Padres crush Braves in home opener

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Musgrove had been nervous about Thursday evening ever since supervisor Bob Melvin instructed the large right-hander throughout spring coaching that he was going to start out the house opener for his hometown Padres.

It was all value it when Musgrove walked off the mound with two outs within the seventh inning to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 44,844 at Petco Park.

“Attending to open up in entrance of your hometown, a full stadium, particularly when baseball is as thrilling as it’s in San Diego, it’s every thing I dreamed of,” Musgrove mentioned after the Padres routed the defending World Collection champion Atlanta Braves 12-1.

Musgrove pitched brilliantly and had loads of assist from an offense that had been considerably torpid opening the season. Manny Machado homered and tied his profession excessive with 5 hits, and rookie C.J. Abrams hit his first homer for San Diego.

As the underside of the sixth dragged on, Melvin instructed Musgrove he didn’t assume he wanted to return on the market. Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, wished to remain within the sport.

“He mentioned, ‘What if I offer you two hitters after which pull you out and see if we are able to get you a little bit ovation,’” Musgrove mentioned. “I mentioned I’m up for that. My focus was simply getting these first two guys.”

Not lengthy after the group gave Musgrove an ovation, it roared after Machado hit a two-run homer with two outs within the backside of the inning, his first.

Machado went 5 for five, scored 4 runs, had two RBIs and stole two bases. Eric Hosmer had 4 hits whereas new designated hitter Luke Voit drove in three runs. Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies homered main off the ninth, his second.

Musgrove’s begin got here a yr and 5 days after he threw the primary no-hitter in franchise historical past, at Texas in his second begin with the Padres.

Musgrove (1-0) held the Braves to 4 hits, struck out six and walked none. It was the primary time in his seven-year profession that he earned a begin in a house opener.

Musgrove mentioned he was confused earlier within the day and his girlfriend was upset that he wasn’t speaking together with her within the morning as a result of he was “simply making an attempt to get myself in the appropriate head house.

“It’s an excellent feeling to have the help of a complete metropolis, however we additionally really feel a little bit bit extra stress when everybody’s reaching out and everybody’s pulling for you and everybody’s coming to look at you,” Musgrove mentioned. “It was good to have a little bit bit of pleasure from the offense and a number of the different guys on the staff to take a little bit little bit of that off.”

Mentioned Melvin: “For at some point, that’s about as good a day as you’ll be able to have, with a full home, opening day, Joe on the mound, Manny, Hos, C.J. dwelling run. You may’t script it any higher than that.”

Braves starter Charlie Morton (1-1) struggled by way of 5 innings. He allowed 5 runs and 9 hits, struck out 5, walked three and hit two batters. He additionally received the 1,five hundredth strikeout of his profession.

Abrams, the sixth decide total within the 2019 draft, made the membership after a powerful spring. The 21-year-old shortstop, who’s from the Atlanta space, hit an opposite-field homer to left on Morton’s second pitch of the second. Voit added an RBI double to make it 5-0. Voit hit a two-run single within the sixth.

Abrams, whose dad and mom have been within the stands, received the silent therapy from his teammates within the dugout after his dwelling trot after which answered a curtain name.

“It was an excellent expertise. It was loopy,” Abrams mentioned. “The gang was electrical. We jumped on them early and received the win.”

Morton received into hassle within the first when he hit two batters and allowed a single to load the bases after simply 4 batters. Hosmer drove in two runs on a two-out single and Wil Myers singled in one other run.