Padres Hit Three Home Runs To Take Series

The San Diego Padres have had a horrible time scoring runs but had enough offense to take the series from the Reds with a 6-1 win over the Reds.

The buzz from Johnny Cueto's electrifying performance in the first game waned as Tyson Ross was effectively wild.

Ross walked Billy Hamilton to start the game.  Hamilton stole second and third as Ross also walked Chris Heisey.  Brandon Phillips grounded to shortstop as Hamilton scored.

That was the offensive story for the Reds.

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Jeff Francis was summoned to pitch the rescheduled second game of the day, a make up of the rainout on Wednesday.

Francis, who had 4-3 record for Louisville and a lifetime 7-14 record against the Padres, lasted five innings.  He allowed Renee Rivera's second home run of the season with Cameron Maybin on base to stake the Padres to the runs they needed.

Chase Headley, who turned an Aroldis Chapman fastball into a game winning home run on Tuesday night, singled to score former Red Chris Denorfia, who doubled.

The Reds bullpen needed innings and displayed a little rust.

Logan Ondrusek walked three in his 2/3 inning.  Bryan Price brought in Sean Marshall.  Former Reds' first round draft choice, Yonder Alonso, singled to drive in Headley.

Marshall surrendered Everth Cabrera's first home run of the season.

Alonso hit his first home run of the season off Sam LeCure in the eighth inning. The rhree homers was the most of the season by the Padres. Alonso started the game with a .191 batting average but has been hitting the ball hard.

"Yonder had the single to the left side and a couple of hard-hit balls in the series," San Diego manager Bud Black said.  "Hitting the ball to that side is a good sign for Yonder. That's his game.  He's starting to hit the ball all over the field.  In April we saw a lot of hard outs to the pull side.  In May we are seeing more opposite field hitting."

Alonso had talks with his friends on the Reds during the three days in Cincinnati.  He was the Reds first pick in the 2008 draft.  As a firstbaseman blocked by Joey Votto the Reds traded Alonso for Mat Latos along with Edinson Volquez, Yasmani Grandall and Brad Boxberger.

"It feels good anytime you can drive the ball," Alonso said. "It is fun like when you're a little kid to play against your friends.  I have a lot of friends over there (Reds' clubhouse) that I played with in the minor leagues. This is a special place for me."

Ironically a conversation with Votto helped Alonso to relax and focus.

"Joey told me that good hitters hit line drives," Alonso said. "He told me to keep doing it the ball will fall in. This is a hard game. It may look easy on TV.  We have to keep putting good at bats together.  We have good pitching."

The Padres are starting to get healthy too, which is something that has eluded them like it has the Reds.  The Reds started the season with eight players on the DL.  The Padres may not have had as many but Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and Chase Headley have all returned with in the last week to provide some missing offense to a team that is last in the National League in runs scored.

This is the first series the Padres have won on the road.  They have won five out of the last six games, sweeping Florida at home and taking two out of three in Cincinnati.


Ross allowed three hits and four walks but struck out eight for his second quality start in a row.

Ross allowed a double to Heisey and singles to Ramon Santiago and Todd Frazier, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.