Field Level Media
Jun 27, 2021
The longest road losing streak in major league history is over at 24 games. So is the San Diego Padres' eight-game winning streak.
Right-hander Merrill Kelly shut out the Padres on five hits over six innings, and Eduardo Escobar had four hits and five RBIs Saturday night as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks routed the Padres 10-1.
The win was only the second in the Diamondbacks' last 22 games, and Kelly (4-7) has won them both in back-to-back starts. Kelly has given up just one run on 10 hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts in 13 innings. He didn't issue a walk and struck out five on Saturday.
Escobar was 4-for-5 with a double and his 17th home run of the season. His double gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. He drove in pinch runner Josh Reddick, who replaced Ketel Marte after the latter singled and injured a hamstring.
Christian Walker led off the second with his fourth home run and Escobar followed a Reddick single with his blast to center field.
That damage was against Padres starter Dinelson Lamet (2-3) who gave up four runs on six hits with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings before leaving the game due to forearm fatigue. Lamet's 2020 season was cut short due to a UCL strain, and he was brought along slowly this season because of the injury.
The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings as they finished with 16 hits -- the most allowed by Padres pitchers since the 2019 season.
Walker, Reddick, Josh Rojas, David Peralta and Pavin Smith all had two hits. Rojas also drove in two runs. Catcher Steven Vogt scored three runs and drove in a run without benefit of a hit.
Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth went 0-4 to end a 10-game hitting streak and a four-game home run streak.
Cronenworth and Fernando Tatis Jr., who had combined for 15 homers since June 11, were a combined 1-for-7 on Saturday.
The Padres avoided the shutout with a run in the bottom of the ninth on Tommy Pham's RBI single, but the game ended when Victor Caratini grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.
--Field Level Media