SD 5, LAA 4: Middlebrooks homers, Padres win it

Last night the Padres pleased everybody with an extra-inning performance for the history books. The 4-run 10th inning marked the 10th time in Friar history that the Pads batted around in an extra inning. The stars were Odrisamer Despaigne with a shutout performance, and Matt Kemp with a slump-breaking clutch bases-clearing RBI double.

So tonight the Padres were going into a fresh game and had a shot to take the 1-1 tied series and book it about an hour and a half down the I-5. Coming off a quality start was Andrew Cashner, mullet and all, throwing against Garrett Richards -- who had just got done getting lit up in Boston. What we got was another great start from Cash, who went 7 innings only giving up 3 earned runs (one of them a cheap-as-hell fluke plate-bouncing infield single), notching 6 strikeouts and giving up a harmless home run.

The San Diego offense shot off quickly, with a first-pitch single from Yangervis Solarte. He then was picked off at first, and spooked everybody with a jammed shoulder. He stayed in for the remainder of the game, going 1-for-4. But the scoring started in the second, after a beastly Derek Norris double followed by a Will Middlebrooks RBI-double of his own. The Pads up early 1-0.

Alexi Amarista and Cory Spangenberg team up for one of the sexiest double plays of the season.

Carlos Perez cancelled it out in the bottom of the inning with that cheap little chopping ground ball that bounced about a mile off the plate. But Middlebrooks didn't take too kindly to that, so him and Norris teamed up in the 4th for a Norse single and a lifted Middlebro home run to put the Padres up 3-1.

Richards knew it and Will just about knew it.

But that pesky Perez struck back, popping off an RBI double. Cashner then conceded a home run to Matt Joyce (only his second HR of the season) and got himself out of the inning. The meat of the Padres lineup was just around the corner, and a leadoff Alexi Amarista walk got things kickin'. Austin Hedges scrapped and used his grit to enduce an error out of Richards, and the Pads had two on board. Two outs later, Justin Upton showed up to squirt an RBI-single through the 5.5 hole.

Tony would be proud. Upton shoots the go-ahead RBI through that semi-tight shift.

That put the Pads up 4-3, and Kemp followed suit with an RBI single of his own. The Padres had a lofty 5-3 lead and took it 5-4 into the 9th after a little sacrifice fly in the 8th. Craig Kimbrel was called in to finish the job and get the Friars the hell out of Anaheim. After notching the first two outs, he gave up a little single to right center, which pinch-hitter Johnny Giavotella took as a cue to challenge Kempy's arm.

Oh, okay. Thanks for that.

Didn't work out too great for ya. Padres win 5-4.

Source: FanGraphs
Probably one of the more enjoyable series of the season. The Angels fought tooth and nail from first game to last. A walkoff loss followed by an extra-inning win. The Padres earned this one, Cashner keeping the game in reach and the Friars bringing in the support (something Ca$h isn't very used to.)

Roll Call Info
Total comments	229
Total commenters	21
Commenter list	Christopher Hondros, Darklighter, Friar Fever, Furtle, Hormel, Humanure, Jlad00, KPWest, Maltster, Mr. Meadows, Zen Blade, abara, daveysapien, hashtagtroll, jodes0405, johnnyblazer, jthunder93, moreoffenseisbetter, roydjt, whithd3, yuhfriard
Story URLs	http://www.gaslampball.com/2015/5/27/8675245/game-thread-05-27-padres-angels

Mr. Meadows said the most things out loud, but I got the most recs and that's all that matters.