Field Level Media
Aug 17, 2018
Clay Buchholz allowed just one run on five hits in the 10th complete game of his career, and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks scored five runs in the first inning en route to a 5-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
Arizona won a second consecutive game to hold onto a 1 1/2-game lead over the Colorado Rockies in the National League West race.
The result marked the 19th time in 21 tries that the Padres have lost the opening game of a series at Petco Park this season. It was also San Diego's fourth straight loss.
Buchholz (6-2) didn't issue a walk while striking out six. The right-hander threw 112 pitches, 76 of them strikes, in his first complete game since July 4, 2015, while pitching for the Boston Red Sox against the Houston Astros.
The Diamondbacks gave Buchholz all the runs he needed before he threw his first pitch, knocking out Padres rookie right-hander Jacob Nix.
Nix (1-1) had worked six scoreless innings in his major league debut against Philadelphia on Aug. 10, allowing four hits and two walks.
He was gone after two outs in his second start, having given up five runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batter. The hits included David Peralta's 22nd homer of the season, a three-run shot, and a two-run single by Alex Avila.
Jon Jay opened the game for Arizona with a double. A.J. Pollock then drew a walk to bring up Peralta. Given a green light on a 3-0 count, Peralta drove the ball 402 feet to straightaway center.
Paul Goldschmidt and Eduardo Escobar followed with singles before Ketel Marte flied out to right for the first out. After Nick Ahmed walked to load the bases, Avila plated Goldschmidt and Escobar with his single.
Buchholz struck out before ever taking the mound. Nix then hit Jay to end the shortest outing by a San Diego starting pitcher this season.
The Padres' bullpen gave up no runs on two hits with 14 strikeouts over the final 8 1/3 innings.
Buchholz retired 14 consecutive batters after giving up a game-opening double to Travis Jankowski. He had faced only three hitters over the minimum when Hunter Renfroe homered to center with two outs in the eighth. It was Renfroe's 13th long ball of the season.
--Field Level Media