Bats quiet as Red Sox power to 5-2 win over Padres
Credit: AP Photo
The Padres made their first trip to Boston since 2024, but were unable to play spoiler on the Red Sox’s home opener.
Michael King, the New England native, made the start for San Diego. King was coming off a five-inning outing against the Tigers, allowing one unearned run.
The Padres’ starter fared well to open the game, as he cruised through the first two innings of the game. The bottom of the lineup was able to break through for Boston in the third inning, as San Diego native Marcelo Mayer led off the inning with a double. Ceddeanne Rafaela brought in Mayer on a one-out single, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. With the top of the order coming up, the inning had every chance to roll over, but King stymied the threat by retiring Roman Anthony and Trevor Story.
San Diego’s lineup was silent over the first four innings against Sonny Gray. Gavin Sheets recorded the Padres’ first hit on a pop-up to the infield, but was left stranded at second base in the third inning. Gray was effective across this stretch, getting seven of 12 outs on the infield. Boston added a run in the fourth inning after a leadoff double from Jarren Duran in the fourth. King struck out Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, sitting 93.9 to 95.1 mph on his fastball among those two batters. However, Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin broke out of a funk by lining a 2-0 sinker from King to center field, scoring Duran and extending the Boston lead to 2-0.
Durbin brings home Duran! pic.twitter.com/9DATe9a3d5
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 3, 2026
Miguel Andujar provided San Diego with a spark in the fifth, as he hit a one-out sun-assisted triple out to center field, giving the Padres their second runner in scoring position all game. It was an unlikely event for the Padres’ DH, who came into the contest with all of six career triples across parts of eight seasons in MLB. Gavin Sheets then lined a 101.2 mph single to right field, scoring Andujar and trimming the deficit to one run.
After Gray retired, Jake Cronenworth and Luis Campusano stepped up to the plate with the tying run on. Campusano did something he had not done since 2024, as the Padres catcher turned on a middle-middle sinker from Gray out to left-center. The ball hit off the Green Monster, allowing Gavin Sheets to score from first. It was Campusano’s first hit since August 31, 2024, and his first extra-base hit since August 17, 2024.
Gone Camping. pic.twitter.com/lrx8tK8X5C
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 3, 2026
The game was now tied, and Boston threatened with one out in the bottom of the fifth. With one on and one out, Trevor Story grounded a sinker up the middle. Jake Cronenworth made a diving stop before getting up and turning the double play on his own, throwing to first after recording the out at second base.
Don’t they know they can’t hit it to the Crone Zone? pic.twitter.com/ft2BNtrWXK
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 3, 2026
Despite this, the momentum did not carry over to the bats, as the Padres went 1-2-3 against Gray in the sixth. Michael King went back out for the sixth inning and picked up the first out, but Willson Contreras crushed a first-pitch sinker out of Fenway Park to give the Red Sox a lead. King lasted all of two more batters, getting the second out before being lifted with Marcelo Mayer coming up.
King was responsible for the runner on first, and that runner would come in to score. Wandy Peralta entered and threw Mayer a low sinker inside, but Mayer got just enough of it to send it into the Padres bullpen. How close was the homer? Well, Fernando Tatis Jr just missed the catch as he leaped, and Boston now led 5-2.
Fernando Tatis Jr just missed that one and Marcelo Mayer has his first home run of the season!
(Via @RedSox) pic.twitter.com/UpU7fRpNlK
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 3, 2026
The Red Sox bullpen took over from where Gray left off, and they held the Padres’ lineup at bay. How effective was the Boston bullpen? They allowed no hits, and the only barreled ball allowed was on the final out, as Aroldis Chapman retired Ramon Laureano on a 96.7 mph flyout to right field, earning the Red Sox a win in their home opener.
The Padres continue the series Saturday at 1:10 pm Pacific. Randy Vasquez starts for San Diego against Boston’s No. 3 prospect, Connelly Early.
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.