ARLINGTON -- With his distinctive, herky-jerky delivery, Padres rookie lefty Joey Lucchesi turned in four smooth, shutout innings against the Rangers on Monday in his second start since returning from a hip injury that sidelined him for more than a month.
Unfortunately for the Padres, they still had five innings remaining to try to hang onto the advantage Lucchesi entrusted the bullpen with, due to his limited pitch count. Relegated to a seat on the bench, Lucchesi watched his successors squander the lead in a 7-4 loss at Globe Life Park.
After a messy return from the DL in Oakland on June 20, when he allowed four runs in only 1 2/3 innings, Lucchesi was more effective Monday.