The San Diego Padres were able to keep the Milwaukee Brewers in the ballpark with their latest win after witnessing a home run barrage in the series opener at Miller Park.
The Padres attempt to post their first series victory Sunday since winning two of three meetings with the LA Angels of Anaheim from May 18-19. John Baker put San Diego in this position with a two-run single during the sixth inning of Saturday's 5-2 win in the middle portion of the series. Chase Headley had three hits and scored a run for the Padres, who ended a three-game losing streak and had dropped seven in a row on the road.
San Diego entered the contest with 14 losses in its last 17 games and is 1-1 on a nine-game trek. The Padres are 6-20 as the guest this season.
Padres young hurler Andrew Cashner was making his first start for San Diego and second of his career. He lasted only 2 1/3 innings and allowed one run and two hits. Cashner was on a pitch count and is expected to be optioned to Double-A San Antonio to work on his durance for future starts.
"I think [Saturday] was a building block for future starts, which will happen," Padres manager Bud Black said on the club's website. "We're going to option him out to San Antonio, and he's going to start in the middle of the week for the Double-A club and continue to build a pitch count off of what he did [Saturday]."
Ross Ohlendorf collected the win by holding Milwaukee to a run over 4 1/3 innings of relief, while Huston Street later tossed a scoreless ninth for his fifth save of the season.
Will Venable was back in right field for the Padres yesterday and went 1-for-4 with an RBI. He hadn't played since last Sunday because of a tight right oblique muscle. Venable entered the game batting .268 with four homers, 12 RBI and 21 runs scored this season.
After today's game against the Brewers, San Diego will head to Seattle for a three-game set with the Mariners at Safeco Field. It will then close out the sojourn in Oakland from June 15-17.
Anthony Bass is 0-1 in his last four starts and has allowed at least four runs (15 total) in his previous three (15 1/3 IP, 8.80 ERA). He will take the mound again today for the Friars in hopes of bouncing back. Bass last toed the rubber in Tuesday's 6-5 win over San Francisco and did not record a decision, as he surrendered four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Bass, who is 2-5 with a 4.21 earned run average in 13 games (11 starts), is only 1-3 in five road assignments this season. He has allowed 11 runs in his last two road starts after allowing just six over his first three. The right- hander has never faced Milwaukee.
Milwaukee will wrap up a nine-game homestand this afternoon and looks to get back on track. Rickie Weeks had an RBI double in the first inning to get the Brewers on the board first, but the San Diego bullpen stepped it up. Aramis Ramirez had his second straight two-hit game for Milwaukee, which had won three straight and eight of 11 games.
Michael Fiers started for the Brewers and was reached for four runs and 10 hits in six innings of work.
"Fiers threw too many hittable pitches and they did a nice job battling," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "They didn't crush balls, but they put the ball in play a lot. We're not getting the big hit when needed."
Roenicke's squad is 4-4 on the homestand and will commence a six-game road swing Tuesday against Kansas City and Minnesota.
Milwaukee will roll the dice with Yovani Gallardo today and he is 4-5 with a 4.50 earned run average over 12 starts. Gallardo had won two straight starts and was unbeaten in his past three outings until a 10-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. He allowed five runs and six hits, including two homers, in six innings, and his 10 strikeouts went to waste.
Gallardo, a right-hander, faced the Padres in a 5-0 setback on May 2 this season and was saddled with the loss, as he gave up three runs in six frames. He is 2-2 in five career starts against San Diego and 1-2 in six starts at Miller Park in 2012.
San Diego won two of three meetings with Milwaukee from April 30-May 2 at Petco Park after losing three of five matchups a season ago.
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