SAN DIEGO – The Padres were able to escape from a no out, bases loaded jam allowing just a run, but that was all the Tampa Bay Rays needed as San Diego fell 1-0 on Friday night at Petco Park.
Michael King struck out nine batters over five innings and all four relievers notched a pair to combine for a season-high 17 strike outs, but San Diego (17-9) was shut out for the second straight game. The Padres have not scored in 25 innings since their two-run second on Tuesday in Detroit.
“I think we do what we’ve done for a long time here, you just keep taking tough at bats — sometimes you have to tip your hat,” said manager Mike Shildt.
During the empty spell San Diego has combined to go 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, while over the past two shutouts have left just eight runners on base. They had three opportunities against the Rays (12-14).
Tyler Wade had the first hit for the Brown and Gold with two outs in the third, then advanced to third base on a Fernando Tatis Jr. single but was left stranded on a Xander Bogaerts strike out. The other chances came in the seventh when Jose Iglesias was hit by a pitch then stole second with two outs, then Tatis hit a two-out double in the eighth.
“It’s not easy for us…we had two hits in Detroit the last game, we had four or five tonight, it’s not easy for you to do that against us.” Bogaerts said. “This guy was throwing pitches around the corner, he was on it.”
Rays starter Shane Baz threw seven innings with four hits allowed while striking out six with one walk to earn his second win of the season. Manuel Rodriguez allowed a hit and had a strike out in earning his third hold of the year, while Garrett Cleavinger had two strikeouts to pick up his first save.
Yandy Díaz hit a sacrifice fly in the third to drive home Taylor Walls for the only run of the game. The Tampa Bay shortstop Walls reached to start the inning on a throwing error by Bogaerts, and was followed up with a bunt single by Chandler Simpson and a liner by Brandon Lowe.
King got out of the inning by striking out Jonathan Aranda, then inducing a Junior Caminero pop out on the seventh pitch of his at bat to escape the jam, but threw 21 pitches in the inning. The San Diego starter was at 63 pitches through the first three innings, and finished allowing four hits and the unearned run to go with a walk.
“Obviously I want all my pitches when I’m out there every time, I know I’m not gonna have that, (but) I was hoping to find one of those off speeds throughout the game,” King said. “Felt like I had a good last inning, but it’s frustrating.”
Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta, Jeremiah Estrada and Alek Jacob all pitched an inning in relief for the Padres.
“We pitched well enough, (we) just couldn’t scratch,” Shildt said.
Tirso Ornelas recorded his first Major League hit when he hit a liner to center to lead off the fifth inning, but was erased by the first of two double-play ground outs for the Friars.
Earlier in the day the Padres recalled righty reliever Ryan Bergert from Triple-A El Paso and optioned Kyle Hart to the Chihuahuas.
Since Jackson Merrill was retroactively placed on the IL on April 7 the Padres have gone 9-6, but have posted a 3-6 mark since the first loss without their Opening Day centerfielder and three additional Opening Day starters have joined him.
“We’ve got some guys down, we’ve got more than capable guys with us now, we’re still in a pretty good spot relative to where we’re standing in the league,” Shildt said. “It’s win or find solutions, and we’ve got a clubhouse full of them.”
San Diego sends Dylan Cease (1-1, 6.06 ERA) to the mound to face Ryan Pepiot (1-3, 4.83 ERA) for the second game against the Rays at 5:40 p.m. at Petco Park.
This story was updated at 11:17 p.m.
