Brown’s Three-Run Blast Turns Tide, Padres Lose 6-2

Marquis had trouble with control tonight. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

After they mounted a thrilling comeback in extra-innings last night, the Friars fell to the Phillies in game two of their current series by a score of 6-2.

Things actually appeared to be going San Diego’s way early on this evening.  In fact, the Padres actually drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning when their lineup manufactured the game’s first two runs.

Kyle Blanks, who has been a one-man-wrecking-crew against Philadelphia over the last two nights, singled to begin the frame.  Yasmani Grandal then doubled, his fourth double in the last four games, and then the Friars seemed primed to break the game wide-open.

While Alexi Amarista and Pedro Ciriaco did not hit big flies, they did bring both Blanks and Grandal in on a groundout (Amarista) and a single (Ciriaco) to provide Jason Marquis with a 2-0 cushion.

Unfortunately for the Friars, the veteran right-hander’s lack of control really hurt his team’s chances to win and his chance to win his tenth game of the season.

Domonic Brown put the Phillies on the board in the following inning when blasted a three-run home run to put Philadelphia in the lead 3-2.  The mammoth dinger to right-center field was Brown’s 20th on the season.  Worst of all though, the home run itself erased all of the momentum the Friars had gained up to that point in the game.

Marquis’ control then failed him again in the top of the fifth when he loaded the bases and walked in a run.  The veteran’s fifth free pass of the game led to him being pulled for the recently called-up Brad Brach.  The reliever promptly followed Marquis’ final walk with wild-pitch which scored Chase Utley!

Thankfully, Brach only allowed one more run in the frame on a sacrifice fly off of the bat of John Mayberry.  I should mention that Tyson Ross, Dale Thayer, and Tom Layne all managed to hold the Phillies scoreless over the game’s final four innings to keep their team somewhat in striking distance.  The 6-2 deficit however proved entirely too difficult for San Diego to crawl back from this evening.

I give kudos to Kyle Kendrick for his efforts on the mound, and Philadelphia’s starter really settled down after he gave up the game’s first two runs.  Kendrick pitched six scoreless innings after the bottom of the second, and only scattered seven hits overall.  Antonio Bastardo allowed two hits in the bottom of the ninth in relief, but he kept the Friars off of the scoreboard to preserve the win.

Tomorrow the Padres will send rookie Robbie Erlin to the mound to capture the series win versus the Phillies.  Philadelphia will counter with Rancho Bernardo native Cole Hamels as they try their best to win the rubber-match starting at 7:10 P.M. PDT.

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