Another disappointing game is over and San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin is sighing.
In an interview following the Padres’ 4-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Melvin reflected on the game.
“Like I always say, our timing is off. We scored early, we had a good start, and we paid for our mistakes late in the game,” he said of the game.
Manager Bob Melvin greets Ha-Sung Kim after his home run. Photo (Pittsburgh, USA) = Hongseok Ko Correspondent
On the day, San Diego took a 4-2 lead after starter Joe Musgrove allowed just two runs through six innings, but three runs in the seventh blew the game wide open.
Melvin, who turned to Tim Hill and Luis Garcia for the seventh, said, “That’s the spot that Steven Wilson (who was out with an injury) used to pitch. Hill was going to face the bottom of the order and then when McCutchen came up, we were going to move Garcia up,” Melvin said, explaining that the bullpen operation went according to plan.
When asked if Musgrove’s high pitch count in the second inning was fatal, he said, “If it was a lower pitch count (in the second inning), he might have gone one more inning. But six innings is good for him right now. It was still a matter of finishing the game.”스포츠토토
Trent Grisham on Kim’s home run: “It’s true that he hasn’t had a long ball lately, but you don’t necessarily need a home run in a clutch situation. A home run can help shift the momentum. But we should have put more pressure on the opposition after the middle innings. We put too much pressure on the bullpen,” he said, conveying the idea that more runs should have been scored.
San Diego finished the half of the season with a 37-44 record. They are 11 games out of first place in the division.
“I don’t think anybody would have,” he said, when asked if he expected a performance like this in the opener.
“It’s mentally tough. We need to play really well in the second half. More importantly, we need to play a good game,” he said, emphasizing the need to turn things around with a good performance.
Meanwhile, as for the starting lineup for the three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, which begins a day later, Melvin said Seth Lugo will start the first game, while the rest will be determined based on the status of Michael Wacka and Darvish.