JOSE ROMERO
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — The San Diego Padres were familiar with Josh Collmenter’s quirky delivery. Falling behind by four runs after two innings was too much to overcome.
Collmenter came within two outs of a complete game, holding the Padres without an earned run and four hits over 8 1-3 innings, and struck out a season-high eight in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 5-1 win on Friday night.
Collmenter tied his career high for strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter. The Padres have lost four of five.
“He has done pretty much the same thing his entire career,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “It’s a sneaky fastball from a little different arm slot. He commands the ball pretty well, and it’s coming down from an angle that is a little deceptive.”
Arizona scored three first-inning runs — two on Miguel Montero’s home run — and added another in the second inning on a two-out error by second baseman Jedd Gyorko. Gyorko made two errors on the night.
“The backbreaker was the first inning. It’s tough to give up three and then one and put yourself in the hole,” Black said. “In St. Louis we bounced back a couple of times against those deficits. We couldn’t do it (Friday).”
Montero’s two-out blast hit the right field foul pole. Two batters earlier, David Peralta tripled, and Mark Trumbo drove him in with a grounder deep in the hole at shortstop.
Collmenter (9-7) got his first win in more than a month. Odrisamer Despaigne (3-5) settled down after a rough start, but took the loss after going five innings and allowing three earned runs and five hits.
“If I had to throw that pitch (to Montero) again I would but with better location,” Despaigne said through a translator. “The way I pitched, if I feel like that 10 times I would win eight out of 10.”
The Padres put runners on first and second in the ninth inning against Collmenter, which led to his exit. Reliever Matt Stites got the final two outs, but a passed ball allowed Alexi Amarista to score and break up the shutout bid.
D-BACKS D-UP
Diamondbacks center fielder Ender Inciarte recorded five straight outs on fly balls between the second and third innings, including a diving catch to take a hit away from Despaigne. Peralta ended the third inning by throwing out Amarista at third base from right field.
Shortstop DiDi Gregorius got to a ground ball with a backhanded stop and threw out Gyorko in the seventh.
VENABLE LOSES A HIT
A scoring change from Aug. 12 took a hit away from Padres outfielder Will Venable. Major League Baseball announced that an eighth-inning infield hit against Colorado was changed to an error on shortstop Josh Rutledge. The two runs in the inning became unearned.
ON DECK
Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner makes his first appearance since being placed on the disabled list with shoulder soreness on June 23. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since June 18, when he held the Seattle Mariners to a run and seven hits over seven innings.
Diamondbacks: LHP Vidal Nuno (0-3) starts the second game of the three-game series. Nuno has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. The San Diego area native has never faced the Padres.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Several regulars are on the disabled list, including 1B Yonder Alonso (strained right forearm), who missed his eighth straight game, SS Everth Cabrera (hamstring, 10) and OF Carlos Quentin (left knee, 22).
Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock is expected to rejoin Class AAA Reno for a rehab assignment for his broken right hand in the next few days. INF Chris Owings (left shoulder strain) was in Reno on Friday to continue his rehab work after a stint with the Diamondbacks’ rookie league club.
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