Tampa Bay blows out Padres
Lucchesi doesn’t get through 5, relievers struggle
SAN DIEGO — Avisaíl García had a two-run home run among his three hits and Matt Duffy had four hits and three RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays, who benefited from a Padres bullpen meltdown in a 10-4 victory Monday night in their first game in San Diego since 2004.
The Rays, currently holding the second AL wild-card spot, won their fourth game in a row overall and their eighth straight on the road.
Tampa Bay’s only other visit to San Diego was as the first AL team to play at Petco Park, sweeping a series from June 15-17, 2004. The Rays have won eight straight in the series.
Travis d’Arnaud walked with one out in the first and with two outs, García drove the first pitch he saw from left-hander Joey Lucchesi (7-7) into the seats in left field, his 17th.
García doubled and scored in the three-run seventh against reliever Trey Wingenter.
Duffy’s RBI infield single in the third broke a 2-2 tie and he added a two-run double in the seventh. The Rays added four more runs off Carl Edwards Jr. in the eighth.
Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier made a spectacular catch at the top of the wall of a drive by Francisco Mejia to end the eighth.
San Diego backup second baseman Ian Kinsler pitched the ninth, allowing a single, walking two and hitting a batter, but not allowing a run. He was backed by a double play started by rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.
Kinsler hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.
Rays opener Diego Castillo allowed an unearned run in the first inning and Austin Pruitt (2-0) followed by holding San Diego to one run and five hits in
four innings while striking out four and walking none.
Tatis, the Padres’ leadoff hitter, reached on third baseman Duffy’s error, advanced on two groundouts and scored on Eric Hosmer’s double off Castillo.
The Padres tied it in the second when Lucchesi singled to center to bring in Manuel Margot, who hit a leadoff double and advanced on a passed ball.
The Rays went ahead 3-2 in the third when Duffy beat out an infield single brought in Heredia, who drew a leadoff walk and took third on García’s single to right.
Lucchesi allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, struck out six and walked three.
AIR BEBO
Tatis, the 6-foot-3 rookie shortstop known to his family as “Bebo,” made a sensational leaping catch of Jesus Aguilar’s screaming line drive for the second out in the third. Tatis’ father was a major league infielder for 11 seasons.
UP NEXT
Rays: Rookie LHP Brendan McKay (2-2, 4.55) is scheduled to start Tuesday night and face an NL team for the first time. He did serve as the DH in his second game, going 0 for 4 against Baltimore on July 1.
Padres: LHP Eric Lauer (6-8, 4.51) will face the Rays for the first time.