HEADLINE

Machado, Padres use 3-run 1st to sink Red Sox

Field Level Media

August 25, 2019 at 11:26 pm.

Manny Machado capped a three-run first inning with a franchise-record-setting home run Sunday as the San Diego Padres defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox 3-1 to avoid being swept in a three-game series at Petco Park.

Machado’s homer was the 190th hit by the Padres this season, eclipsing the club’s former single-season record of 189 set in 2017.

Left-handed starter Joey Lucchesi (9-7) and four Padres relievers held the Red Sox to a run — which came on J.D. Martinez third homer in three games — on five hits.

Lucchesi gave up the run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings. He hadn’t allowed a hit until Martinez launched his 31st homer of the season — a 411-foot drive that landed on the upper balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field — with two out in the fourth inning.

Closer Kirby Yates picked up his major league-leading 37th save a day after serving up a game-losing homer in a non-save situation. He had two strikeouts in a perfect ninth Sunday.

But the best effort from the bullpen was turned in by 20-year-old rookie Andres Munoz in the eighth. A bloop single and a fielding error by Machado put Red Sox on first and second with none out. After getting Rafael Devers to ground into a double play, Munoz struck out Martinez to end the inning with the tying runs on.

Craig Stammen and Luis Perdomo each worked a scoreless inning ahead of Munoz.

The Red Sox’s decision to start left-hander Brian Johnson got off to a miserable start.

Padres center fielder Manuel Margot opened the bottom of the first with the first of his two doubles. Margot stole third and scored on Francisco Mejia’s single to left. Machado followed with his 27th homer of the season to give the Padres a 3-0 lead before a hitter had been retired.

The Padres, who snapped a four-game losing streak, didn’t score again and had only two hits after the game’s first three hitters. They also had four runners thrown out on the basepaths, including one at home and one at third with no one out.

It was a costly loss for the Red Sox, who would have moved to within five games of a wild-card spot with a sweep in San Diego.

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