SAN DIEGO -- The A's greeted Joey Lucchesi rudely on Wednesday afternoon, as the rookie left-hander made his long-awaited return from the disabled list. They weren't especially welcome guests in San Diego at all this week.
On Sunday night, the Padres returned from a tricky 10-game trip with a renewed sense of optimism following series victories in Miami and St. Louis. By the end of Wednesday's 12-4 defeat at Petco Park, that optimism was squashed, courtesy of two tough losses to Oakland -- each painful in its own way.
The Padres came one strike short on Tuesday, when Stephen Piscotty turned around a Brad Hand fastball for a game-tying homer in the ninth.