This one is going to hurt for a while.
The Padres offense finally figured out how to hit with runners in scoring position, building a 7-3 lead over the Diamondbacks, only to watch Robert Suarez, their All-Star closer, blow it in a head-scratching 8-7 loss that handed Arizona the series win and San Diego a third straight loss.
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WATCH HEREThe first two-thirds of the game were anything but filled with offensive fireworks. Rookie righthander Ryan Bergert was pretty good in his 3rd career big league start. Facing one of the game's more potent lineups Bergert struck out eight in 5.0 innings. The only runs he allowed came on a three-run homer by Eugenio Suarez that gave the Diamondbacks a 3-1 lead.
San Diego's only run in the first six innings came on a solo home run by Gavin Sheets. It was also Sheets who started a Padres rally. The big lefty led off the 7th inning with a double and all of sudden things started clicking. A walk and a single loaded the bases for Fernando Tatis Jr., who bounced a single to left field to bring home a pair of runs and tie it 3-3.
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SIGN UP A couple of batters later Manny Machado, the only member of the offense who's been consistently producing in June, ripped a two-run double 110 MPH off the bat to put the Friars on top 5-3. But, the inning ended with on a scary note. Outfielder Jackson Merrill was thrown out trying to steal 2nd base.
Ketel Marte's tag hit Merrill square in the head and immediately something was wrong. Marte waved to the Padres dugout to get help as Merrill slowly rolled over, unable to get up. After several minutes the young San Diego star walked slowly off the field under his own power. Manager Mike Shildt said afterwards Merrill was "woozy" but did not speculate on whether or not he'd be spending any time on the concussion injury list.
San Diego got two more in the 9th inning thanks to an RBI single from Brandon Lockridge, who replaced Merrill in the lineup, and a Xander Bogaerts sacrifice fly to pump the lead up to 7-3, which is not a save situation. But, since the Friars could really use a win and he hadn't thrown in five days, Robert Suarez was brought in to lock it up.
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Suarez allowed three straight singles to load the bases with nobody out. He struck out Corbin Carroll and got Ketel Marte to hit a slow roller towards shortstop. Bogaerts charged and threw low to Luis Arraez at 1st base in a bang-bang play that was ruled out on the field but overturned on replay, keeping the bases loaded and cutting the lead to 7-4.
Things kept spiraling from there. Geraldo Perdomo lined a triple into the right field corner, clearing the bases to tie it 7-7. Suarez was replaced by Adrian Morejon but the closer still took the loss. Morejon got Josh Naylor to hit a dribbler up the 1st base line. Arraez charged and threw high to Elias Diaz, allowing Perdomo to dive in under the tag with the game-winning run.
The Padres try to avoid a sweep on Father's Day with Nick Pivetta on the mound against Merrill Kelly.
