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"My family drove 18 hours from Mazatlan to be here," right-hander Walter Silva said Wednesday night after allowing two runs on five hits in five innings against the Dodgers at Petco Park.
Invited to spring training on the initial recommendation of brothers Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez, Silva admitted he felt the pressure of being on a major league mound after years of year-round baseball in the Mexican summer and winter leagues.
"My legs were shaking a little bit," Silva said. "I was thinking, 'Man, I'm here.' In the first inning, I was kind of nervous. Then I got into the game. I threw more pitches than I would usually."
Silva gave up a leadoff double to Rafael Furcal and a run in the first. Casey Blake then homered off Silva in the second. But he worked three scoreless innings and departed with the game tied.
"He's got composure, an idea of what he wants to do," Padres manager Bud Black said of Silva. "Stuff wise, it was pretty much what we've seen, although he got a couple fastballs up to Furcal and Blake.
"I like the slider and assortment of pitches."
DODGERS 5, PADRES 2: Manny Ramirez one-hopped a two-run double to the wall in right off reliever Edward Mujica, then scored on a single by James Loney as the Dodgers scored three runs in a weird seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie. Ramirez's double came just after Cla Meredith misread a Bud Black signal to his infielders during a meeting with Mujica on the mound. Meredith trotted in from the bullpen only to learn Black wanted Mujica to face Ramirez. Perhaps Meredith should have stayed.
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