France has big night, Padres hitters get rare let down from pitching in loss
Eric Evelhoch
Host · Writer
It was one of the best opening innings the San Diego Padres have had, then it was one of the worst.
After scoring five runs, getting a grand slam from Ty France, San Diego (38-36) gave up six runs in the bottom of the opening inning and chased the rest of the way. Three Texas Rangers (36-39) had multi-RBI nights, as Texas bounced back every time the Padres were able to push a man across the plate in a 9-7 loss at Globe Life Field on Friday evening..
“I think the first play of the game, at first base, (where) Ty bobbles it and Randy (Vásquez) doesn’t catch it, that just starts them believing they can come back from five-nothing, and walks the next guy, those are just momentum builders for the other team,” manager Craig Stammen said.
“When you get a big lead like that, you can’t make errors and walk people, and that’s what we did and it cost us.”
France, who matched his career-high with five RBI in the game, hit a solo home run in the fourth, only to see Texas score the following inning when Wyatt Lankford doubled home Josh Jung, but was caught trying to extend it to a triple.
His grand slam came about with two down after Gavin Sheets hit a rocket RBI single, and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. Then, France jumped on an up-and-away fastball from Jacob deGrom, the final mistake the Texas starter made in his six innings of work.
Afterward, he held the Padres to two hits over the final five innings he worked. The Padres touched him up for six runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts, but after the first they were able to generate a threat in the sixth, only to come up empty despite France doubling with two outs.
All the run support came for naught as Randy Vásquez struggled through 3 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and six of his seven runs earned. The Rangers walked three times and struck out only once against him before Yuki Matsu came in and struck out three with a walk and a hit allowed over 1 2/3 in relief.
“(It was) a a little bit of missing over the plate quite a bit, and tonight it was a little more the walks early, and then the combination of those two don’t usually bode well,” Stammen said.
Outside of solo shots from France and Sheets, the Padres didn’t put game pressure on Texas, as deGrom earned his sixth win and Jacob Latz notched his 13th save but going 1 1/3 innings despite a late Samad Taylor single.
Walker Buehler (4-3, 4.14 ERA) will start the second game of the set, facing right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 4. 23 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PT for the Fathers Day weekend matchup.
