Schimpf sets Padres’ rookie record for homers in a month
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, July 27, 2016
The hot July for San Diego Padres infielder Ryan Schimpf has continued.
On Sunday in Washington, he set the Padres record for home runs in a calendar month by a rookie.
Schimpf, who lived in Bogalusa for part of his childhood and played youth baseball at several local fields, hit his ninth home run in July in Sunday’s 10-6 victory over the Nationals. The home run surpassed Jedd Gyorko’s mark of eight — a record that was set in 2013.
Schimpf tied Gyorko’s record when he pulled a no-doubter off the facing of the upper deck in right field at Nationals Park.
The two-run homer that came in the second inning went 382 feet off Max Scherzer on a 95 mph fastball and gave San Diego a 2-0 lead.
Washington eventually won the game, 3-2.
Schimpf also made a nice play in the field when he fielded a slow bouncing ball and glove flipped to the shortstop with his momentum going toward second to get a force out to end the second inning.
On Sunday, Schimpf flexed his muscles once again when he hit a 92 mph pitch out to straightaway centerfield. Schimpf was part of a back-to-back duo to go deep. Alex Dickerson pulled the Padres to within one run with a homer before Schimpf tied the contest off of Shawn Kelley.
Schimpf’s second home run in as many days traveled 417 feet.
San Diego won that game, 10-6.
Going into Tuesday’s game, Schimpf was hitting .302 with nine homers and 16 RBIs for the month. He had four doubles and one triple to go with a .389 on-base percentage.
This season, Schimpf, who was called up in mid-June, is hitting .239 with nine home runs, 17 RBIs, six doubles and a triple. Sixteen of his 22 hits have been for extra bases. His on-base percentage is .355.
Defensively, he has played 25 games at second and three at third and he’s been solid. Schimpf has a .973 fielding percentage with three errors over 110 chances through Monday’s action. He’s also been involved in 13 double plays.