Miami lose to San Diego fail to gain on the Nats
By: James Williams – Sports Talk Florida
MIAMI – Clayton Richard overcame a shaky start for his best performance of the season.
Richard pitched a season-high seven innings to help the San Diego Padres beat the Miami Marlins 1-0 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
“He was outstanding,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “The sinker worked really well today. He is getting better. Command wavered a little bit the first time. After that he really locked it in.”
Richard (1-3) allowed eight hits and walked one. He struck out three and threw 63 of 94 pitches for strikes.
“I got into a good rhythm,” Richard said. “(Derek Norris) was so good behind the plate. I was able to really on him–the combination of that and our defense playing so well. They made a couple of good plays. When you have that type of defense and (Ryan) Schimpf in the lineup, it’s usually a good thing.”
Ryan Schimpf homered homered in the fourth inning off Jose Urena (2-5). Schimpf also homered Friday night and has 16 this season — all since July 1.
“It’s kind of been like that since I was little,” Schimpf said about his power. “I don’t know why. I couldn’t explain. I’ve had a lot of good coaches along the way to help me out for sure. Right now it’s staying within the approach and get a good pitch when you want.”
Kevin Quackenbush worked the ninth, striking out two for his first save since Sept. 22, 2014, against Colorado.
“Quack’s got a little heartbeat,” Green said. “He is who he’s going to be every single time out. He executed his pitches after going 2 and 0 to Ichiro (Suzuki). The rest of the inning was very smooth for him.”
Martin Prado had four hits for the fourth time this season.
Urena (2-5) allowed one run and four hits in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
“I tried to keep the ball down and that was a pretty good game,” Urena said.
Prado led off the eighth with a hit off Jose Dominguez. Dee Gordon pinch-ran for Prado and was stranded at second after Brad Hand relieved Dominguez and retired the next three batters.
The Marlins had two hits in the first and three in the second, but no runs to show for it. Robert Andino grounded out to Richard with the bases loaded in the second to end the threat.
“Obviously those are opportunities you hope that they don’t come back and get you later and obviously tonight in a 1-0 game you think about those,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Miami was 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base while getting shut-out for the sixth time in their last 32 games.
Game quotes from Fox Sports Florida and Associated Press – the video from MLB.COM and MLB ADVANCED MEDIA.
