San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado felt like he was transported back in time to his minor league days after the final out of Monday night’s 5-4 win over the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
“Everyone’s walking out to the outfield,” he said, referring to the fact the clubhouses at Sutter Health Park are behind the outfield fence. “It’s kind of weird.”
What’s not been weird for San Diego is winning. Off to a 9-2 start, it will try to keep the roll going Tuesday night when it continues its three-game series with the Athletics.
The series opener was noteworthy for several reasons. The Padres won while giving center fielder Jackson Merrill his first night off of the season after he experienced tightness in both legs. Merrill could be back in the lineup as soon as Tuesday night.
Secondly, nearly all of San Diego’s production came from the top of the order. Its top four hitters accounted for seven of its nine hits and all five RBIs. That included a pair of hits for Fernando Tatis Jr., including a towering homer in the seventh inning that landed on the roof of the Athletics’ clubhouse beyond the left field wall.
“I just like the fact that he’s getting his pitches and using the whole field,” manager Mike Shildt said of Tatis. “He’s not doing too much and taking his walks. If Fernando keeps doing this, you’re going to see what he’s doing right now.”
The Padres will run Dylan Cease (1-0, 3.38 ERA) to the mound for his third start. He’s coming off a 5-2 win Wednesday over Cleveland that saw him last 6 1/3 innings and allow just a run on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Cease is 3-1 with a 4.28 ERA in six starts against the Athletics.
While San Diego looks to keep winning, the Athletics are trying for their first win in their new digs.
After being swept last week by the Chicago Cubs and getting outscored 35-9, they rallied from an early 4-0 deficit on Monday night and actually outhit the Padres 10-9 but fell short anyway.
Manager Mark Kotsay wants to give the fans in California’s capital city something for which to cheer.
“There’s a lot of excitement to bring Major League Baseball to this part of California,” he said. “To have people want to be a part of it, that’s a great sign for us. I do think the city is excited.”
Excitement is one thing but wins are another.
While the Athletics have assembled a young lineup with plenty of power — Tyler Soderstrom’s two homers Monday tie him with the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge for the MLB home run lead with six — their pitching staff continues to give up the long ball at a frightful clip.
Luis Severino surrendered two more homers Monday night, giving him four in his two starts in Sacramento.
Left-hander Jeffrey Springs (1-1, 4.00) will try to keep the ball in the park for the Athletics. He’s coming off a 10-2 loss to the Cubs Wednesday, when he allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in three innings.
Springs is 0-1 in two career outings against San Diego, yielding five runs in 2 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
