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September 30, 2010

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Home » Sports » Baseball

Defeat dampens Padres' playoff bid

Source: Agencies | September 30, 2010, Thursday | Print Edition

THE San Diego Padres' grip on a National League playoff berth loosened further on Tuesday with a damaging 2-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

San Diego held a 6 1/2-game lead in the NL West a little over a month ago but its third straight defeat left the Padres (87-70) two games behind the division-leading San Francisco Giants (89-68) with five contests remaining.

Both the Braves and Giants were winners on Tuesday as the Padres failed to keep pace. "Here's the deal. We know where we are," a defiant Padres manager Bud Black told reporters. "We have to get the bats going. Hopefully, we'll break out (Wednesday)."

Mat Latos lost his fourth straight start after allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings and the Padres managed just four hits against Chicago pitcher Ryan Dempster in dropping 1-1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves (89-69) in the Wildcard race.

Dempster struck out nine batters while Alfonso Soriano blasted two home runs to lead the Cubs.

Soriano's two-run blast off of Latos in the sixth put the visitors 4-2 up and he added a solo shot in the eighth.

Two errors by San Diego allowed the Cubs to take a 2-0 lead in the fifth before Nick Hundley responded with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game 2-2.

However, Latos was unable to keep the home team on level terms as his late-season slump continued.

Earlier this season, the right-hander set a Major League record with 15 straight starts of five or more innings with two or fewer runs allowed but like his team, he has struggled since the All-Star break.

After two more games against Chicago (72-85), San Diego will close the regular season with a pivotal three-game series in San Francisco.

The Braves topped the Florida Marlins 3-2.

Eric Hinske hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and Atlanta improved its wildcard chances.

Trailing 0-1, the Braves rallied for three runs in the seventh off Anibal Sanchez (12-12). Brooks Conrad knocked in the first run with a triple. Eric Hinske hit a two-run homer to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead.

Atlanta reliever Craig Kimbrel (4-0) got the win with a hitless seventh, and Billy Wagner earned his 36th save with a scoreless ninth.

Also, it was: Reds 3, Astros 2; Dodgers 9, Rockies 7; Giants 4, Diamondbacks 2; Mets 4, Brewers 3; and Pirates 7, Cardinals 2.

In Toronto, the New York Yankees clinched their 15th postseason berth in the past 16 years with a 6-1 win over the Blue Jays. New York starter C C Sabathia (21-7) allowed one run in 8 1-3 innings to match Andy Pettitte's 21 wins in 1996 and 2003 for the most victories by a Yankee since Ron Guidry got 22 in 1985.

Sabathia, who struck out eight, has a career record of 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA in six starts at Rogers Centre.

The Yankees have reached the postseason every year but one since 1996.

In Chicago, the home team fought back to beat Boston 5-4, as the Red Sox bowed out of playoff contention. Paul Konerko tied the game in the eighth inning with a run-scoring double and Dayan Viciedo won it with a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth.

Elsewhere, it was: Royals 10, Twins 1; Rays 5, Orioles 0; Angels 4, Athletics 2; and Mariners 3, Rangers 1.
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