SAN DIEGO -- Brandon Finnegan and two Cincinnati Reds relievers Friday night ruined what could have been an epic showdown Saturday night at Petco Park.
Or, they beat Anthony DeSclafini to the punch.
Finnegan, Michael Lorenzen and Blake Wood shut out the Padres on six hits Friday night at Petco Park -- meaning the Padres didn't get a home run , ending San Diego's National League record-tying streak of games with at least one homer at 25 straight.
The effort of the Reds' trio ruined a showdown rematch between the Padres hitters and another right-handed Reds' starter -- DeSclafini.
Back on June 26, DeSclafini and left-handed reliever Tony Cingrani combined to shut out the Padres on five hits. In their very next game, the Padres launched their streak of homering in 25 straight games.
The win over the Padres was the second in the DeSclafini's run of six straight wins.
DeSclafini will be making his 10th start of the season Saturday night. He is the first Cincinnati pitcher to produce at least six wins without a loss over his first nine starts since Paul Wilson went 6-0 in his first nine starts in 2004.
DeSclafini has a 3.09 earned run average since starting his 2016 season 10 weeks late due to a strained left oblique muscle suffered in his last spring training start.
"Anthony is just hitting his stride," Reds manager Bryan Price said of the 26-year-old, who was 9-for-13 with a 4.05 ERA in 31 starts for the Reds last season.
DeSclafini will be matched against Padres left-hander Christian Friedrich Saturday night, who overnight became the dean of the Padres rotation when right-handed starters Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea were both traded to Miami Thursday morning in a seven-player trade.
Saturday will be Friedrich's 14th start, which is the most among the Padres current rotation of -- from top to bottom -- Luis Perdomo, Friedrich, Edwin Jackson (who gave up six runs to the Reds on Friday night on 10 hits in five innings), Paul Clemens and Jarred Cosart, who was one of four players acquired by the Padres from the Marlins.
Clemens replaces Rea in the Padres rotation Sunday in the series finale against the Reds. Cosart moves into the rotation Monday when the Brewers come to Petco Park.
The 28-year-old Friedrich has a 5.00 ERA and his performance has been slipping.
His most recent start last Sunday in Washington was his shortest of the season, lasting only three innings during which he allowed five runs on six hits and a walk with no strikeouts.
"Christian is fine when he hits his spots," said Padres manager Andy Green. "But he has to hit his spots to be in command."
Friedrich is 0-4 over his last five starts with a 7.72 ERA. He is 1-5 over his last seven starts with a 7.86 ERA.
His ERA has climbed in each of his last seven starts, ballooning from 2.12 to 5.00. Still, the Padres are 6-7 in his 13 starts.
"One of the things you like about Friedrich is that he is competitive," said Green. "He's going to give you everything he has. With a few exceptions, he's given us a chance to win. For the most part, he's been in close games."
But Friedrich's margin of error might be reduced if DeSclafini duplicates his first career start against the Padres on June 26.
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