PHOENIX_Clayton Richard has a distinct method of recording outs. When he succeeds, the baseball rarely travels past the infield. The San Diego Padres left-hander went into Tuesday's game at Chase Field sporting a 67 percent ground-ball rate, highest among National League starters.
In a 9-2 rout by the Arizona Diamondbacks, the game plan went awry. Richard collected 11 outs and allowed as many baserunners before he was pulled. The -backs scored six times against him on eight hits and three walks. The carnage continued against the bullpen as the Padres suffered their fourth consecutive loss.
The visitors' first inning at the plate ended with Patrick Corbin striking out the side.
The Dbacks saw Paul Goldschmidt drill a 438-foot solo home run.
Richard failed to ground the opposing offense throughout the rest of his outing. With two outs in the second, he yielded a walk, a triple and a single. Center fielder Manuel Margot made the Padres' catch of the season so far, sprinting and then diving to snag a liner and prevent further damage.
In the top of the third, Wil Myers doubled and scored on Yangervis Solarte's single. The Padres lineup went silent again while the Dbacks added two more runs against Richard and thrice more off reliever Craig Stammen, making it 9-1.
Padres left fielder Jabari Blash homered in the seventh for his first big-league hit of the season. This night there would be no extended rally.
This night, a lopsided margin stood. The six runs off Richard were the most he has permitted in a start since he rejoined the Padres last August. The three runs off Stammen contributed to an already-bloated number.
The Padres bullpen went into the evening with a 5.78 ERA, second-worst in the majors. Outside of Kevin Quackenbush (0.00), Brad Hand (0.90), Ryan Buchter (3.52) and Brandon Maurer (3.52), every reliever who has pitched in at least three games carries an ERA over 5.00. Stammen surrendered at least three earned runs for the third consecutive appearance, raising his ERA to 10.24.
