Big seventh lifts Padres over Giants in Petco Park opener
Jake Cronenworth’s tworun double highlighted a four-run seventh inning for the San Diego Padres, who beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4 on Thursday to spoil Bob Melvin’s return to San Diego.
While it was opening day for the Giants, the Padres began the season by splitting a two-game series last week against the Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea.
Melvin managed the Padres for the last two seasons before leaving for the Giants with a year left on his contract. He skippered the Padres into the 2022 NL Championship Series and then presided over a disappointing season that included reports of an irreparable relationship with general manager A.J. Preller. He was replaced by Mike Shildt.
Jung Hoo Lee hit a goahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning of his first big league game to put the Giants ahead 3-2 in the seventh.
But the Padres responded in the bottom of the inning. Luis Campusano hit a leadoff single and took third on Tyler Wade’s single to right. Campusano scored on catcher Patrick Bailey’s errant throw when Wade stole second. Xander Bogaerts hit a go-ahead RBI single two batters ahead of Cronenworth’s double.
Lee singled in the fifth for his first big league hit. He played seven seasons in Korea before signing a $113 million, six-year contract with the Giants. Nick Ahmed hit a tying RBI single ahead of Lee in the seventh.
Padres newcomer Yuki Matsui (1-0) got the win and Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his second save. He gave up Michael Conforto’s home run for his third hit. Padres ace Yu Darvish allowed one run and five hits while striking out seven and walking one in his second start this season.
Luke Jackson (0-1) left with an injury in the seventh after facing three batters and failing to get an out.
Giants starter Logan Webb allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.
There was a moment of silence for owner Peter Seidler, who died on Nov. 14 at age 63. His widow, Sheel, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
National League
REDS 8, NATIONALS 2 >> Nick Martini homered twice and drove in five runs in his first opening-day start, Frankie Montas pitched six shutout innings as the Reds beat the Nationals in Cincinnati.
Martini, a 33-year-old designated hitter with his fourth major league team since 2018, hit a two-run homer in the second inning and a three-run shot in the third for a 7-0 lead off Josiah Gray (0-1). Martino became the first Cincinnati player to hit two homers on opening day since Adam Dunn in 2007.
Montas (1-0) allowed four hits in six innings, striking out four and walking none.
American League
YANKEES 5, ASTROS 4 >> Juan Soto threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth inning of his Yankees debut after starting New York’s comeback from a four-run deficit in a season-opening win over the Astros in Houston. Oswaldo Cabrera homered and Aaron Judge doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Yankees went ahead.
Mauricio Dubón and Yordan Alvarez singled off Clay Holmes to give the Astros two on with one out in the ninth. Kyle Tucker lined a single to right and Soto, an All-star acquired from San Diego in a December trade, made a one-hop throw slightly up the thirdbase line. Catcher Jose Trevino made a sweep tag and caught Dubón’s left arm just before the runner’s finger touched the plate. Umpire James Hoye’s call was upheld in a video review.
Alex Bregman grounded into a forceout as Holmes got the save.
BLUE JAYS 8, RAYS 2 >> George Springer, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered to lead Toronto to a season-opening victory over Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Alejandro Kirk and Bo Bichette drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who scored five times in the sixth inning after being limited to one hit — Springer’s solo homer in the fourth — off Rays starter Zach Eflin (0-1) through five innings.
José Berríos (1-0), making his second openingday start for the Blue Jays and fourth overall, allowed two runs and six hits over six innings. He gave up a leadoff homer to Yandy Díaz on his fifth pitch of the day and also yielded a RBI double to the defending AL batting champion in the sixth.
TWINS 4, ROYALS 1 >> Pablo
Lopez allowed one run over seven innings, Royce Lewis homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals in Kansas City, Mo.
Carlos Correa added three hits and two RBIS to back a near-peerless performance by Lopez, who picked up where he left off last postseason for the defending AL Central Division champs. The righthander allowed four hits and struck out seven without a walk in his first opening-day start.
The lone run Lopez (10) allowed was a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he faced.
Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.
Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and two walks.
TIGERS 1, WHITE SOX 0 >>
Tarik Skubal pitched six innings of three-hit ball and Detroit opened a promising season on a winning note, beating the White Sox in Chicago.
Skubal and three relievers combined to retire the final 17 batters. The White Sox did not advance past first base and wasted a terrific start by Garrett Crochet.
Javier Báez singled and scored on Andy Ibáñez’s sacrifice fly in the third. The Tigers finished with six hits.
Crochet tossed six sparkling innings in his first professional start, allowing one run and five hits. The 24-year-old left-hander struck out eight and walked none.
FRANCO PLACED ON LEAVE >>
Tampa Bay All-star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association while the investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor.