PHOENIX — Back at the scene of their opening-day meltdown, the Padres one-upped themselves.
Their manager had to share the blame in this one, though what happened sort of supported Bob Melvin’s decision to try to eke more outs from his starting pitcher.
After taking a six-run lead into the seventh inning, the Padres were beaten 7-6 Tuesday night by the Diamondbacks in what wasn’t all that arguably the Padres’ worst loss of the season.
Christian Walker’s walk-off fielder’s choice RBI with two outs in the ninth inning completed the collapse, which for the Padres topped a 4-2 loss here on April 7 after they took a 2-0 lead into the ninth inning.
A pair of two-out singles started the winning rally against Taylor Rogers. With runners at first and second, Walker squibbed a grounder between first and second base. Eric Hosmer fielded the ball and had two options: turn and throw to Rogers covering first base or throw from his knees to second base. He chose the latter, but Ketel Marte beat the throw as rookie shortstop CJ Abrams was late covering the base.
Josh Rojas, running from second base, easily came around to score the winning run.
Tuesday’s loss was the Padres’ fifth of the season after leading in the eighth inning but the first time they lost a game in which they led by more than three runs at any point.
Sean Manaea finished an otherwise excellent night by not recording an out in the seventh inning, and three relievers gave up the rest of the advantage.
The loss sure seemed it would be a victory. Far more so than on April 7, when the Padres lost a 2-0 lead in the ninth.
For six innings Tuesday, Manaea held the Diamondbacks scoreless on one hit. To that point, he had allowed them five hits in 19 innings this season. It was here on April 8 that he threw seven shutout innings.
With the left-hander at 98 pitches, Melvin sent him out for the seventh. Manaea did not record another out.
Marte led off with a single, Walker walked and Buddy Kennedy doubled to drive in Arizona’s first two runs. Tim Hill relieved Manaea and allowed a double to Carson Kelly that cut the lead to 6-3. Two groundouts got Kelly home. Luis Garcia came in and got the third out.
A single and two walks loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, and Garcia hit Kennedy to bring in a run.
Rogers entered and hit Kelly on the front toe to tie the game. A double play and a strikeout ended the inning.
Nomar Mazara’s two-run homer, an RBI groundout by Trent Grisham and Jorge Alfaro’s bases-loaded double had given the Padres a 6-0 lead.
____
