Everything San Diego

Myers, Kim lift Padres over Braves in series opener

Jonny Richardson - May 13, 2022

Myers, Kim lift Padres over Braves in series opener - Everything San Diego

After a disappointing series loss to the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres opened a nine-game road trip with the Atlanta Braves. After home runs in back-to-back innings and a couple lead changes between, the Padres got the series-opening win.

Yu Darvish worked the first five innings giving up just two runs, but he could not finish a sixth inning, throwing 99 pitches in 5 ⅔ frames and striking out four batters. After reliever Robert Suarez inherited two runners with two outs in the sixth, he gave up a go-ahead three-run home run from Dansby Swanson. Darvish finished his start with five earned runs and nine hits allowed.

Jose Azocar opened the scoring in the third inning, hitting a sacrifice fly that scored Ha-Seong Kim and gave the Padres a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Manny Machado was intentionally walked to load the bases for Eric Hosmer, who hit a two-run single that re-took the lead for San Diego, 3-1. Wil Myers added his first home run in the sixth to make it a 4-2 game.

After San Diego pitching allowed a four-run sixth that gave the Braves a 6-4 lead, Hosmer and Myers singled to set up a three-run shot by Kim, his fourth of the season. Myers hit a sac fly and Grisham hit a pinch-hit, bases-clearing double that added four insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Grisham ended his 0-for-15 stretch with the three-run double off the bench in the ninth inning.

Padres’ reliever Luis Garcia threw a shutout seventh and Steven Wilson got the first two outs of the eighth before closer Taylor Rogers earned his league-leading 13th save, the first four-out save of the season.

Hosmer (.377 BA) re-took the league batting average lead from Machado (.371 BA) who was the only Padres hitter to not record a hit, going 0-for-4 with a walk. Hosmer and Machado have a considerable gap with Boston Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts at .347 for third in the league.

Myers hit his first home run since Sept. 4, 2021, the most games (40) without a home run since a 41-game stretch between Aug. 23, 2014, and Apr. 17, 2015. His 18 games before the first home run of a season is the longest of his career.

Up next: Lefty Sean Manaea (2-3, 3.75 ERA) faces right-handed veteran Charlie Morton (2-3, 5.65 ERA) in the middle game of the three-game set between the Padres and Braves. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. PT at Truist Park, Atlanta, Ga. on Bally Sports SD or FS1.