Joe Musgrove pitched for seven innings for the first time since July 4, and Xander Bogaerts hit a home run for the San Diego Padres. They defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Sunday, avoiding a three-game sweep.
Musgrove, drafted by the Blue Jays in 2011, improved his record to 4-0 against his former team. Despite giving up solo home runs to Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement, Musgrove performed well, allowing only three runs on five hits. He struck out three batters and issued no walks.
“I always feel a bit of an edge when facing the team that drafted me,” Musgrove said. “Although I never got the chance to debut with them, I wanted to perform well today for my current team.”
The Padres ended a three-game losing streak and prevented the Blue Jays from securing their first sweep of the season.
Musgrove received solid defensive support, particularly from right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who made two impressive catches. Tatis, known for his defensive prowess, made a spectacular leaping catch to end the eighth inning and a sliding catch earlier in the game.
Manager Mike Shildt praised Tatis, calling his defensive performance “routine greatness.” Tatis emphasized the importance of playing strong defense to support the team’s pitchers.