Padres 9, Braves 3: Galvis stages one-man hit parade

Let’s not beat around the bush: Freddy Galvis was on fire tonight. The last time a Padres shortstop went 5-for-5 was Craig Shipley in 1996, and the last Friar to pick up five hits in a game was Jon Jay over two years ago (and Jay had a sixth at bat to work with). Galvis was responsible for nearly half of the team’s RBI tonight and over a third of their hits. Some other Padres were good, too, I guess. Jose Pirela hit his first homer of the season, and Clayton Richard continued his inning eating ways by holding Atlanta to three runs (two earned) over six frames.

While Galvis didn’t start his show until the second, the Padres entertained plenty in the first. Travis Jankowski led off with a double, setting up Pirela for his two run bomb to center. That lead wouldn’t hold, as Clayton ran into trouble in the home half of the second. He gave up a pair of one-out singles, and a throwing error by Pirela loaded the bases for Johan Carmago. The Braves third baseman smacked a liner to right field, tying the game at two all.

Atlanta took the lead briefly in the fifth when Freddie Freeman jacked one, but it was a lead that wouldn’t last. The Friars hung a seriously crooked number in the seventh, bring five runners across the plate. Franmil Reyes led off with a single and was promptly replaced at first by the speedy Cory Spangenberg. Travis Jankowski drew a walk to put Spangy in scoring position, and another single from Eric Hosmer had the bases full of Padres.

That promising start looked a whole lot worse when Pirela grounded into a 1-2-3 double play, but Hunter Renfroe put the boys back on top with a two-run single up the middle. Christian Villanueva drew a walk to bring Galvis to the plate, and he slammed the door on the Braves with a three-run blast.

Galvis wasn’t done, though. There were more runs to come in the ninth. After Pirela drew a one-out walk, Renfroe hit a single and the Friars had runenrs on the corners. Jose Castillo brought Pirela home with a ground out, and Galvis wrapped up his impressive evening with a single to plate Renfroe.

Jordan Lyles will take the mound tomorrow as the Padres attempt to secure a series split. First pitch at 2:10 PM.