SAN DIEGO — – Ryan McMahon hit a three-run homer Joe Musgrove and drove in five points for the Colorado Rockieswho beat John Soto and the San Diego Padres 7-3 on Thursday to avoid a five-game sweep.
The Padres didn’t give the crowd much to cheer about compared to Wednesday night, when a sold-out crowd gave Soto several standing ovations in his first game with San Diego since the blockbuster trade that left him. brought and Josh Bell from Washington on Tuesday. The Padres won that game 9-1 as a newcomer Brandon Dry hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw with the Padres.
Soto had a triple and a double and scored a run on Thursday. The 23-year-old superstar got a break on a triple off Kyle Freeland (7-7) leading the sixth when right fielder Charlie Blackman and central defender Jonathan Daza dropped his fly ball between them as Soto strolled around the bases. Bell chose Soto and eventually scored on Austin Howis single.
Soto doubled with two outs in the seventh and was blocked.
The Rockies took a 6-0 lead thanks mostly to McMahon, and the Padres weren’t close to closing the gap.
“Very easily with this crowd and with their guys, all the excitement there, the momentum could change pretty quickly,” McMahon said. “So to come in here, take the lead first and put six on them before they could score, that was huge.”
Freeland won his third straight start, limiting San Diego to two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked four. Freeland charged the bases with two outs in the fifth, then got Manny Machado fly to the left.
Musgrove (8-5) struggled in his first start since signing a five-year, $100 million contract on Monday and lost his fifth straight decision in seven starts. The big right-hander allowed six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, the first time this season he hasn’t gone five innings. He struck out six and walked one.
McMahon had a two-run double with two outs in the third and was ejected trying to take the third. His three-run home run with two out in the fifth gave the Rockies a 6-0 lead and chased Musgrove. It was his ninth home run. It came two hitters after José Iglesias hit an RBI double over the head of Soto on the right.
“It was good for Ryan,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “We’ve seen some good swings in a few games here. I like that the first hit was a fastball; he threw it, hit it in the corner. It’s a good sign, Mac is getting on the fastball. And then he got the break ball suspended for the three-point home run, which was a game-changer for us. Good for Mac.
Rockies left fielder Sam Hilliard made a bounding grab against the wall to deny Drury a two-run homer in the second.
NEXT
Rockies: RHP Germán Márquez (6-9, 5.29 ERA) set to start Friday night in Game 1 of a three-game Arizona series against LHP Madison Bumgarner (6-10, 3.83).
Padres: LHP Sean Manee (6-5, 4.25) is scheduled to start Friday night in Game 1 of a three-game series at Los Angeles Dodgerswho will counter with RHP Tony Gonsolin (12-1, 2.41).
——