Padres, Pomeranz prance past Reds
CINCINNATI -- Drew Pomeranz starred at the plate and on the mound, hitting a homer, driving in two runs and pitching seven shutout innings, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
Pomeranz (7-7) allowed three hits as the Padres took the first three games of the four-game weekend series.
San Diego (33-43) hasn't lost a season series against the Reds since 2012, going 15-6 against them since.
After becoming the first team in franchise history to score a run in each of the first eight innings on Friday night, the Padres picked up right where they left off by scoring a run in the first inning on Saturday when Travis Jankowski doubled and later scored on a groundout to go ahead 1-0.
Reds starter Brandon Finnegan allowed two hits and a run in the first but then held San Diego hitless for the next 3 2/3 innings.
Finnegan retired seven straight before Pomeranz of all people launched a 1-1 pitch into the right field stands for his second career homer, putting the Padres ahead 2-0 in the fifth.
It was Pomeranz's first homer since May 7, 2012, while with the Colorado Rockies, and it came against the Padres.
For the Reds, it was the first hit allowed to an opposing pitcher this season.
A one-out single in the first by Joey Votto was the only hit given up by Pomeranz until Brandon Phillips doubled leading off the fourth. But he was erased attempting to steal.
Pomeranz retired the Reds in order in the second, fifth, and sixth.
He delivered again at the plate in the seventh, driving home Derek Norris from second to make the score 3-0.
Finnegan (3-6) allowed three runs, five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
It could have been a bigger seventh inning for San Diego, but Ross Ohlendorf fanned Matt Kemp to leave the bases loaded. Reds outfielder Jay Bruce ended the eighth by throwing out Alexi Amarista attempting to tag and score from third.
But Pomeranz continued his dominance, retiring the final 11 batters he faced. He walked one and struck out six.
Fernando Rodney picked up his 17th save of the season.
NOTES: Cincinnati was shut out for the sixth time this season. ... It was the fifth shutout this season for Padres pitching. ... When San Diego scored a run in the first eight innings on Friday night, it became the first club in franchise history to do so. The only other team in the last 10 seasons with such a game is the Detroit Tigers in 2014 against the Rockies. ... Padres CF Jon Jay will not play in the series after being hit on the forearm by a pitch last Sunday. ... Pete Rose, baseball's career hits leader who is banned for gambling on the game, was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony.