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Big Game James is surely an overused moniker for James Shields, but a big game was needed today. The Padres gave Shields the biggest free agent contract in their history, they named him the Opening Day starter in his first season with the club and he's established himself by leading the club in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. However, in his last five starts he was 0-3 with a 5.59 ERA. The Padres have lost five of their last seven and sit 6 games under .500 with just over half their games played. They need things to change right away and you an ace the big bucks to stop losing streaks and starting winning. This wasn't the biggest of games in the grand scope of the sport, but every game is now a big game for the Padres and they sent James to the hill to get it done.
The Pirates also had a top pitcher on the bump for this contest. A.J. Burnett toed the slab after it was announced that he had been selected for his first All Star Game after 16 years in the majors. He's also the guy that 14 years ago threw a no-hitter against the Friars. However, the Padres may have come into the game with some confidence against him. Despite Burnett getting a win in their matchup earlier this year, it was his worst outing of the year. They tagged him for 5 runs, 4 earned over 5 2/3 innings pitched. Burnett would last longer than that today, but the Padres would be able to get a lead early off of him.
In the top of the 2nd, after a Justin Upton fly out to start the inning, Yonder Alonso worked a walk. Jedd Gyorko would follow that trot to first with a lined single to left field. Next, Will Venable loaded the bases with a hard earned base on balls. Despite the bags being full of Friars, Burnett looked to be in good shape with one and the the 8th hitter, Alexi Amarista, and the pitcher, Shields, due up. First pitch hacking Amarista drove a deep fly ball to center that would ultimately be caught, but allowed Alonso to tag up and score the first run of the ball game. Shields would ground out to keep it the only run. The only run Burnett would allow in his 7 2/3 innings pitched on the day.
Shields was up to that challenge. In the first 6 innings he allowed only one hit, a Jorder Mercer single that was cancelled out by a double play. However, in the 7th inning one out double by All Star CF Andrew McCutchen would be prove troublesome. Shields retired Jung Ho Kang to get a second out and work a 1-2 count to Franisco Cervelli before hitting him with a pitch and bring up manager Pat Murphy's son-in-law Pedro Alvarez. A hard hit ball to the left side looked like it would squeak by for an RBI single, but a diving stop by a shifted Yangervis Solarte then looked to save the day for Shields and the Padres. However, Solarte one hopped the throw to first and it took a bigger bounce than Alonso expected and skipped by him allowing McCutchen to score and tie the game at 1-1.
The game turned over to the bullpens in the 8th after great work by both starters. Shields was replaced by pinch hitter Brett Wallace, who drew a walk. Burnett allowed that walk, but wouldn't finish the inning. He would get credited with a pick off when pinch runner Melvin Upton, Jr was called out, but it look to many observer to be an easy balk call that was missed. The baseball gods gave the Padres a quick makeup call when the home plate umpire said that Derek Norris fouled off a 2 strike ball in the dirt that didn't seem to have so much as nicked the bat. Norris would later single, as would the next hitter Yangervis Solarte. That's when Burnett came out and Tony Watson ended the Padres' mounting threat with a strikeout of Matt Kemp.
The same players that contributed to the Pirates' first run in the 7th would play a part in the walk off winner. Brandon Maurer issued a one out walk to McCutchen. A Kang single moved him to second base. A Cervelli fly out allowed Cutch to tag up and take third. Once again it was up to Alvarez with two outs. This time his batted ball would find no glove and resulted in a single to plate the decisive run.
Shields did his part (his first game of the season where he allowed no earned runs), but the offense couldn't do enough of its part. Stymied by Burnett and the Pirates' tough pen, that one early run was just not enough. This game goes to show how a big game by a big name player does not always get it done. In a way, that's a sort of microcosm of the season. Many big names compared to last season and most have had their share of big games, but the result is another team getting similar results to recent Padres clubs. Another loss puts the team 7 games under .500 and increasing makes them look like another squad that will only win 70-some-odd games.
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<th colspan=2>Roll Call Info</th>
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<tr><td width=150>Total comments</td><td>96</tr>
<tr class="alt"><td>Total commenters</td><td>19</tr>
<tr><td>Commenter list</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Burdock">Burdock</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/DPadres69">DPadres69</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Darklighter">Darklighter</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Humanure">Humanure</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Jlad00">Jlad00</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/KPWest">KPWest</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mr.%20Meadows">Mr. Meadows</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/SDCole24">SDCole24</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/SDfaninLA">SDfaninLA</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Senor_Lumpy">Senor_Lumpy</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/SolanaFan">SolanaFan</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/WestCoastPat">WestCoastPat</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Zen%20Blade">Zen Blade</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/daveysapien">daveysapien</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/hashtagtroll">hashtagtroll</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/jodes0405">jodes0405</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/jthunder93">jthunder93</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/nbkoy2c">nbkoy2c</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/roydjt">roydjt</a></tr>
<tr class="alt"><td>Story URLs</td><td><div><a href="http://www.gaslampball.com/2015/7/6/8903229/game-thread-07-06-padres-pirates">http://www.gaslampball.com/2015/7/6/8903229/game-thread-07-06-padres-pirates</a></div>
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<th width=20>#</th><th>Commenter</th><th># Comments</th>
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<td>1</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/jthunder93">jthunder93</a></td><td>25</td>
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<td>2</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/daveysapien">daveysapien</a></td><td>23</td>
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<td>3</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/SolanaFan">SolanaFan</a></td><td>8</td>
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<td>4</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/nbkoy2c">nbkoy2c</a></td><td>7</td>
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<td>5</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/DPadres69">DPadres69</a></td><td>6</td>
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<td>6</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/KPWest">KPWest</a></td><td>4</td>
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<td>7</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Jlad00">Jlad00</a></td><td>4</td>
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<td>8</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/SDCole24">SDCole24</a></td><td>3</td>
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<td>9</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mr.%20Meadows">Mr. Meadows</a></td><td>3</td>
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<td>10</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/jodes0405">jodes0405</a></td><td>3</td>
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<td>11</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Darklighter">Darklighter</a></td><td>2</td>
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<td>12</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/hashtagtroll">hashtagtroll</a></td><td>1</td>
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<td>13</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Burdock">Burdock</a></td><td>1</td>
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<td>14</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Humanure">Humanure</a></td><td>1</td>
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<td>15</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Senor_Lumpy">Senor_Lumpy</a></td><td>1</td>
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<td>16</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/WestCoastPat">WestCoastPat</a></td><td>1</td>
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<td>17</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/roydjt">roydjt</a></td><td>1</td>
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<td>18</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Zen%20Blade">Zen Blade</a></td><td>1</td>
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<td>19</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/SDfaninLA">SDfaninLA</a></td><td>1</td>
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