Padres 4, Giants 5: Extra innings aren’t always fun

Last night’s marathon 12-9 win involved deployment of most of the bullpen as well as the bench. The game ended after midnight, and the team was slated to start another within the next twelve hours. As a result, the lineup was significantly different and a roster move was made to bolster the bullpen. Erick Aybar fouled a ball off the top of his left foot and remained the game, but he headed to the 10-day disabled list. In his place, lefthanded reliever Buddy Baumann was reinstated from the 60-day DL.

The Padres faced lefty starter Matt Moore, who was using his entire arsenal early and registered plenty of quick outs, only allowing two baserunners in the first three innings of his appearance. Luis Perdomo led the Padres in today’s matchup, and he started off strong as well, allowing only one baserunner in his first two innings of work. The Giants started to get to Perdomo in the third with singles from Gorkys Hernandez, Eduardo Nunez, and Joe Panik, with the third scoring Hernandez for the first run of the game. Perdomo stayed away from crooked numbers, and the game was 1-0 Giants after three innings.

Wil Myers decided that this lack of scoring had grown tired, and after fouling off a few offerings he drilled a liner that sailed over the leftfield wall to break the seal on the Padres’ scoring.

It got contagious as Cory Spangenberg singled, then Matt Szczur singled, then Luis Torrens singled to drive in Spangenberg. The highlight of the inning was a triple by pitcher Luis Perdomo, who nailed a liner just beyond the reach of Hunter Pence that netted two RBI’s as Szczur and Torrens crossed the plate. The outburst left the Giants stunned and looking up at a scoreboard that read Padres 4, Giants 1 in the middle of the fourth. Here’s Perdomo’s bases-clearing triple:

The Giants came back after Hunter Pence got on base because shortstop Allen Cordoba couldn’t cleanly make the exchange on a grounder. Pence moved to second on a Nick Hundley ground out, and he scored on a single from recently recalled Orlando Calixte. Pitcher Matt Moore singled through the 5.5 hole to put runners at first and second with two out for leadoff hitter Gorkys Hernandez. Hernandez would walk to load the bases, and then Eduardo Nunez placed a base knock into rightfield to score Calixte and Moore. Hernandez registered a TOOTBLAN at third base on the play to end the inning, but the damage was done and the Giants had tied the game through four innings at four runs apiece. The good news for Perdomo’s box score is that all three runs scored in the frame were unearned. so he’s got that going for him, which is nice.

Both pitchers worked quick, clean innings in the fifth. Even with the scoring, both starters maintained a low pitch count through five innings (Perdomo: 45, Moore: 43). With taxed bullpens, this may have been by design, but it’s refreshing to see pitchers working effectively, efficiently, and quickly. Both pitchers would go on to labor through a sixth scoreless inning before being relieved. Buddy Baumann made his season debut with a clean inning, striking out two. Kirby Yates, Ryan Buchter, and Jose Torres would make quality appearances as well as the game went into extra frames.

If I told you that Kevin Quackenbush came in and gave up the losing run, would you be surprised? Well, that’s what happened. In the bottom of the twelfth inning, leadoff hitter Brandon Belt singled. Kelby Tomlinson grounded into a fielder’s choice as the defense got Belt out at second, then took second on a wild pitch. Our old friend Nick Hundley ripped a single to left that reached the fence and was enough to score Tomlinson. Game over, 5-4 Giants. They got to hold their little walkoff party in the infield as some tired Padres meandered to the showers.

Luis Perdomo is the player of the game, as he was the only player with more than one hit, including his two-RBI triple, and he registered six innings of work with only one earned run. (Let’s just forget the three unearned runs.) Allen Cordoba earned the “Goat of the Game” award by donning a Golden Sombrero with four K’s, plus he made the error that led to the three aforementioned forgotten unearned runs. That said, it’s kinda hard to blame a kid barely a half-season removed from rookie ball who has been thrust into a role for which he is still wholly unprepared.

These two teams will do it all over again tomorrow, with another noon-ish start time. The Padres lead the series 2-1, so the Giants have a chance to get out of town with a tie. Come Monday, it’ll be alright. Come Monday, they’ll play late into the night, it’ll be four fun-filled days in the gray New York haze and they want some Mets wins on their side.