Again, Giants can't solve Despaigne
Padres starting pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, in San Diego. - (AP Photo/Don Boomer)Some downs, naturally, have followed the considerable ups that Odrisamer Despaigne has enjoyed throughout this first foray into the majors. Consider Friday's start an entry into the latter subgroup, perhaps even further proof that the 27-year-old rookie belongs in the Padres' rotation plans for 2015.
In dispatching the Giants and further burying them behind the Dodgers in the NL West race, Despaigne twirled another gem at the expense of San Francisco. This time, the Cuban defector flummoxed the Padres' division rivals with seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 5-0 win that left the Dodgers protecting a 3½-game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
In the wild-card race, the Giants' hold on the top spot shrunk to a single game over the Pirates.
Alexi Amarista's September surge continued with a two-run double in the first inning and the Padres pounced on Tim Hudson (9-12) early to support Despaigne (4-7), who extended his dominance over the Giants to one earned run allowed in 20 innings in picking up his first win since throwing seven shutout innings at the Rockies on Aug. 12.
1
Earned run allowed by Odrisamer Despaigne in 20 innings against the Giants this year.
Such is life during this roller-coaster season.
That ride began with two dominant starts for Double-A San Antonio. It hit its low point with two miserable weeks in the Pacific Coast League that, nevertheless, gave way to a dazzlingly big league debut in San Francisco in June.
Since then, Despaigne and his vast repertoire have teased the Padres' with flashes of both brilliance and unevenness.
Case in point: Six days after becoming the 20th Padres hurler to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning, he walked a season-high five batters in the first of a handful of clunkers that offered reason to believe that the Padres' Cuban defector might still need seasoning before handing him a spot in next year's rotation.
As it stands today, three of those spots belong to Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and Ian Kennedy and Jesse Hahn is a clubhouse leader for another. Despaigne, meanwhile, has shown this coaching staff enough to at least enter spring training with his name penciled in ahead of the likes of Robbie Erlin, Joe Wieland and Casey Kelly. Veteran Eric Stults might even fall in that class should the Padres retain him for a fourth season in San Diego.
'Despaigne has proven that he can go to the post,' Padres manager Bud Black said. 'For a rookie, he's pitched very well. Going into spring training, we view him as a guy that has a leg up over those other fellas.'
Outings like Friday's will only help Despaigne's cause.
He stranded a leadoff walk in the first inning and retired nine in a row before Joe Panik led off the fourth with a double down the right-field line. Despaigne then retired eight more in a row before allowing his next hit - again to Panik - and four more in a row after that before giving way to the bullpen after seven shutout innings for the third time in his short career.
Tim Hudson's night was much shorter. Again.
After allowing six runs in one-plus inning against the Dodgers last weekend, the 39-year-old Hudson (4.1 IP, 4 ER) spotted the Padres four runs in the first inning Friday on Amarista's two-run double and Cameron Maybin's ensuing two-run single.
Seth Smith pushed the Padres' advantage to 5-0 in the third with a run-scoring double, just his third extra-base hit this month, to make it that much easier for Despaigne to cruise through his 16th start of the season.
jeff.sanders@utsandiego.com; on Twitter: @JeffSanders_UT
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