Padres 4, Diamondbacks 3: Friars win marathon game

Wil Myers is so hot right now. After hitting three bombs in last night’s otherwise embarrassing game, he launched the winning homer in the sixteenth goddamn inning today. Clayton Richard gave the boys a solid shot by holding the Diamondbacks to three runs over five innings, but the real credit goes to the bullpen, who combined for eleven scoreless innings, capped off by two innings from newly minted All-Star Brad Hand.

The Friars got on the board right away. Carlos Asuaje hit a single to right, and Eric Hosmer brought him home with a double. That lead held until the third, when Clayton ran into some trouble. Jeff Mathis walked on four straight pitches to start the frame, and was replaced at first when Zack Greinke grounded into a fielder’s choice. Former Friar Jon Jay got beaned, and Paul Goldschmidt drew a two-out walk to load the bases. An A.J. Pollock single plated two runs to put the Diamondbacks on top.

The Pads tied things back up with three straight two-out singles in the fourth. Freddy Galvis, Manuel Margot, and Austin Hedges all rallied to knot the game at two, but Clayton’s control issues gave up the lead again in the bottom of the fourth. Ketel Marte led off with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. Jake Lamb moved him over to third, and Jeff Mathis brought him home with a double. Things got even scarier from there: Greinke hit a single to left, but Mathis held up at third. Then Richard beaned Jay again to load the bases. Nick Ahmed was a good sport and grounded into a double play to end the threat.

The Padres tied things up in the sixth. With one out, Manuel Margot took a 2-0 pitch to left field, where it bounced over the fence for a ground rule double. One out later, Jose Pirela took Clayton’s place at the plate and tied things up with a grounder up the middle.

That was the last run either team would score for ten innings. Wil broke the silence with some thunder.

Hand made things a little interesting in the bottom of the sixteenth when he gave up a leadoff double to Marte. But he punched out Lamb on three pitches, then got a fly out and a ground out to end the game.

There will be no rest for the Padres, who come home tomorrow to start a four-game set against the Dodgers. First pitch at 7:10 PM.