SAN DIEGO — The first sign that this was going to be a long and strange afternoon at Petco Park popped up early, off the bat of the young Philadelphia outfielder Matt Vierling. When in the world did anybody think the sun would trip up a San Diego team playing at home?
But that’s what happened to the Padres in the second inning of Game 2 of their National League Championship Series against Philadelphia, a damaging inning that threatened to betray them in their own house and deposit them into a dangerous hole.
Good thing they still had the entire afternoon ahead of them.