second single of the night to load the bases, right before Amarista batted in another run.

Stults put the Rockies down in order in the eighth, and once again the crowd wondered if he would take the mound for one last inning. He'd only allowed two hits and three walks, but he'd thrown 107 pitches. When he stepped back out of the dugout, he was greeted with a huge cheer from the crowd of 22,000. He retired Michael Cuddyer with a little help from Petco Park, as a crushed fly ball dropped dead at the warning track. A double down the left field line made Wilin Rosario just the third Rockie to reach second base all night. Another fly ball had the Rockies down to their last out, and pinch hitter Nolan Arenado hit a bloop into right field to score Rosario. Bud Black walked out to the mound, and the crowd wasn't happy about it. Neither was Stults, and he must have made a convincing argument, because Buddy mentioned that candlesticks always make a nice gift and then headed right back to the dugout. Stults struck out future Mr. Laura McKeeman Josh Rutledge to end the game and the losing streak, and the crowd of Padres fans joined in a rousing chorus of "Bro Hymn".

Andrew Cashner tries to start a winning streak tomorrow against Jorge De La Rosa at 7:10 PM.

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