The San Diego Padres played to the last out in their opener with the Philadelphia Phillies and were rewarded with a victory. Jason Marquis can now pitch them to their first home series win over the Phils in seven years in the middle portion of a three-game set on Tuesday night.
The Padres came into the series opener having lost 17 of their past 20 at home versus the Phillies despite splitting a four-game series against them at Petco Park a season ago.
San Diego looked as if it was on its way to another loss to Philadelphia on Monday, but rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to force extra innings, where Kyle Blanks came through with a bases-loaded single in the 10th frame to give his club a 4-3 win.
The Padres did little at the plate against Phillies starter Cliff Lee, who took a shutout into the ninth inning. However, Lee allowed a single to Carlos Quentin to begin the ninth frame and a double to Chase Headley that moved Quentin to third.
Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel then went to closer Jonathan Papelbon, who allowed a two-run single to Blanks before hitting Jesus Guzman with a pitch. Following a double play, Mark Kotsay swung through a Papelbon offering, but the ball got away from catcher Carlos Ruiz, allowing Blanks to race home for the tying run.
"Our guys had a very competitive feeling to keep going," Padres manager Bud Black said.
San Diego had lost four of six coming in, but can now secure its first home series win over Philadelphia since taking two of three from July 17-19, 2006.
Papelbon, meanwhile, suffered his fourth blown save in his last five chances over an eight-day span. Prior to that stretch, he had converted 20 straight saves going back to last season.
Philadelphia lost for the sixth time in nine games and fell five games below .500. The Phils also fell to 14-5 in their past 19 versus the Padres.
"They're all tough really," said Papelbon. "You play baseball to win the game. I don't know what's worse, getting beat 15-0 or getting beat that way. To me it's a loss and it doesn't sit well with me."
Without a loss since April 22, Marquis takes another stab at his 10th win of the season for the Padres tonight.
Marquis' nine wins this season already mark his highest total since going 15-13 with Colorado in 2009 and he won just eight games in 22 total starts a season ago with Minnesota and San Diego. However, the righty has won eight straight decisions over his last 11 starts and the Padres have lost only once in that span.
Marquis won his first three outings of June before getting a no-decision in a 6-3 win over Los Angeles on Thursday. The 34-year-old was charged with two runs over six innings with a walk.
"Tonight, he didn't have command of his sinker but kept the ball down," Black told his club's website. "You saw a better true changeup. He didn't quite have a feel for his pitches ... but he still made pitches."
Marquis has yielded three earned runs or fewer in five straight starts and in 13 of his 15 outings this season. That has led to his 9-2 record and 3.59 earned run average.
The veteran is 6-8 lifetime versus the Phillies with a save and 5.45 ERA in 26 meetings, including 19 starts.
Getting the call for the Phillies tonight is Kyle Kendrick, who is winless in his past three starts and has had vastly different results over a pair of consecutive no-decisions.
In Colorado on June 14, the right-handed Kendrick was tagged for seven runs and 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings before his club rallied for an 8-7 win. Five days later at home versus Washington, Kendrick held the Nationals to one run on two hits and a walk in 7 2/3 frames of work, but did not factor into a 6-2 extra-inning loss.
The 28-year-old is 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 15 starts this season and is 2-1 in his career versus the Padres with a 5.51 ERA in four meetings (3 starts).
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