Eric Lauer struggled in his 2019 finale, walking four batters for the third time this season. However, he struck out eight Dbacks, one less than he did against Arizona the week before.
The second-year southpaw from Ohio ran into trouble in the fifth inning, when he gave up a lead-off double and a hit batsman to the third batter. With two outs in the inning, Lauer gave up back-to-back walks to load the bases and let the game-tying run score. Eric Yardley entered the game, but Urias made an error while fielding the ball and let the go-ahead run score.
Lauer finished the night with four plus two-thirds frames, three hits, two runs (one earned), four walks and eight punchouts on 86 pitches (49 strikes).
Eric Hosmer, just three RBI’s from hitting the 100-RBI milestone, made it two away in the first on a sac fly that scored leadoff hitter Greg Garcia to put the Padres on the board first.
Down 2-1 in the sixth, Manny Machado ended the short-lived deficit as he launched his 31st jack over the right field fence of Chase Field. Though playing a down year career-wise, Machado has done what few Padres hitters have accomplished, becoming the 16th Padre in franchise history to hit 30+ dingers in a single season.
An inning later, a pair of Luises put the Padres back on top as catcher Luis Torrens reached on a one-out walk and infielder Luis Urias followed with the go-ahead double that put them up for another inning.
Right-handed pitchers Eric Yardley and Craig Stammen threw the sixth and seventh frames, respectively, and each threw perfect 1-2-3 innings. Neither struck out any hitters but the defense behind them got the job done.
Luis Perdomo was trusted with the ball in a one-run game in the eighth, and failed to keep the lead, as he gave up a walk, single, homerun and double. However, the homer came as a go-ahead three-run shot to win the ballgame.
The Padres and Diamondbacks will duel it out for the final Saturday game of baseball season. San Diego’s Garrett Richards (0-1, 11.81) will get his third and final start of 2019 after spending most of the season resting and rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in the 2018 season. Arizona’s southpaw Robbie Ray (12-8, 4.28) will oppose him in Phoenix for a 5:10 p.m. first pitch.
