Fernando Tatís Jr. and slugging Padres pound A’s
OAKLAND, Calif. – The San Diego Padres were far too powerful and beat the Athletics at their own home run game with Oakland searching to rediscover its rhythm after an unplanned layoff.
Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado hit backto-back homers in the seventh inning, and the Padres pounded Oakland 7-0 on Friday night as the A’s returned to the field from a four-game postponement following a positive coronavirus test.
Tatís matched Mike Trout for the majors’ home run lead at 14 and finished with three RBIs.
“Without looking at the entire league I can’t imagine anyone else being as productive,” manager Jayce Tingler said. “But I will say there’s other guys on our team that are tre
mendously productive. ... Tatís, the thing I’m most excited about for him is the continued growth.”
Padres catching prospect Luis Campusano homered in the eighth for his first major league hit after the 21-year-old was called up before the game.
Tatís returned to the leadoff spot and hit a tworun double moments after Trent Grisham’s double put the Padres on the board in the decisive fifth. Eric Hosmer added an RBI single that inning, chasing A’s starter Jesús Luzardo (2-2).
Right-hander Zach Davies (6-2) struck out five over seven scoreless innings to win his fourth straight start.
“It’s been a few days since the live at-bats and Davies is a guy, he nibbles around the zone,” Oakland’s Matt Olson said. “He’s not a guy out there throwing upper 90s. He’s out there doing what he has to do to get outs. He’s a big location guy. He just stayed off the barrel a little bit today.”
The Padres won a challenge in the bottom of the fourth when Olson initially was ruled safe at the plate on Robbie Grossman’s double – beating a tag by Austin Nola – that would have put Oakland ahead 1-0. Both sides considered that a key momentum swing.
“I think that was kind of
PADRES/C4