The Padres bench watches during Atlanta's 10-1 rout at Petco Park on Saturday. — Earnie Grafton
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Bud Black loves his bullpen.
But like the Padres manager said the other day, his relievers “aren’t invincible.”
That was pointed out a second time in five games Saturday night as Padres relievers Chad Qualls and Evan Scribner gave up seven runs in the final two innings as the Atlanta Braves turned a close game into a 10-1 rout before 38,060 at Petco Park.
Over the last five games, Padres relievers have given up 18 runs on 19 hits, nine walks and three hit batters in 15 2/3 innings — the unit’s earned run average rising exactly half a run from a major league leading 2.47 to 2.97.
It’s not that Saturday night’s problems would have reversed the outcome of the game … or that the bullpen is no longer functioning.
The Padres amassed only four hits Saturday against Braves starter Jair Jurrjens and three relievers and were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position early in the game when the issue was still in doubt.
And Padres relievers did work 7 1/3 straight scoreless innings during the three-game winning streak that abruptly ended Saturday night.
But there is concern that segments of the bullpen need help.
Today, the bullpen will lose long-man Cory Luebke to the starting rotation. And the unit that has been operating throughout the season without Joe Thatcher (rehabbing after shoulder surgery) has also been without seventh-inning setup man Luke Gregerson (strained oblique muscle) since June 7.
Help is on the way.
The Padres will recall right-handed starter Anthony Bass from Double-A San Antonio today to serve at least temporarily as the long man and immediately as the safety net if Luebke needs early assistance in his first start of 2010.
“We need some length,” said Black, who won’t announce a corresponding move until this morning.
Bass moves into Luebke’s bullpen slot at least until Aaron Harang (stress fracture in his right foot) is able to rejoin the rotation.
Only three bullpens in the National League had logged more innings than the Padres this season and three Padres relievers — Luebke, Ernesto Frieri and Qualls — rank among the top 12 relievers in the league in innings pitched.
The bullpen gave up 11 runs on seven hits in five innings at Boston on Monday. Saturday, the bullpen give up seven runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Coincidentally, those two games were the team’s two most lopsided losses of the season — both ending with the Padres down by nine runs.
“They turned the tables on us like we did last night,” Black said after the Braves reached double figures in hits a night after the Padres romped to an 11-2 win.
Jurrjens, who leads the National League in wins (10) and earned run average (2.07), held the Padres to one run on three hits over six innings — that run coming on Alberto Gonzalez’s first home run since the 2009 season.
Gonzalez, who was subbing for the injured Chase Headley at third, homered in the bottom of the third to cut Atlanta’s lead to 2-1. Gonzalez’s 11 RBI in June are second among the Padres to Ryan Ludwick’s 12.
The Padres did have some solid opportunities early against Jurrjens, who also issued four walks.
Three times during the first six innings, the Padres had runners at first and second with none out. Each time, Jurrjens got out of the jam without allowing another Padre to reach base. The Padres were blanked in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position when they were down by one or two runs.
Meanwhile, the Braves scored three runs (two earned) on five hits against Dustin Moseley.
“He hung in there,” Black said of Moseley, who fell to 2-7 despite a 3.03 ERA and solidified his major league lead in lack of run support. “He pitched well enough to win on a lot of nights.”
That has been the mantra for Moseley and fellow starter Tim Stauffer throughout the season. Between them they are 5-12 despite a combined 3.07 ERA.
The Padres are 12-19 in their combined 31 starts and have been held to two or fewer runs in 16 of their combined starts — seven shutouts, five one-run games and four two-run games.
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