Padres Use Nine Pitchers To Oust Cardinals, Marlins Blank Cubs To Advance

Los Angeles, Oct 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Oct, 2020 ) :The San Diego Padres used nine different pitchers to shut out the St. Louis Cardinals and punch their ticket to the second round of the Major League Baseball playoffs with a 4-0 winner-take-all victory in game three on Friday night.

San Diego's bullpen by committee resulted in nine pitchers combining for a nine-inning MLB shutout for the first time since 1901.

Austin Adams pitched one third of an inning of relief to get the win and right hander Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth as the Padres won the wild card playoff contest at Petco Park in San Diego.

"What those guys did this series and tonight, wow," said Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. "They've been overworked, they've been overtaxed.

"Tonight, for me, was a team-oriented win as so many guys contributed again. That's who we are. That's why we're going to continue to keep playing." The Padres will now face the top seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five NL Divisional Series on Tuesday in the quarantine bubble in Texas.

The Padres' Eric Hosmer started the scoring with a run-batted-in double to the outfield wall in the fifth inning. San Diego broke the game open with a two-run seventh and tacked on another run with a late Jake Cronenworth's homer to win their first playoff series since 1998 -- when they reached the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Cronenworth capped the scoring by blasting his towering 407 foot homer in the eighth inning. He finished with three hits and scored two runs and Hosmer brought in runs with his double and a bases-loaded walk.

The Padres have no choice but to use their bullpen extensively in the playoffs after starters Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger suffered injuries.

Surprise game three starter Craig Stammen, who was making his first start since 2010 with the Washington Nationals, allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings.

He was followed by Tim Hill (one inning), Pierce Johnson (one-third of an inning), Adrian Morejon (1 2/3 innings), Adams, Luis Patino (one inning), Emilio Pagan (one inning), Drew Pomeranz (one inning) and Rosenthal.

"We're trying to write our own piece of history right now," said Stammen.

Cards ace Jack Flaherty recorded the loss despite allowing just one run on six hits and striking out eight in six innings of work.

Also, Garrett Cooper smacked a two-out home run off Chicago's Yu Darvish and the Miami Marlins defeated the Cubs 2-0 to advance.

The Marlins, who hadn't reached the playoffs since winning the 2003 World Series, captured their best-of-three first round series with the host Cubs in two games.

"That's probably the best feeling I've had in my baseball career, the biggest home run that I've had in my baseball career," Cooper said. "It's just something that you can't explain." Next for Miami will be National League East division rival Atlanta to decide a berth in the National League Championship Series.

Darvish hurled 6 2/3 scoreless innings but was sent to the showers after Cooper homered and Matt Joyce doubled to set up a run-scoring single by Magneuris Sierra for a 2-0 Marlins edge.

The 34-year-old Japanese right-hander surrendered two runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts, throwing 69 of his 94 pitches for strikes.

Miami rookie starter Sixto Sanchez pitched five scoreless innings allowing four hits and two walks, and he struck out six.

Reliever Brad Boxberger got the win pitching 1 1/3 innings. Richard Bleier and Yimi Garcia also held Chicago in check, and Brandon Kintzler completed the five hit shutout by earning the save.

Right fielder Matt Joyce also had a strong performance for the Marlins as he cut down a runner at the plate and then doubled, which led to a run.

"The one thing that we talked about all year was why not us?" said manager Don Mattingly of the sixth-seeded Marlins, who lost 105 games last year.