Kennedy tops Yankees in Padres debut
SAN DIEGO -- Ian Kennedy didn't allow a range of emotions to overwhelm him. They have been tugging at him, though, since Wednesday, when the Arizona Diamondbacks traded him to the San Diego Padres.
"The adrenaline got the best of me later on," Kennedy said Sunday after beating the New York Yankees 6-3 Sunday in his Padres debut. "Early on I started feeling it, trying to control it. A lot of things going on. First start against my old team that drafted me. Pitching in camouflage for the salute to the troops. It was a lot into it coming over here (from Arizona). I'm glad I got the first one out of the way."
Kennedy, who captured his first win since June 1 and snapped a career-worst, five-game losing streak, allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings before running out of gas. He finished with six strikeouts and four walks. Kennedy (4-8) beat the Yankees, the team that drafted him in 2006, for the first time.
"I thought he threw the ball well," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Really liked the use of the changeup and breaking ball. Good use of the fastball. I thought the mix of pitches were the key today for Ian. Kept them off-balance.
"Anytime you come to a new team, there is emotion and quite a bit of adrenaline. I think at the end it sort of ran out. I think he tired quicker than what you'll see in the future. I think that's what happened to him in the sixth inning.
"For him, it's been three days of a lot of emotions, getting traded and coming to a new club, but I thought he handled it well. I liked what I saw."
Closer Huston Street gave up a leadoff single to Eduardo Nunez and a walk to Austin Romine before striking out pinch hitter Vernon Wells in the ninth to earn his 21st save of the season.
The Padres (52-60) took two of three from the Yankees (57-53) in the weekend series.
"I thought we played good baseball. We played good fundamental baseball all the way around," Black said. "We caught the ball (and) our pitchers delivered when we needed to. We swung the bats. It was a great series for us."
New York starter Phil Hughes (4-10) was knocked out after 2 2/3 innings, having allowed five runs on six hits in 71 pitches (41 for strikes). Hughes, who has dropped eight of his past 10 decisions, walked three and struck out one.
"He didn't make pitches when he had to," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He has to make quality pitches."
Will Venable reached on a single to lead off the second inning, stole second, advanced to third on a single by Chris Denorfia and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mark Kotsay for a 1-0 Padres lead. Everth Cabrera delivered a two-run single to right with two outs in the inning to make it 3-0.
In the third, Denorfia's sac fly to center plated Alexi Amarista for a 4-0 advantage. Kotsay followed with an RBI single to center that scored Chase Headley and chased Hughes.
Headley added an RBI hit in the fourth to extend San Diego's lead to six runs.
Curtis Granderson, who was 1-for-1 with three walks, and Lyle Overbay produced RBI singles in the sixth to cut the Padres' lead to 6-2.
Romine hit his first major league home run, a solo shot to center off a 2-2 pitch from reliever Dale Thayer with one out in the seventh, to pull the Yankees to within three, but they got no closer.
Cabrera, who went 2-for-5 with a double and a run, might have appeared in his final game of the season. He is expected to be among the players receiving suspensions, possibly Monday, for his alleged involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. However, the All-Star shortstop believes he'll be playing Tuesday when the Padres host the Baltimore Orioles.
"I'm the kind of guy who doesn't want to miss (any) games," he said. "I love my team and I love this organization. They have my back. I love that."
NOTES: Yankees SS Derek Jeter didn't play for the second consecutive game as he tries to recover from injuries in his right leg that have plagued him for the past week. Jeter had an MRI exam Saturday, but the results weren't known. ... Padres LF Carlos Quentin didn't play for the fourth consecutive game as he deals with an ailing right knee. ... The Padres are off Monday before beginning a two-game series Tuesday with the Orioles. The Yankees visit Chicago for a three-game series with the White Sox starting Monday. ... The game drew a sellout crowd of 43,504 at Petco Park.
