Bullpen shines in Padres’ win over Cardinals
ST. LOUIS — The Padres bullpen has stepped up to fill a hole in San Diego’s rotation.
Eric Hosmer homered, San Diego’s bullpen took a perfect game into the sixth inning and the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Tuesday night for their 10th win in 14 games.
This was the third bullpen game for San Diego this season, all since left-hander Joey Lucchesi went down with a right hip strain.
“These guys are all built to kind of grind through a lineup one time or cruise through a lineup or attack a lineup one time through,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “They’re all built for nine batters pretty easily or 10 batters so it just makes sense to give them those types of pieces
SD: 32-37 overall STL: 36-29 overall
of a lineup for a first time through and keep hitters uncomfortable. I like it.”
Padres reliever Matt Strahm started the bullpen game and retired nine batters on 36 pitches, including four strikeouts. Adam Cimber (3-2) retired the next six with two strikeouts before Harrison Bader broke up the perfect game with an infield single in the sixth. Bader was promptly erased in a double play.
“In that situation, I know on a bullpen day, me coming in the fourth inning I’m probably looked at to get at least a few (innings),” Cimber said. “You still take it one hitter at a time.”
Strahm, a lefty, and Cimber, a submarine righty, make a stark contrast for opposing hitters.
“It’s the opposite end of the spectrum,” Strahm said. “He’s down on the right and I’m up on the left. It’s a good combo to come in.”
The Padres’ nine-man bullpen makes the starterby-committee approach effective. Green said he plans to go with it again Sunday.
“We’ve got seven arms available,” Green said. “I’m going to guess that’s more arms available than almost every team in major league baseball, so it’s not putting