Shortstop Choi ignites four-run eighth with RBI double against Padres

real time posted: Thursday, March 12, 2009 2:10:00 PM

PADRES 10, KOREA 4
at Peoria, Ariz.
Wednesday, March 11

Padres at the plate: Brian Giles is showing no ill effects from the strained left quadriceps injury that kept him from games for a week. The Padres right fielder had two hits and drove in two runs. Teammate Chase Headley chased Korean starter Kwang-Hyun Kim with a two-run double off the wall in center field in the third inning. Headley added another two-run double in the fourth. Kyle Blanks reached base twice and had an RBI double in a six-run fourth inning. Cliff Floyd added two hits, as did Jody Gerut.

Korea at the plate: The Koreans managed only two hits over the first seven innings, one being a bad-hop infield single. Jeong Choi, Taek Lee and Young Min Ko all had RBI doubles in the eighth inning against Padres reliever Ivan Nova.

Padres on the mound: Starting pitcher Kevin Correia helped his bid to win a spot in the starting rotation as he limited Korea to one hit and one walk over four innings. Correia pounded the strike zone early and finished with five strikeouts in his best outing of the spring. Wade LeBlanc followed with three shutout innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts.

Korea on the mound: Kim allowed three runs, all in the third inning, on five hits in his 2 2/3 innings of work. Kim struck out two and walked one. Relievers Min Han Son and Seung Ho Lee didn't fare well as they combined to allow six runs while managing to get just two outs. Jae Woo Lee was the lone bright spot, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief.

Cactus League records: The Padres' record in Cactus League play remains unchanged at 3-6-2.

Up next: The Padres return to Cactus League play on Thursday with a game in Phoenix against Milwaukee. Josh Geer, who is attempting to win a spot in the starting rotation, gets to the start. Geer will go four innings for the Padres before giving way to Cla Meredith, Chris Britton, Chad Reineke, Matt Buschmann and Cesar Carrillo. Korea will play one more game in Arizona -- on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers -- before heading to San Diego for the second round of the World Baseball Classic.