When Jake Cronenworth fell behind 0-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night, he knew what had to be done.
“Just battle, that’s about it,” he said. “Just find a pitch to hit, whether it’s 0-0 or with two strikes, that’s all.”
He did and the ensuing single to center gave the San Diego Padres a 6-5 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants, as well as a chance to win the teams’ four-game series when it wraps up on Sunday.
In winning for the seventh time in eight games, San Diego stayed a game behind Philadelphia for the National League’s final wild-card spot. It also assured that it will plunge into Monday’s trading deadline looking to add instead of subtract.
Starting pitching figures to be the emphasis. Even though the Padres have found some success with manager Craig Stammen’s “pitching chaos” strategy, employing a variety of starters to piggyback each other three of every five games in this stretch, it seems unlikely they can make it stick for the last two months.
That’s why Saturday’s news that veterans Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove threw bullpen sessions, perhaps heralding rehab assignments soon for both, was welcome news. Pivetta (elbow) has been out since mid-April and Musgrove (Tommy John surgery) hasn’t pitched since the playoffs in October 2024.
“It’s like they are starting their regular five-day routine,” remarked Stammen.
Michael King (6-7, 3.38) is looking for his first win since July 8. He was no-decisioned Tuesday night in his team’s 8-7 win over Colorado, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk in six innings while fanning six. King is 3-1 with a 2.22 earned run average in five career outings against San Francisco.
Opposing King will be Landen Roupp (7-9, 4.12), who is coming off an 8-2 loss Tuesday night to Milwaukee. He needed 84 pitches to make it through 3 2/3 innings, yielding four hits and four runs with three walks and a strikeout.
Roupp is 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA in eight career games against San Diego, with the win occurring on March 30. He blanked the Padres through six innings, allowing two hits, two walks, while fanning seven.
For the second straight day, the Giants made as much news off the field as they did on it. Manager Tony Vitello held out second baseman Luis Arraez, who many think will be dealt by the trading deadline, due to cramping.
Vitello also sprung to the defense of shortstop Willy Adames after Apple TV announcer Wayne Randazzo implied during Friday night’s 7-0 loss that Adames was slow to commit to the workload asked of him by first-year infield coach Ron Washington.
“Any questioning of anyone’s work ethic that has to work with Wash is not right,” Vitello said. “Anyone who’s around Wash, you don’t have a chance to buy in. It’s not an option. You do. And then the work is put in.”
Vitello also noted that Adames has battled a back injury that has limited his pregame work on some days.
–Field Level Media
