Padres 7, Reds 6: Hosmer gets heroic

After the Padres gave him a huge lead, Jacob Nix imploded in the fifth inning, and it looked like this afternoon’s series finale might head to extra innings. But Eric Hosmer was ready for tomorrow’s off day and had no interest in prolonging the end of the four-game set. He didn’t even wait until the last possible moment to put the Padres back on top, hitting a leadoff homer in the ninth inning to set up Kirby Yates for his seventh save of the season.

Hosmer was both the first and last Padre to score today. After he hit a single up the middle in the third, Austin Hedges went yard for the twelfth time this year, putting the Friars up 2-0. Two more runs scored in the fourth, when Travis Jankowski walked to set up pure sweet angel Luis Urías for another two-run shot.

Nix fell victim to a little small ball in the bottom of the fourth that ended the shutout. After Jose Peraza hit a leadoff single, Joey Votto grounded out to put him in scoring position. Nix got his second out when Scooter Gennett flied out, probably because he is an adult man named Scooter. Phillip Ervin drew a walk, but it was the Tucker Barnhart single that brought Peraza home and cut the lead to three runs.

The Friars answered back in the top of the fifth. Franmil Reyes led off with a single, and Cory Spangenberg drew a one-out walk to put him in scoring position. Freddy Galvis brought both home with a double, putting the Pads up a substantial five runs. That should have been enough to guarantee Nix a win, but he completely fell apart in the bottom half of the inning. He started by allowing three straight singles to load the bases. Peraza continued to trouble the Padres by hitting a two-run double. Joey Votto’s eleventh bomb of the year tied the game and sent Nix to the showers before he even recorded an out in the fifth.

But the bullpen stepped up to throw five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and one walk in the process. The Reds bullpen was nearly as effective. After the fifth inning, they gave up just two hits. But one of those was Hosmer’s ninth inning solo shot, and he set up Kirby Yates for his three up three down ninth inning to get the Padres out of the midwest before it rains again.

After tomorrow’s off day, the Friars will wrap up the Vedder Cup with two games in Seattle. First pitch Tuesday at 7:10 PM.