Tucson Padres baseball
Padres fall 4-2, Anna extends hit streak to 16 games
Ben Paulsen's two-run home run in the eighth inning aided the Colorado Springs Sky Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Tucson Padres on Friday at Security Service Field. The loss snapped the Padres five-game winning streak. Tucson remains a half-game ahead in first place in the Southern Division.
Sky Sox infielder Ryan Wheeler broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI single to center.
After Tucson's Daniel Robertson led off the top of the fourth with his team-leading sixth triple, Gregorio Petit brought him around to score on a groundout to tie the game, 1-1. In the following inning, the Padres took a 2-1 lead on Chris Robinson's sacrifice fly to score Ben Francisco from third. The Sky Sox produced a sacrifice fly of their own from Charlie Blackmon in the bottom of the fifth to knot the game up at two.
After a two-hour and 12 minute weather delay in the top of the sixth, Dean Anna extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a two-out single in the top of the eighth. The Padres had a chance to score on Anna's hit, but Robertson was tagged out rounding second base before Chris Robinson could cross the plate. Paulsen hit an opposite-field, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to put the Sky Sox ahead, 4-2. Logan Kensing sent the Padres down in order in the ninth to seal the win for Colorado Springs.
Sky Sox reliever Nick Schmidt (3-2) earned the win, while Tucson reliever Ryan Kelly (1-1) was charged with the loss for Tucson. Matt Andriese, who was making his Triple-A debut, scattered eight hits and allowed two runs in five innings of work. Colorado Springs starter Jeff Francis allowed two runs on three hits before play stopped in the sixth.
Tim Hagerty is the play-by-play announcer for the Tucson Padres.