Padres pop Tacoma with big 7th inning
The Tucson Padres scored five runs in the seventh inning Saturday to extend their winning streak to six games with a 6-4 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. The Padres remain five games back in the Pacific Southern Division with nine games to play.
After three scoreless innings to start the game, Nate Tenbrink launched a two-run homer over the right field wall in the fourth to put the Rainiers ahead 2-0. Tucson answered with one run in the bottom of the fourth coming on Gregorio Petit's RBI double. Tacoma extended its lead to 4-1 in the seventh on Jason Jaramillo's two-run double.
The seventh-inning rally for the Padres started when Reymond Fuentes hit an RBI infield single to cut the deficit to two runs. The single extended Fuentes' hitting streak to 13 games. Two batters later, Brandon Allen grounded a two-run single through the right side to knot the score at four. Mike Wilson followed by lining an RBI single to left to put the Padres in front. The fifth run of the inning came on a Tacoma error to increase Tucson's lead to 6-4. Kevin Quackenbush pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to close out his third save with Tucson.
Tommy Layne earned his second win for the Padres, while Rainiers' lefty Brain Moran was charged with the loss. Tucson starter Burch Smith allowed three hits, one run and struck out five in five innings. Tacoma starting pitcher Hector Noesi scattered five hits, three runs and two walks in 6.1 innings of work.
Tim Hagerty is the play-by-play announcer for the Tucson Padres.
