PADRES STRAND TOO MANY

Musgrove solid but he’s not around for decision vs. Bucs

Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove walked to the mound Saturday night with the NL’S leading hitter nursing a balky elbow on the bench and just one hitter in his lineup with a batting average better than .235.

Somewhat predictably, he needed more help than he got.

The Padres stranded a season-high 16 runners, went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and paid dearly for it when Ke’bryan Hayes tagged closer Taylor Rogers for a three-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Pirates a 4-2 victory.

Trent Grisham’s seventh-inning single, scoring Luke Voit from second base with two outs, was the Padres’ first hit in their first 13 atbats with runners in scoring position. That gave the Padres a 2-1 lead that lasted until the ninth.

The seventh began with Voit walking and moving to second on Jake Cronenworth’s hard-hit ball off reliever Dillon Peters’ foot, chasing him from the game. Chris Stratton immediately walked Myers and Austin Nola flied out to left for the second out. Grisham then pulled a ball to right to break a 1-1 tie.

The Padres also pushed across an unearned run in the second inning, but Eric Hosmer was robbed of a homer to lead off the third inning and the Padres left the bases loaded twice with Musgrove in the game. That all but ensured he’d walk off the mound empty-handed despite striking out seven batters and allowing a run on six hits and two walks.

Pirates’ lone rally off Musgrove started with Josh Vanmeter singling to center to open the fourth and moving to second on a ground ball to second. Jack Suwinski’s ensuing single put runners on the corners and Vanmeter scored when Musgrove couldn’t flip the ball to Nola quickly enough on Michael Perez’s tapper

Today:

Park 1:10 p.m., Petco

Pitchers:

Pirates RHP Roansy Contreras (1-0, 2.13 ERA) vs. Padres LHP Mackenzie Gore (3-1, 2.06) BSSD; 97.3-FM, 860-AM Spanish)

On the air: in front of the mound.

Musgrove struck out the next two batters to escape further damage and in finisheda ninth-straight quality start.

jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com