Gwynn scores the winning run in the 9th for the Padres 6th straight wins!

Thursday May 21, 2009

Gwynn scores the winning run and the San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2.

A very familiar sounding statement in Padres land, but this time it is the newest Padre, Tony Gwynn Jr., coming across the plate.

The Padres starting pitching was outstanding again tonight with Kevin Correia going 6.1 innings and giving up just 6 hits and 1 run while walking none. The only run Correia surrendered came on an Aaron Rowand home run to left in the 6th inning.

Joe Thatcher and Edward Mujica combined for 1.2 scoreless innings in relief and handed a 1-1 game to Heath Bell in the 9th.

After Heath Bell allowed his first run of the season to give the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the 9th, the Padres came back in the bottom of the frame to score two runs for their 6th straight win and 2nd straight series sweep.

Kevin Kouzmanoff led off the 9th with an infield single to third and scored the tying run when David Eckstein was plunked in the shoulder by a 97 mph fastball from Giants closer Brian Wilson with the bases loaded. Wilson had walked both Gwynn Jr. and Brian Giles to get to the pesky Eckstein.

Scott Hairston then drove in Gwynn with a single to left for the victory.

Kouzmanoff has improved his batting average to .240 for the season by going 9 for 24 (.375) in this home stand with a pair of home runs and 4 rbi while drawing 2 walks and striking out only twice in 28 plate appearances.

Adrian Gonzalez broke out of a 0 for 17 slump on the home stand with a smash up the middle in the 6th that caromed off Giants ace Tim Lincecum's glove into CF for a single.

Chase Headley's woes continued with an 0 for 4 performance and 2 more strike outs. Headley is now 1 for 13 (.077) on the home stand with 6 strike outs.

Lincecum went 7 innings giving up just 4 hits and 1 run while striking out 10 Padres for another hard luck loss in 3 well pitched games for the Giants starters in this series.

So now the Padres have won 6 straight games and swept 2 straight series!

And Gwynn scores the winning run!