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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Ricky Nolasco threw eight solid innings
and Jorge Cantu belted a two-run home run to lead the Florida
Marlins to a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in the opener
of a three-game series on Monday.
Kevin Kouzmanoff had a pair of hits for the Padres, who have
lost nine straight home games for the first time since August
11-30, 1980 when they played at Jack Murphy Stadium..
Nolasco (10-4) yielded just one run on five hits and won his
career-best fifth consecutive decision. The 25-year-old
righthander, who also has won nine of his last 10 decisions,
struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
Kevin Gregg worked a perfect ninth to convert his 16th save in
22 chances.
"I was just trying to challenge guys early and get early contact
to keep us in the game," Nolasco said. "I'm not going to really
walk anybody, I'm just going to challenge them and throw
strikes. I feel good, I feel strong and trying to keep it going
for the rest of the year."
Cantu's two-run blast in the fourth - his 16th of the season -
against San Diego starter Greg Maddux (3-7) gave Florida a 2-0
advantage and provided all the run support Nolasco needed.
"Ricky had been unbelievable and it's a good feeling to back him
up like that," Cantu said. "(Maddux) paints his spots and
you're just trying to make contact and put the ball into play.
He's one of the best and he has been for a long time."
Chase Headley sliced the deficit to 2-1 with a solo shot in the
fifth, the rookie's fifth homer of the season. But Nolasco
allowed little else, retiring 12 of the next 14 batters he faced
before giving way to Gregg.
"(Nolasco) was good," said Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez, who
was ejected in the seventh inning. "We scored enough runs to
make it hold up, and he was solid. It was a good overall
effort. (Nolasco) did his job and Kevin did his job, and we're
shaking hands at the end of the ballgame."
Gonzalez would not comment on a controversial call that led to
his ejection in the seventh. Third base umpire Chris Guccione
originally ruled that a ball hit down the left field line landed
fair, but after Padres manager Bud Black asked for the umpires
to confer, the call was reversed to a foul ball.
"From what we saw, we saw a foul ball," Black said. "I give the
umpires credit for convening and talking about it. I thought
they did the right thing in putting their heads together and
making the call."
Josh Willingham's RBI groundout in the eighth made it 3-1.
Maddux failed to earn a victory for the 11th consecutive start,
the second-longest winless stretch in the 42-year-old future
Hall of Famer's career. The four-time Cy Young Award winner has
not won since May 10, when he notched career win No. 350.
"(Maddux) threw the ball well," Black said. "He made the one
mistake to Cantu. He tried to get the ball down and away, and
the ball sort of climbed back up on him. Cantu sort of jumped
on that first pitch sort of middle up and squared it up. But,
it was typical (Maddux)."
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