The San Diego Padres came up small again offensively against Boston, but Ramon Vasquez pitched them to victory.
The San Diego Padres evened up their three-game road series against the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, as Randy Vasquez itched six dominant innings and the Padres managed to score against Boston’s All-Star closer, Aroldis Chapman.
Both teams scratched out single runs early on a windy, raw spring day that made scoring tough. The Padres scored first on an RBI groundout from Bryce Teodosio in the second inning, and the Red Sox countered in the back half of that frame with a run driven in on a sacrifice fly from Marcelo Mayer.
San Diego put together a better rally in the third to take the lead on a pair double, the first by Miguel Andujar, the second by Felix Fermin to drive Andujar home with the lead run. Andujar was one of the few players on either side to have good offensives day as he went 3-for-5.
The score stayed that way for multiple innings as a pitcher’s duel ensued. Vasquez had his second strong start with six innings of one-run ball with three strikeouts as he scattered six hits.
Boston’s starter was Connelly Early, and he had a rougher go of it. Early struggled with control problems, and he gave up two runs in four innings as he threw 88 pitches. But the Boston bullpen was strong, and a series of relievers held the line until they scoring resumed in the eighth.
That was when the Red Sox tied it up against normally untouchable reliever Adrian Morejon, whose workload has been reduced early this season because he threw so many innings last year.
Morejon threw hard, but Boston broke through in the eighth, starting with a pair of singles by Cedanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony. Trevor Story struck out, but Andrew Monasterio managed a comeback to Morejon, who wheeled and threw to second to try to get the double play. But second baseman Ryan Cronenworth couldn’t manage the transfer, and the Red Sox were able to tie the game.
That was when Fernando Tatis Jr. finally managed to hit. He’d struck out four times when he came to the plate in the ninth, but Tatis blasted a fastball over the head of Rafaela in center, and a soft single by Ramon Laureano scored what would be the winning run. Mason Miller finished things off, striking out the side to give the Padres the win as he notched his third save
This victory won’t ease the Padres’ offensive pain, but Vasquez is definitely pitching like a top starter. The Red Sox dropped to 2-6 with the loss, which is the worst record in baseball, but the Padres are just a game better at 3-5, and the bottom five hitters in the lineup are all under .200.
San Diego sends Walker Buehler to the mound tomorrow in the rubber game of the three-game set, while Boston counters with newly-acquired Ranger Suarez.