Padres can’t capitalize on opportunities, fall 4-3 to D-backs

The Padres dropped their first game of the season after a 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks in game three of their four-game series. Unlike their first two contests, the Padres couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position throughout Sunday afternoon.

In all, the Padres left 12 runners on base in this one.

Things got off to a bad start in the bottom of the first when RF Wil Myers grounded out to end the inning with the bases loaded. Not too soon after in the third, 1B Eric Hosmer, the hero of opening night, sent one out of the yard for his first home run of the young season, giving the Padres an early 1-0 lead.

Fast forward to the top of the eighth inning, with the score still 1-0, the Diamondbacks fought their way back by scoring two runs (2B K. Marte & LF Peralta) thanks to a single by CF Starling Marte and a ground out by 3B Eduardo Escobar.

On the other side of the eighth, with runners on first and second, IF Greg Garcia replaced C Austin Hedges at the plate and sent a base hit to center field which brought home the tying run at 2-2. SS Fernando Tatis Jr. then struck out looking with runners on both corners, which prompted the young star to throw his bat in frustration.

CL Kirby Yates looked a lot less comfortable on the mound, showing a rare lack of control. After striking out the the very first batter, he allowed a single followed by back-to-back walks which left the bases loaded. K. Marte then sent a sacrifice fly to center, prompting a runner to score which gave Arizona the lead back at 3-2. Peralta then singled on the very next pitch to once again bring a runner home for Arizona. Yates was then pulled after his 28th pitch.

After CF Trent Grisham singled to center to kick off the bottom of the ninth, Jake Cronenworth smacked a single down the first base line to score Grisham from second. Unfortunately, Myers grounded out to first and that was all she wrote for the exciting and short-lived comeback by the Padres.

Arizona starter Zac Gallen pitched four innings, allowing two hits and a solo home run while striking out six. The Padres’ Garrett Richards went five innings and allowed just a single hit and striking out six batters of his own.

The Diamondbacks were led offensively by K. Marte who went 2-of-3 at the plate with an RBI. Peralta and S. Marte also recorded a single RBI.

San Diego was led by Hosmer’s solo home run, Garcia’s game-tying RBI in the eighth, and the late RBI by Cronenworth in the bottom of the ninth.