Who Got The Loss?

When I reviewed the crazy 18-inning affair between the Padres and Diamondbacks from yesterday, I missed a few points that Yahoo!'s Big League Stew picked up. But one, huge one in particular: the guy who got the loss, Josh Wilson, was a position player. Even more nuts, he came within one strike of actually getting out of the 18th inning without giving up a run. And it wasn't so unlikely that he would get that last strike since the man he was facing, Mark Reynolds, who leads the league in strikeouts, also set the major-league record for whiffs in a season, 204, in 2008.

So it ended up that the Padres were out of relievers and had to turn to their backup shortstop who got charged with the loss. More tidbits from Big League Stew:

 

• After the Padres used up their relievers, starter Chad Gaudin — who took the loss in Friday's series opener — got in some "side" work by pitching the 16th and 17th.

• Four D-backs relievers no-hit the Padres for nine extra innings. Leo Rosales came in with a 6.94 ERA, but pitched the final 3 1/3 innings for the victory.

• Arizona manager A.J. Hinch figured the D-backs were good for 22 innings before needing to use a position player on the mound.

• The pitching staffs combined for 29 strikeouts and 16 walks.

• The Padres left only seven men on base (the D-backs stranded 16).

• Henry Blanco, one of the Padres catchers, played third base in the 18th.

• Padres infielder Chris Burke made the game's only error.

• Both starting catchers — San Diego's Nick Hundley and Arizona's Miguel Montero — played the whole game behind the plate.

• The Padres have played the two longest games in the majors this season; they took 5 hours, 14 minutes to beat Cincinnati 6-5 in 16 innings on May 16.

• Arizona's Justin Upton left the game in the 10th after aggravating an injury to his left shoulder.

• Edgar Gonzalez had the only multi-hit game for the Padres, going 2-for-7. Brian Giles (0-for-6) was the only starter (other than the pitcher) to go hitless, but Chase Headley (1-for-8) stuck out five times.

• Wilson entered the game at shortstop in the top of the 12th.

• He was claimed off waivers from the D-backs on May 14. Three days earlier, the D-backs used the 28-year-old right-hander in relief. He pitched a hitless inning of mop-up duty in a 13-5 loss against the Reds.

• Wilson's first relief career appearance — a scoreless inning — came in 2007 for the Devil Rays.

• Wilson's line: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, HR. ERA: 13.50. WHIP: 2.50. He also went 0-for-3 with a strikeout, dropping his batting average to .164.