Sports
Snell Shaky, Then Padres Bullpen Falters, As Braves Walk Off With 7-6 Win
The loss, in the Braves' home opener, was the first of a four-game series.
April 7, 2023
The Padres opened a seven-game road trip Thursday in Atlanta and came from behind twice before falling to the Braves 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth.
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The loss, in the Braves’ home opener, was the first of a four-game series.
Starter Blake Snell didn’t make it past the fourth inning, after giving up four runs and four walks.
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Matt Carpenter brought them back once, with a three-run home run, his first as a Padre, in the fourth. The Braves’ bullpen faltered in the eighth, with the score tied at 4-4, as former Padre Kirby Yates gave up two runs and San Diego took a 6-4 lead.
But the Padres bullpen didn’t hold either. Tim Hill gave up the tying runs in the Braves’ half of the eighth and Nabil Crismatt the go-ahead run on a walk-off single by Orlando Arcia, who had three hits and 2 RBIs on the night.
The Padres finished their season-opening home stand with a 3-3 record, having split a four-game set with the Rockies and two games with the Diamondbacks. That second series though provided a golden moment, a walk-off homer by Ha-Seong Kim.
The results were only middling, but newcomer Xander Bogaerts impressed, hitting .409 with three homers. He had had a hit in each game until Thursday, when he went 0-for-3 and hit into a double play.
The shortstop left the Boston Red Sox in December, signing an 11-year, $280 million deal.
Fans will be happy to know he’s long had a soft spot for Petco Park.
“My first All-Star game [was] here,” Bogaerts told MLB.com. “I’ve loved it ever since.”
Meanwhile, Jake Cronenworth has a contract extension, for seven years and $80 million, as reported by MLB.com. He has five hits, including two doubles, in seven games, but added his first homer of the year Thursday.
Nick Martinez takes the mound for the Padres against Jared Shuster at 4:20 p.m. Friday.
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