Padres play inspired by good news in 7-1 drubbing of D-backs
Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Chase Field- Phoenix, AZ
The Padres and Diamondbacks kicked off their first series against one another on Friday.
The NL West rivals will play each other 13 times this season. If the Padres have hopes of snagging one of the three Wild Card spots open in the National League, it’s best if they gain an edge by beating the likes of the defending National League Champion Diamondbacks.
Padres fans got exciting news right before the game began, with reports that San Diego had acquired All-Star and former batting champion Luis Arraez from the Marlins. It seemed like the Padres’ offense played inspired on Friday night. The offense exploded, and the pitching kept Arizona at bay for a resounding 7-1 win.
Dylan Cease, San Diego’s best starting pitcher at the moment, took the hill for the Padres. The home Diamondbacks countered with Slade Cecconi, making just his 10th career MLB appearance.
Cecconi kept the Padres bats in check out of the gates, with three scoreless innings to open the game.
The Friar bats woke up in the fourth. Following a Jurickson Profar walk, Fernando Tatis Jr. launched a two-run homer, his seventh of the season. That broke the ice and gave the Padres a 2-0 lead. They weren’t done. Jake Cronenworth then stepped up and smacked a homer of his own, his second straight game with a homer. The back-to-back dingers gave San Diego a 3-0 lead.
MY GOODNESS, Fernando Tatis Jr. 😲 pic.twitter.com/fst0Los9yO
— MLB (@MLB) May 4, 2024
After Manny Machado reached second, Jackson Merrill lined a double to score him, pushing the lead to four. The Padres added on in the fifth, with Machado launching a two-run homer of his own. That gave the Padres a seven-run lead.
Cease allowed a run in the bottom of the fifth after a double by Joc Pederson and a run-scoring single by Eugenio Suarez. However, Cease induced a double-play to kill the momentum and squash the rally to keep the score at 7-1.
Manny Machado goes yard to put the 7th run on the board for the @Padres! pic.twitter.com/huuRA3EZJO
— MLB (@MLB) May 4, 2024
From there, Cease largely dominated for 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run while striking out eight. Jeremiah Estrada and Jhony Brito finished up the game from the bullpen with scoreless outings.
Both Tatis and Cronenworth collected three hits on the night, while the team hit three total homers.
The Padres have now won three straight on the heels of a five-game losing streak. They are now just one game below .500, with the exciting news of an All-Star acquisition to boost the good mood further.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.