7/12/2012

Richard Struggles as Padres Fall to Reds 6-5

He just couldn't shut down the Cincinnati Reds' suddenly clicking bats.

Richard struggled as he allowed home runs to Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey, helping the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-5 win Saturday night.

"(Fastball) was not quite as consistent as I'd like it to be," Richard said. "I left a few up and it cost us."

San Diego, which lost its second straight after a season-high six-game winning streak, cut Cincinnati's lead to 6-5 in the eighth inning on Logan Forsythe's RBI single against Sean Marshall and loaded the bases with two outs.

But Logan Ondrusek came on to retire Chris Denorfia on a fly ball to center field.

"We just couldn't that one extra-base knock to inch us closer," Padres manager Bud Black said.

The Reds, who have struggled to score runs on their season-high 12-game road trip, used home runs to get their offense going for the second straight game.

Stubbs, who snapped an 0-for-32 hitless streak Friday night, homered in the first inning. Heisey, who drove in Cincinnati's only run in San Diego's 2-1 win Thursday night, hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning.

The Reds homered three times in Friday night's 6-0 victory. Cincinnati had hit just two homers in its six games before Friday.

Richard (6-9) got knocked out after allowed three straight hits to open the seventh, including Heisey's homer. He gave up six runs on eight hits. The left-hander was 4-1 with a 1.70 ERA in his previous five outings and had yielded two runs or fewer in seven of his last 10 starts.

Homer Bailey (7-6) allowed a leadoff home run to Denorfia on his first pitch, then settled down and surrendered only a pair of unearned runs heading into the seventh.

The right-hander gave up four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Bailey struck out eight and did not walk a batter, and also contributed an RBI double.

All-Star Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 14 chances.

Forsythe had three hits and two RBIs. Chase Headley extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Carlos Quentin had an RBI single for San Diego to snap an 0-for-21 streak.

Rookie Todd Frazier led off the Cincinnati fifth with a double and went to third on Heisey's single. Devin Mesoraco brought home one run on a groundout and Bailey doubled in another run with a line drive over Denorfia's head in right field for a 3-1 lead.

San Diego scored single unearned runs in the fifth and sixth to tie the game at 3.

Frazier singled to open the seventh before Heisey's third home run. After Mesoraco's single, Dale Thayer replaced Richard. Mesoraco came around to score on Stubbs' groundout.

Notes: Bailey is 5-0 with a 2.02 ERA in his last six road starts. ... Headley's 12-game hitting streak ties Denorfia for longest streak by a Padres player this season. ... Reds 3B Scott Rolen is ready to play, but manager Dusty Baker wanted to give him one more day to rest his back spasms, which has kept him off the field since he left last Sunday's game in the first inning. Baker said part of the reason to give Rolen another day off is the play of Frazier. In the seven games since Rolen left, Frazier is batting .440 (11 for 25) with two homers and seven RBIs. Baker said Rolen will start Sunday. ... Cincinnati's starting rotation after the All-Star break will be RHP Mat Latos, RHP Mike Leake, RHP Johnny Cueto, RHP Bronson Arroyo and Bailey. ... Kara Patterson, 2012 U.S. Olympian and American javelin record holder, and actor Charlie Sheen each threw out a first pitch. Sheen's pitch was thrown to the tune of "Wild Thing," the nickname of his character, Rick Vaughn, in the 1989 movie, "Major League." ... Cueto (9-5, 2.35) will face Padres RHP Jason Marquis (1-4, 3.49) on Sunday in the series finale.


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