SAN DIEGO — Nick Hundley’s slow start appears to be a thing of the past.
Hundley homered, tripled and drove in a career-high four runs, leading Anthony Bass and the San Diego Padres past the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 Sunday.
A day after snapping a 13-game home losing streak to the Phillies, San Diego posted its first two-game winning streak of the season.
Hundley, who began the season in an 0-for-21 slump, hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning, an RBI triple in the third and two-run homer in the fifth off Joe Blanton (1-3). Hundley has hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 10 for 26 over that stretch.
“He hung a curveball out over the plate that I got good,” Hundley said. “I don’t think my swing ever left, I think my approach and my mental state was terrible early on. I think my swing was OK, I just had to keep battling.”
Bass (1-2) pitched three-hit ball for six innings and allowed an unearned run. He walked five and struck out a career-high seven in his sixth major league start.
“I walked way too many tonight, but it was one of those nights where you just have to battle through it,” Bass said. “We just really wanted to tie up the series, so we went out there and really beared down and made some key plays.”
Three Padres pitchers combined to hold Philadelphia, which has scored two or fewer runs in 10 of 16 games, scoreless over the final four innings.
“I thought Anthony threw the ball well when he needed to,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “As the game went on, he smoothed some things out with his delivery. I think that was the difference today. Our guy was able to work out of trouble, and we took advantage of their mistakes.”
The split gave San Diego its first non-losing series of the season. The Padres have not won a series against Philadelphia since taking a three-game set in July 2006.
“I’m sick of those guys, and it’s not from anything they do except for beating us,” Padres third baseman Chase Headley said. “We play OK, but it just seems like every time they come in here, they’re playing well and getting every break you can get, and we’re just not. It was nice to not have to answer that question today.”
Each team made three errors, accounting four unearned runs in the game. Philadelphia began the day with the fewest errors (six) and best fielding percentage (.990) in the National League.
“The last two nights were just bad games,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “Today, it got a little bit sloppier. It’s been a while since we played this bad. I look at it like this is a test. It’s a test for the coaching staff, the manager and the players. I see guys who are trying too hard. They just need to relax and play like we can.”
Blanton yielded six runs — three earned — on seven hits over six innings. He struck out two and walked two.
“Two-out walks kind of killed me,” Blanton said. “I thought I made a couple of good pitches that I didn’t get the call.”
Headley doubled home two runs in the first and has hit safely in nine straight games, and 13 of his last 14. Over that stretch of 14 games, he is hitting .362 (17 for 47) with four homers, 12 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
NOTES: Will Venable has hit safely in all 11 starts this season for the Padres. … With two triples on Sunday, San Diego had back-to-back games with two triples for the third time in franchise history. … Clayton Richard (1-1, 5.89 ERA) will pitch for the Padres when they open a three-game series on Tuesday against Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 2.04) and Washington. … Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 1.93) will start Monday in Arizona for the Phillies in the first of a three-game set.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
