By Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel –
SAN DIEGO — Looking back at the 2011 season before his team opened its series against San Diego on Monday, Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke called Mark Kotsay “the best pinch hitter” he could remember seeing in the major leagues.
Kotsay proved Roenicke right again Tuesday night, but this time he was wearing an enemy uniform.
The veteran reserve, who left the Brewers as a free agent to sign with his hometown team over the winter, snapped a 0-0 deadlock with a two-run homer off the bench in the eighth inning off reliever Francisco Rodriguez to give the San Diego Padres a 2-0 victory at Petco Park.
It was the continuation of an erratic season for Rodriguez, the workhorse of the bullpen with 14 appearances. It marked the fourth time he allowed at least two runs in an outing and the fifth time he was scored on overall.
One night after Ryan Braun was a one-man wrecking crew with three home runs, a triple and six runs batted in, the Brewers were limited to three hits by three San Diego pitchers. Braun went 1 for 4 with a single.
Brewers right-hander Shaun Marcum and San Diego righty Edinson Volquez locked horns in a pitching duel in which neither allowed a run during their seven-inning stints. Each surrendered only three hits, with Marcum walking four and striking out six and Volquez issuing two walks with four strikeouts.
It was not unusual that the Padres struggled with the bats. They entered the game with a .215 team batting average, lowest in the National League, and ranked 13th in the league with 75 runs scored.
The Brewers weren’t much better with a .235 team average but thanks to their superior power advantage (32 homers to San Diego’s 11) had scored 102 runs, sixth-most in the league.
San Diego had a distinct advantage in the pitching department, however. The Padres’ team earned run average was 3.53, eighth in the league, compared to the Brewers’ league-worst 5.12.
Both starting pitchers had to work out of some early jams to keep the game scoreless. With one down in the top of the second, Travis Ishikawa — who took over at first after Mat Gamel twisted his right knee chasing a foul pop — walked and Alex Gonzalez pulled a single into left field.
Jonathan Lucroy followed with a sharp grounder right at shortstop Jason Bartlett, who started a 6-4-3 double play to snuff the rally.
The Padres made Marcum do some work in the bottom of the inning. With one down, Orlando Hudson and Cameron Maybin drew walks, but Gonzalez fielded Bartlett’s grounder up the middle, simultaneously tagged the bag and fired to first for a double play.
With one down in the bottom of the third, Max Venable drew another walk from Marcum. Venable swiped second with two outs but Marcum stopped it there by striking out Chase Headley looking.
Hudson singled with two outs in the fourth and stole second base but was stranded when Maybin grounded out to third.
After Gonzalez’s single in the second inning, Volquez did not allow another hit until Braun singled to center with two down in the sixth. Braun swiped second on a close play that the Padres contested, but Aramis Ramirez grounded out to third to maintain the scoreless deadlock.
Corey Hart led off the seventh with a single to right, but Ishikawa popped up a sacrifice attempt to Volquez. Gonzalez ripped a liner toward the left-field corner but Chris Denorfia tracked it down, and Lucroy grounded out sharply to second to end the inning.
Yonder Alonso worked Marcum for a nine-pitch walk to open the bottom of the inning. After Hudson popped out, Maybin hit what should have been an inning-ending double play to Gonzalez, but Rickie Weeks dropped the ball on the transfer at second and the Brewers had to settle for one out.
Maybin stole second base but Marcum left him there by striking out Bartlett.
Hard-throwing right-hander Andrew Cashner took over to open the eighth and retired the first two batters before Norichika Aoki battled for an eight-pitch walk. Cashner cranked up his first pitch to Braun to 100 mph and then retired him on a comebacker to end the inning.
San Diego closer Huston Street pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record his fourth save.
