Pomeranz leads Padres over Reds 3-0 on Pete Rose's big day
CINCINNATI (AP) -- With a homer and a run-scoring single, Drew Pomeranz played the hitting star on a day honoring baseball's hits king.
Pomeranz drove in a pair of runs and pitched seven innings on Saturday, leading the San Diego Padres to a 3-0 victory in a game that followed the Cincinnati Reds' tribute to Pete Rose.
Pomeranz connected for his second career homer and had an RBI single against left-hander Brandon Finnegan (3-6), making the difference on a day dedicated to baseball's most prolific hitter. The 6-foot-6 pitcher usually hits a few out during batting practice, but struggles when it's for real.
"I'm a 5 o'clock hero, for sure," Pomeranz said. "I was pretty surprised myself. I saw it and just moved the bat and it hit it. I timed it right, I guess. I thought I'd popped out to right."
The Padres have won the first three games of the series, improving to 12-3 against the Reds over the last three seasons.
The Reds inducted Rose into their Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony that included his Big Red Machine teammates. Pomeranz was warming up and sneaking peeks at the festivities, which went six minutes long.
"It's not anything distracting," Pomeranz said. "He's the best hitter of all time. We were all happy to be part of it. It was a pretty cool moment."
Manager Andy Green was a Reds fan growing up in Kentucky and watched from the dugout as Rose -- one of his favorite players -- talked about the Big Red Machine. Then his team beat the Reds again.
"It was still an awesome party," Green said. "I had tears in my eyes out there. It was cool."
Pomeranz (7-7) gave up three hits, walked one and struck out six, including the last three batters he faced on a humid, 87-degree afternoon. Fernando Rodney retired the side in the ninth, completing a four-hitter while getting his 17th save in 17 chances.
The Reds have dropped eight of their last 10 games. The Padres scored in each of the first eight innings of a 13-4 win on Friday night.
Travis Jankowski -- hitting atop the order while Jon Jay is sidelined with a bruised right forearm -- opened the game with a double and came around on groundouts by Wil Myers and Matt Kemp.
Pomeranz beat the Reds in his major league debut in 2011, and had another memorable game against them. He went deep with two outs in the fifth for the Padres' fifth homer in the last two games. He also had a run-scoring single with two out in the seventh.
Brandon Phillips ran the Reds out of a chance in the fourth. He led off with a double and was thrown out while trying to steal third. Jay Bruce followed with a harmless single.
"Brandon has been really good and really effective the past couple of years at stealing third," manager Bryan Price said. "I just didn't think he got a good jump there."
During the series, the Reds have scored in only two of the 27 innings.
COZART'S STREAK EXTENDED, ENDED
Reds shortstop Zack Cozart got his hitting streak extended to eight games overnight when the official scorer ruled he reached on a single instead of an error by shortstop Alexei Ramirez in Friday's game. Cozart then went 0 for 4 on Saturday, ending the streak again.
HOLT EJECTED
Cincinnati's Tyler Holt was called out on strikes as a pinch hitter in the eighth and argued with plate umpire Tom Hallion, drawing an ejection. Price was ejected on Friday night for contesting ball-and-strike calls.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: Jay missed a fifth straight game with the bone bruise. He'll be examined on Monday in San Diego to see if he needs to go on the disabled list. ... Green might go with a six-man rotation temporarily when RHP Andrew Cashner returns from the DL. He's expected to make a rehab start next week.
Reds: CF Billy Hamilton is 6 for 31 (.193) in eight games since returning from a concussion.
UP NEXT
Padres: Luis Perdomo (2-2, 9.00 ERA) makes his fifth career start Sunday. He got a no-decision in his last outing, giving up six runs in five innings while fanning a career-high eight in San Diego's 10-7 win over Baltimore on Tuesday.
Reds: Anthony DeScalfani (1-0, 2.30 ERA) makes his fourth start since returning from a strained oblique suffered during spring training. He has thrown two quality starts in three outings.
