Padres 7, Tigers 3: We’re going streaking!

A seven-game losing streak is no fun for fans of any team, especially when so many games come on a west coast road trip, where even Saturday games start at 10pm Detroit time. It’s hard to get motivated to watch into the wee hours when the team can’t seem to find their feet against a team like the San Diego Padres, who are languishing near the bottom of the NL West standings. Viewers were hoping to see the Tigers win tonight.

Viewers were disappointed.

Tonight’s game started out better than expected. It wasn’t a parade of discouragement (that came later), but rather a close game, with good pitching on both sides, and lots of long balls that juuuuust missed leaving the park. Until the eighth. Before we get to that, let’s recall how things started.

Anibal Sanchez, making his second start since returning from Toledo, nailed Allen Cordoba in the bottom of the third inning with an 89 mph pitch. Chase d’Arnaud came in to pinch run, stole second with no throw, then on a sac bunt from pitcher Lamet, Sanchez wildly overthrew the ball to third and d’Arnaud scored on the error.

Nicholas Castellanos was called out for beating a ball to first, because he was on the baseline and hit Wil Myers. The non-reviewable play was upheld in spite of some absolute lunacy, because clearly Castellanos was safe, and baseball rules are sometimes just nuts. Andrew Romine to the rescue, though, nailing a perfect hit to the right field corner with a an RBI double, E9, as the ball was well overthrown sending Romine to third standing up.

Austin Hedges, who recently got hit at home plate by an Anthony Rizzo slide, actually blocked home plate as Andrew Romine slid home, creating quite a collision, only this time it was all on Hedges.

Sanchez and Lamet were both solid through six innings, but in typical Sanchez fashion the sixth inning is where he started to show tension, but not enough to cause too much concern. It did however tie the game 2-2, and a tie game when the offense is practically asleep is never a good thing.

Lamet and Sanchez were both pulled in the seventh inning, Lamet because he was clearly spent, and Sanchez to allow for a pinch hitter. Sanchez threw only 77 pitches, but had a good line, 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP. Of the 77 pitches he threw, 52 were strikes.

Hector Sanchez, pinch hitting in the eighth, giving the Padres the go-ahead on a well-hit two-run home run off Shane Greene.

Alex Wilson shaved. Then he loaded the bases. Clearly the beard wasn’t the problem. The Padres piled on five runs in the eighth.

Anyway, feel free to play this as you make your way through the highlights and lowlights.

ROARS:

Jose Iglesias made a truly impressive over-the-wall catch in the second, and in the top of the fifth he knocked in an RBI-double.

The guy who proposed on camera, because that’s hella brave and thankfully she said yes. At least someone left tonight’s game a winner.

Alex Avila making a strong case for his trade value by knocking a double in the top of the fourth and a single in the eighth. He also nearly got a home run, but it was the sixth warning track hit to be swallowed up by the massive Petco Park outfield.

Andrew Romine, saving the day over and over. He drove in Upton to reclaim the lead in the seventh. His two-hit game netted two RBIs, and he also scored a run.

HISSES:

The outfield. Or the lack of wind. I’m not sure which was the bigger problem tonight but the Tigers saw some monster hits just die on the warning track tonight.

That idiotic interference call at first.

The bullpen. Like this needs to be explained.

Jordan Baker. Umpires haven’t been kind to the Tigers this season, but Baker was an absolute nightmare for the team tonight.

STREAKS & INFO:

After today’s game, Justin Upton has gotten on base in 22 consecutive games, keeping himself in company with the likes of Aaron Judge (25 games) and Joey Votto (also 22 games).

Matt Den Dekker made his Detroit Tigers debut tonight, striking out in the seventh. He was a pinch hitter for Sanchez, and made only one appearance.

Oh, yeah, and the Tigers extended their losing streak to eight. Did I mention that?