Padres 3, Braves 1: Bull. Pen.

Sometimes your starting pitcher gives you 6-7 solid innings and your relief gives you a clean 2-3 finishing innings. Sometimes your starter takes your team through the full 9 innings. And sometimes, like with the Padres today, 5 relievers show up to do all the pitching for you.

With no starter penned to take the mound today, the task was first handed to Matt Strahm. Strahm had a solid May, throwing just over 11 innings and giving up 4 earned runs, never going over 2 innings. Today, he threw just 2 ¹⁄₃ innings, allowing only a first-pitch 1-out solo HR in the first inning and 2 hits total, striking out two.

José Castillo, who gets credited for the win today, had the next turn, also allowing only 2 hits and striking out 2, but keeping the Braves scoreless. The pattern would continue with Adam Cimber (1 inning) and Kirby Yates (2 innings) throwing hitless scoreless ball, striking out a combined 5.

Brad Hand slammed the door shut with 2 innings of scoreless 1-hit ball, this time striking out 4 to give the Pads an impressive win against the division-leading Braves.

A fitting bullpen-fueled win to the series on the 11-year anniversary of Trevor Hoffman’s 500th save. The Padres will get Thursday off before heading to Miami to take on the fish.