San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said Wednesday that MLB is a “results league.”
His team finally got a result in its favor in the final game of a terrible road trip, stopping the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 on Wednesday to avoid what would have been the Padres’ first winless trip of at least six games since 2009.
San Diego will try to build off that result Thursday night when it starts a four-game home series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Padres snapped a five-game overall losing streak and a nine-game road skid on Wednesday. San Diego got seven solid innings from Matt Waldron and a three-run triple from light-hitting catcher Kyle Higashioka that broke what had been a 2-1 game in the eighth inning.
“We were able to figure out a way to be consistent and get the result at the very end of the game,” Shildt said.
The Padres got more good news later Wednesday when Opening Day starter Yu Darvish (left groin strain) made a rehab start for Class-A Fort Wayne. While Darvish gave up seven hits and six runs over 3 1/3 innings during an 8-3 loss to Wisconsin, he emerged from it healthy and could rejoin San Diego’s rotation next week.
“I’ve been looking forward to this,” Darvish said of his work in the minors. “I was able to throw all my pitches and my splitter and slider were working nicely. Now it’s time to go back to a big-league mound with all that adrenaline. I think I’m ready for it.”
The Padres’ Thursday starter will be rookie Adam Mazur (0-2, 7.82 ERA). He has struggled to throw strikes in three major league starts, walking 13 batters in 12 2/3 innings.
The 23-year-old right-hander took a 5-1 road loss Saturday against the New York Mets, doling out six walks over 3 2/3 innings and getting nicked for two runs on three hits. Mazur, who struck out four in the loss, will face Milwaukee for the first time.
Meanwhile, the Brewers arrived in town late Wednesday night after a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., sealed a victory in the three-game series.
The Brewers will give the ball to Bryse Wilson (4-3, 3.84 ERA) in the series opener. He is coming off a 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, when he fired 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing only three hits and two walks while fanning six.
Wilson has made four career appearances (two starts) against San Diego, going 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA. He started on April 17 against the Padres, tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 Milwaukee win that prevented a series sweep.
Consistency has been the Brewers’ calling card this year. They have won four straight series and seven of their past eight, falling only when they were swept earlier this month at Philadelphia. They have been an excellent run-prevention team, permitting opponents to score more than four runs only six times in the past 26 games.
The strong pitching has allowed Milwaukee to overcome some difficulties cashing in scoring chances. The Brewers are 10-for-84 (.119) with runners in scoring position over the past 10 games, including 2-for-20 (.100) in the series at Anaheim.
“We just have to put pressure on their pitchers and take advantage of the opportunities,” shortstop Willy Adames said.
–Field Level Media