Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth hit consecutive home runs, while Dylan Cease pitched well for 6 2/3 innings as the San Diego Padres clinched their third consecutive victory, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Friday night.
Manny Machado also contributed with a two-run homer, while Cronenworth had a strong performance with three extra-base hits, including two doubles.
The Padres displayed a strong offensive performance on the same day they received news about a potential addition to their lineup. There are talks of the Padres acquiring Luis Arráez, a two-time batting champion, from the Marlins.
Padres manager Mike Shildt expressed his excitement about the prospect of adding Arráez to the team, emphasizing the need for more offensive firepower and a left-handed batter to balance the lineup. However, Shildt clarified that nothing has been finalized yet.
The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, continued their struggle in series openers, extending their losing streak to 10 consecutive series openers after their victory on opening day against the Colorado Rockies.
Despite a strong start by D-backs pitcher Slade Cecconi, who retired the first nine batters he faced, he faced difficulties in the fourth inning. The Padres capitalized on this, with Jurickson Profar drawing a walk followed by Tatis’ home run, his seventh of the season.
Cronenworth then added another homer to extend the Padres’ lead to 3-0, while rookie Jackson Merrill broke his 0-for-20 slump with an RBI double, further solidifying the Padres’ lead at 4-0.
Cronenworth didn’t have a great season in 2023, but he’s been performing much better in the first month of this season, resembling the hitter he was when he made the All-Star team in 2021 and 2022. He currently has a batting average of .279 with six home runs and 25 RBIs.
This was Cronenworth’s second consecutive game with a home run. He hit a grand slam in the team’s 6-2 win over the Reds on Wednesday.
Manager Shildt praised Cronenworth’s performance, highlighting his right approach and swing, which has allowed him to hit the ball to various parts of the field without overdoing it. On the other hand, Cecconi struggled and couldn’t make it past the fifth inning, giving up six runs over 4 1/3 innings.
The Padres’ three home runs provided strong support for Cease (4-2), who pitched well, allowing only one run on three hits while striking out eight batters. He didn’t issue any walks.
Machado extended the lead to 7-0 in the fifth inning with a two-run homer to left center off reliever Matt Bowman. The ball came off Machado’s bat at a speed of 111.7 mph.
