D-backs fall to Padres, back into last place
SAN DIEGO -- Paul Goldschmidt is 1 for 19 in his last seven games, with 14 walks.
Half of those walks came in a three-game series against the Padres, who avoided a sweep by winning 2-1 Sunday.
"They pitched around Goldy all series and put it on the other guys. We didn't get enough runs, we didn't get enough contribution," manager Kirk Gibson said.
Rookie Odrisamer Despaigne won his second straight start and Cameron Maybin keyed a rare offensive outburst for the Padres, who popped out of their one-day stay in last place in the NL West.
Goldschmidt, a first-time All-Star last year who also won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards as well as the NL Hank Aaron Award, was 0 for 2 with two walks Sunday.
"I had some 3-2 counts. They made some good pitches, a couple of close pitches I was able to lay off of. It's one of those things," said Goldschmidt, who's hitting .296 with 47 walks.
Goldschmidt said there are a few reasons for all his walks.
"It's a combination. I have done a better job of not swinging out of the zone," he said. "At times, I have been aggressive in the zone. There have been some intentional walks. Walks, like anything, kind of come in streaks whether it's homers, hits or wins."
The Padres scored their most runs in four games. Through 81 games, they had scored one or fewer runs 27 times. They swapped places with the Diamondbacks, who had leapfrogged the Padres into fourth place after winning 3-1 Saturday night.
Despaigne (2-0), a 27-year-old who defected from Cuba last summer, held Arizona to one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings, walking four and striking out two.
In his big league debut last Monday, he held San Francisco to four hits in seven shutout innings, striking out one and walking none in a 1-0 win.
Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 21st save in as many chances.
The Padres scored twice in the fourth on two hits, two walks and a sacrifice fly off Mike Bolsinger (1-4). Chase Headley drew a leadoff walk, advanced on Tommy Medica's one-out single to left and scored on Maybin's double down the right-field line. Medica scored on Alexi Amarista's sac fly.
Despaigne allowed three of the first four Arizona batters to reach base, but allowed only one run. Leadoff batter Ender Inciarte beat out an infield single and stole second before Goldschmidt walked. Miguel Montero singled in Inciarte before Despaigne got Aaron Hill to fly out to center and struck out Martin Prado.
Bolsinger allowed two runs and three hits in six innings, struck out six and walked four.
Nick Ahmed was selected from Triple-A Reno before the game and made his big-league debut for the Diamondbacks, starting at shortstop and batting eighth. He grounded into a double play in his first at-bat and got his first big-league hit, a single, in the seventh.