Padres' bullpen loses two-run lead in 6-4 loss to Arizona
PHOENIX (AP) -- The San Diego Padres generally have a confident feeling when starter Tyson Ross is on the mound, and for six innings, they got exactly what they wanted from the right-hander.
Then the bullpen took over in the seventh, and things unraveled quickly.
A.J. Pollock drove the first pitch from reliever Kevin Quackenbush into the seats in left field for a three-run home run, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-4 come-from-behind win Tuesday night. Quackenbush had just entered the game for losing pitcher Bud Norris (1-2).
"He has been dynamite and he was dynamite tonight," Padres manager Pat Murphy said of Ross, who went six innings, struck out nine and allowed a run on four hits. "His pitch count got up there a little bit. He was running out of gas but he was great for six innings."
"`Quack'" has been lights out and sometimes not," Murphy said of his reliever. "That sixth or seventh inning has been our downfall for the past month."
The Diamondbacks scored five runs in the inning and batted around off four Padres relievers.
Randall Delgado (6-4) got the win in relief, ending the seventh with a strikeout of Wil Myers, the only batter he faced.
Down 3-1, the Diamondbacks cut the lead to one on a run-scoring triple by Nick Ahmed. The ball bounced under left fielder Justin Upton's glove and went to the wall. Then after Norris walked pinch hitter Aaron Hill, Pollock hit his home run.
"He's been doing it all year," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said of Pollock, who made the All-Star team this season for the first time in his career. "He and Goldy (Paul Goldschmidt) have been so good for us in those situations."
Brandon Drury singled deep in the hole at second base and Ender Inciarte scored to make the score 6-3 before the inning ended.
Upton had earlier given the Padres a 1-0 lead on his 26th home run of the season, which reached the upper deck in left field. Upton had three hits for the game.
The Padres added to their lead in the third inning when Ross led off with a single and moved to third base after a single and a walk. Yangervis Solarte hit into a double play, allowing Ross to score.
Diamondbacks starter Jhoulys Chacin lasted five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts for Arizona.
The Diamondbacks cut the Padres' lead to 2-1 on an RBI single by Welington Castillo in the sixth off Ross.
"I had a good sinker going, to add in with my slider and I pitched both sides of the plate," Ross said. "I tried to minimize damage when runners were on base."
San Diego went up 3-1 in the top of the seventh on a two-out single by the No. 9 hitter in the order, Travis Jankowski. That drove in Austin Hedges.
Brad Ziegler finished up for his 26th save and has converted 24 straight save chances. He allowed a run to score on a wild pitch but went 1 1/3 innings.
The Padres put runners at the corners in the ninth off Ziegler, but could not sustain a rally.
Murphy was ejected in the top of the eighth inning for arguing by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez. It was Murphy's fifth ejection of the season.
TO THE REPLAY
Hale challenged an out call on a stolen base attempt by leadoff man Pollock in the first inning. After looking at replay for 2 minutes, 42 seconds, the call was overturned and Pollock notched his 35th stolen base of the season.
Murphy challenged a stolen base for Inciarte in the seventh but the call of safe was upheld after a two-minute review.
DROPPING THE TOP
The retractable roof at Chase Field was pushed open for Tuesday night's game for the first time since a 2-1 Arizona win over the New York Mets on June 6. The Diamondbacks improved to 13-13 with the roof open this season. The temperature was 92 degrees with a slight breeze at first pitch.
LOW AND OUTSIDE
Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday's game. Chandler is new to the Suns this season after signing as a free agent in July.
TRAINER'S ROOM
PADRES: C Derek Norris had X-rays taken of his right hand after he took a foul ball off it Monday night and had to leave the game. Those were negative, though he did not play Tuesday.
UP NEXT
PADRES: Right-hander Andrew Cashner is scheduled to start Wednesday night against Arizona in the series finale. Cashner is 5-15 with a 4.27 earned run average this season and has allowed the most hits (182) and runs (101) by a Padres pitcher.
DIAMONDBACKS: Left-hander Robbie Ray (4-11) is set to face the Padres Wednesday. It will be his 20th start of the season and he is 1-1 with a 1.72 ERA, 18 strikeouts and a .196 opponent batting average in his last three starts