Padres' Erlin coming home to Bay area facing Giants
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Bay Area native Robbie Erlin hopes to treat his family and friends to his first win at AT&T Park on Tuesday night when he pitches for the San Diego Padres against the San Francisco Giants.
Padres right-hander Bryan Mitchell came within one out of his first career shutout Monday night in San Diego's 5-0 win in the series opener.
Mitchell was pulled after loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth on a Brandon Crawford double and two walks. Kirby Yates came on to strike out pinch-hitter Austin Slater to nail down the Padres' fifth shutout of the season.
The win was the Padres' second straight over the Giants, who already have clinched the season series with a 10-7 advantage with just two left to play.
Erlin (4-7, 4.33), who was born across the San Francisco Bay in Oakland, hasn't come close to having Mitchell's kind of success at AT&T Park, where he's gone 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA in four appearances, including two starts.
He did beat the Giants last week in San Diego, allowing three runs in five innings in an 8-4 win. It snapped his four-game losing streak.
Erlin will be opposed by the last man to throw a shutout in San Francisco, Giants right-hander Chris Stratton (10-10, 4.88).
His shutout came two starts ago in a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies, one in which he allowed just two hits.
He then was on the losing end of a matchup with Erlin last Wednesday in San Diego, bombed for five runs in the second inning, including two on a home run by Wil Myers.
The Padres' uprising came immediately following the offensive highlight of Stratton's career, a bases-clearing double in the top of the second off Erlin that had given the Giants a 3-0 lead.
Stratton was pulled after three innings.
He's gone 2-3 with a 4.70 ERA in five games, including four starts, against the Padres in his career.
Stratton didn't have to deal with Jose Pirela last week, but probably will in the rematch.
The San Diego second baseman was the offensive star of Monday's win, recording a home run and two singles.
The homer was his fourth of the season overall and the RBI his eighth against the Giants this year, the most he's recorded against any team.
He now has 26 hits and 13 RBIs in his career against the Giants, his highest totals against any opponent.
Pirela's 3-for-4 night made him 12-for-33 (.364) in his last 10 starts.
Crawford's ninth-inning double off Mitchell was the 198th of his career, allowing him to pass Jack Clark for 13th place in the Giants' West Coast history. Teammate Brandon Belt resides one spot higher on the list with 199.
Crawford's hit gave him three doubles, two triples and a home run in 57 at-bats against the Padres this season.
He's gone 6-for-10 in his career against Erlin with a double and a triple.
