Padres Shut Out Tigers, Handing First Loss of the Season
San Diego — The Padres beat the Tigers 3-0 in Saturday’s series finale. Detroit managed only two hits and struck out 13 times.
Late call decisions loom large
The Tigers’ best scoring chance came in the first inning. Spencer Torkelson took a called third strike with runners at first and third. Replays showed the pitch well off the plate.
Torkelson said he had the green light to challenge but chose not to. Rookie Kevin McGonigle also declined to challenge a second-inning called out on a pitch outside the zone. He later challenged in the seventh and lost.
Padres pitchers converted three successful challenges. Detroit had two unsuccessful challenges, plus the two missed calls they left unchallenged. Manager A.J. Hinch emphasized the need for confidence around the strike zone.
Flaherty starts well, stumbles later
Jack Flaherty retired the first eight batters. He ran into trouble in the third inning after Freddy Fermin’s single extended the frame.
Three consecutive singles, including one by Fernando Tatis Jr., produced the first runs. A subsequent steal attempt saw Jake Rogers’ throw beat Tatis, but the relay was mishandled at second. Instead of an out, the Padres took a 2-0 lead.
Flaherty struggled in the fifth. He issued three straight walks and threw 20 pitches that inning. He departed after five innings and 89 pitches.
Where things unraveled
Flaherty needed 21 pitches to complete the third inning. He said some late-count pitches missed their spots. Manager Hinch noted the difficulty closing out hitters late in innings.
Padres pitching and relief work
Right-hander Randy Vasquez paced San Diego with a lively fastball. His heater sat around 95 mph. He mixed six pitches and struck out eight.
Relievers Kyle Hart and Mason Miller combined for five strikeouts over the final three innings. The pair retired the last nine Tigers batters to finish the game.
Offense and individual notes
Detroit’s only two hits came from Colt Keith. He collected a double and a single. The Tigers managed one other runner in scoring position after the first inning.
Left-hander Brant Hurter was charged with a run on a groundout by Jackson Merrill. Right-hander Connor Seabold made his Tigers debut, striking out three across 2.1 innings.
Series perspective and next steps
Catchers and veterans praised the series win in a tough ballpark. Detroit expressed disappointment at not completing a sweep.
The team heads to Phoenix for a series with the Diamondbacks starting Tuesday. Filmogaz.com will have ongoing coverage.
