San Diego, CA – Mark Kotsay's pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning proved to be the only offense either team produced, as the San Diego Padres eked past the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-0, at Petco Park.
After the Padres' Edinson Volquez and the Brewers' Shaun Marcum traded seven scoreless innings on the hill, the outcome was left for the bullpens to decide.
Milwaukee's was the first to blink, with Francisco Rodriguez (0-3) catching too much of the plate on his 1-1 offering to Kotsay, who got the barrel out in front and crushed his fourth career pinch-hit homer. Will Venable singled ahead of the blast.
"I've just seen (Rodriguez) too often to know that that breaking ball is devastating against right-handed hitters," said Padres manager Bud Black. "It was just one of those calls where I felt at that point (Kotsay) was a better matchup."
Kotsay's round-tripper came less than a week after his pinch-hit, two-run double in the eighth inning gave San Diego a 2-1 win over the Nationals.
Huston Street locked down Thursday's win over Washington and did the same on Tuesday with a perfect ninth. Street has recorded a save in half of the Padres' eight wins thus far.
Volquez is still looking for his first win with San Diego despite allowing just three hits and two walks. Marcum matched Volquez pitch-for-pitch, also surrendering only three hits while issuing four walks.
Andrew Cashner (2-1) hurled a scoreless eighth to earn the victory.
The Brewers, one day after Ryan Braun homered three times and drove in six runs in a series-opening victory, did not record an extra-base hit.
"Usually in a tight ball game they have the good pitching so they are usually low scoring games and it comes down to who gets the big hit," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of facing the Padres.
Game Notes
The Brewers fell to 2-3 on a nine-game road trip...San Diego snapped a three- game losing streak...The Padres go for their first series win of the season on Wednesday with Cory Luebke toeing the rubber opposite Yovani Gallardo.
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