3 things we learned from the Padres’ 8-5 loss to the Diamondbacks

Zack Greinke, still pretty good

Zack Greinke is a former Cy Young winner and one of the highest-paid pitchers in baseball, but after getting bombed by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, it was easy to think that maybe the 35-year old was showing signs of slowing down. He brought an ERA over 17 into this game and that went up after a 1st inning HR to Hunter Renfroe:

And that was just about the last time that Greinke looked hittable. He struck out 10, and got out 12 Padres in a row despite some shaky control, and really kept the San Diego offense from doing much else until the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen got in there.

Just as valuable to the Arizona win was Greinke with a bat in his hands. The pitcher finished 2-4 with 2 HRs (!) and 4 RBIs. I’m not sure that’s what was meant when people called Petco Park a “pitcher’s park”.

Hunter Renfroe, power hitter

After that 1st inning HR, and after a lengthy discussion between Andy Green and the home plate ump that ended with Andy getting ejected, Hunter Renfroe had one more for the Dbacks’ starting pitcher:

All 5 runs scored by the Padres were off HRs hit by left fielders (including a 2-run pinch-hit HR by Wil Myers in the 7th), and this should mean that Renfroe has earned at least another start in the OF soon to replace the scuffling Franmil Reyes.

The Ump Show

With Manny Machado up in the 7th inning, Greinke forced a pop-fly in foul territory. Arizona catcher John Ryan Murphy easily got to the ball, but dropped it when it hit his glove.

That’s when things got wacky. The home plate umpire called interference on Machado, although it’s not entirely clear if he thought that Machado made contact with the catcher (he didn’t) or tossed his bat a little too close to the catcher’s feet (he also didn’t do that).

Either way, Andy Green went out and argued with the ump (although he stopped to apologize when he accidentally spit in the ump’s face) and got ejected along the way. Hunter Renfroe was up next and responded by hitting a rocket into the Western Metal Supply building.

Umps are stupid and this one made a bad call, but that probably didn’t cost the Padres the game and the series last night. That was their pitching and hitting that did that.