Venable is doused with Gatorade after the win. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

As a Padres fan, let me just say that the final two innings of tonight’s game were downright fantastic to watch.

A solo dinger in the top of the ninth by Jason Bay gave Seattle a 2-1 lead, and it appeared that all was lost for San Diego.  Yet Friars were undeterred as they tied the game in the bottom of the ninth at 2-2 and won the game 3-2 on a Will Venable single in the bottom of the tenth!

Before I go on, let me just say that Eric Stults did a tremendous job on the mound for the Friars tonight as he allowed only one run over eight innings of work. While those stats were impressive enough, Stults struck out 12 batters and did not allow a walk on the evening!  Unfortunately, because the Padres failed to hit Joe Saunders with any consistency (seven innings, one run and four hits allowed), San Diego’s veteran left-hander was saddled with a “no-decision” for his efforts.

Everything started well for the Padres as Chase Headley smashed a solo home run in the bottom of the first to give his team an early 1-0 lead.  But over the next seven innings, San Diego was held scoreless and the Mariners tied the game in the top of the fourth on an rbi groundout by Kendrys Morales.  After the Morales groundout, the game stayed tied until the bottom of the eight until it appeared that the Padres were primed to take the lead.

San Diego really blew a chance to break the game wide-open, and it came in the bottom of the eighth.  Sadly, the top half of the Friar’s batting order could not capitalize on a bases loaded, one-out situation as Everth Cabrera and Headley failed to knock in a single run and give their team the lead.

To their credit, the Padres found a way to capitalize on some mistakes by Mariner closer Tom Wilhelmsen in the bottom of the ninth as they scratched the tying run across on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Blanks.  San Diego’s hitters failed to plate the winning-run later in the inning and the game went into extras.

After Luke Gregerson made quick work of Seattle’s hitters in the top of the frame, the stage was set for the Padres to put the finishing touches their victory.

Chris Denorfia led off the bottom of the tenth with a single, his third hit of the game, and Cabrera followed up the single with one of his own which advanced “Deno” to third.  Yoervis Medina then intentionally walked Headley to set the stage for Venable who slammed the door shut with a single!

While the Mariners are not what one would call a “juggernaut,” it was nevertheless awesome to see how deep the Padres dug tonight when their backs were against the wall.  Down by one run and then tied, the team’s hitters came alive when it mattered most to secure themselves a victory.

I’m still a bit in shock that the Padres were able to rebound so quickly from the Bay home run, but I am downright happy to see that these Padres have some mental toughness to them.

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.

Although it is definitely good news to know that Maybin might be on the road to recovery, I still have one very important question to ask:

 

How much playing time will he receive in the Padres’ “crowded outfield” once he eventually comes off of the disabled list?

 

Maybin is on the disabled list. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

If he does recover from his right wrist issue relatively soon, Maybin will definitely have his work cut out for him.  In fact, the center fielder will probably have to leap-frog a multitude of players on San Diego’s depth chart if he wants to get back into the mix for some playing time when he returns.

For instance, the always consistent Chris Denorfia has been his “quietly productive-self” through the first month of the regular season.  Over his first 28 games, Denorfia has been quite the stable “table-setter” for the Friars.

So far, Denorfia has hit .302 (29 for 96), has posted a .374 on-base percentage, and is tied for the team lead in runs scored (16).  “Deno” has also clubbed eight doubles and two home runs in addition to the 10 he has knocked in to boot.  San Diego’s versatile outfielder has definitely proved once again that he is worthy of a starting gig in the outfield, and his ability to play all three positions should make him a lynch-pin in the Friars’ every-day lineup.

While Denorfia’s success comes as little surprise to many, Kyle Blanks’ recent productivity has been downright solid and shocking.  After Blanks missed 230+ regular season games from 2010-2012, the power-hitting outfielder has taken advantage of his extended chances to shine over the first month of the 2013 regular season.  Used as a platoon-player against left-handed pitching, Kyle has enjoyed a successful start in his most recent return.

Overall, Blanks has hit .293 (12 for 41), smacked two doubles, hit one home run, knocked in five runs, and has even managed to score another five on his own.  When healthy, Kyle is a viable power-threat in San Diego’s lineup and he can play either of the corner outfield positions as well.  As long as Blanks can stay off of the disabled list, he will definitely be an important part of the Friars’ success this year.

Although veterans Carlos Quentin (.183 batting average, two home runs, nine rbi’s) and Will Venable (.216 batting average, three home runs, 10 rbi’s) have struggled somewhat to begin their 2013 campaigns, they will also be in the hunt for playing time with Denorfia and Blanks through the summer.  The left-handed Venable definitely hits right-handed pitching much better than Maybin, and Quentin is a far bigger power threat than the center fielder is as well.

Venable definitely had an impressive series against the Diamondbacks over the weekend, and he is always an option at a corner outfield spot whenever the Friars face a right-handed starter.  While Quentin’s knee has been gimpy, his plate-discipline and power still should earn him at-bats if he is able to play in left field.

Final Thoughts

In addition to Denorfia, Blanks, Quentin, and Venable, I certainly will not discount Alexi Amarista and Jesus Guzman as potential competition for Maybin when he returns either.  The versatile Amarista can help out at all three outfield spots in addition to second base, while Guzman can chip in and help in left field and right field.

I certainly hope that Maybin is able to not only realize his potential upon his return, but that he can also live up to the big extension (five-years $25 million) he signed last spring.

Unfortunately for Cameron, his time on the bench coupled with his competition’s recent success will not make things easy for him once he eventually returns from the disabled list.  San Diego’s outfield could be a bit too crowded come the summertime, and Maybin might be forced to “grab some pine” behind Denorfia, Blanks, Quentin, and Venable.

Stats Courtesy of: Baseball Reference and ESPN