Marquis & Venable Shine as Padres Win 1-0 and Earn Series Sweep

The “Jason Marquis & Will Venable Show” was on full display this afternoon as the Padres earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory to notch a series sweep over the Marlins.

Venable had a strong performance today. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

First of all, a tip of the cap must go to Jason Marquis for his efforts on the mound today.  The veteran right-hander pitched eight innings of scoreless ball, recorded two strikeouts, allowed only five hits, and started an important inning-ending 1-2-3 double-play when the bases were loaded with one out in the top of the third.

San Diego’s starter moved to 4-2 on the season and has done a fine job as of late.  In fact, Lee noted earlier today exactly how effective many members of the Friars’ starting staff have been over the last couple of weeks.  It’s a solid post, and I highly suggest you Padres fans give it a read.

While Marquis kept the goose-eggs on the scoreboard, he was helped by Will Venable out in right field.  Venable made two fantastic diving catches this afternoon, and is beginning to make his case for some extended playing time in San Diego’s outfield.

In addition to his defense, Venable was a key cog in San Diego’s offensive machine today.  While the Padres’ offense could only muster four hits, Will collected two singles in his three plate appearances and scored the only run of the game on a Yonder Alonso sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.

The Friars have been one of the league’s hottest teams as of late, and their 11-3 record over the last two weeks speaks for itself.  Now at 16-18, the Padres are finally starting to play with a little bit of confidence and have now made their way out of the NL West basement.

San Diego’s upcoming series will be a nice litmus test as the team will travel to Florida to take on the Rays for three games.  For now though, let’s give credit to the Padres for their play as of late and recognize Marquis and Venable for their strong performances today.