Padres win 1st game, 2nd game of doubleheader suspended
Jul 21, 2021, 12:20 AM | Updated: 9:33 pm
ATLANTA (AP) — The second game of a split doubleheader between the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves was suspended by rain in the middle of the fifth inning Wednesday night.
The game will resume at a date yet to be determined.
“It will be picked up from where we left off and it will still be a seven-inning game,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. “We’ll be picking up from the bottom of the fifth inning and going from there.”
The rest of the game could be played in San Diego when the Braves visit the Padres for a three-game series Sept. 24-26, but Tingler said that decision will be made later.
San Diego was leading 5-4 when the game was called after a 3-hour, 3-minute delay.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a two-run homer and starting pitcher Chris Paddack reversed his recent struggles as the Padres won the first game 3-2.
The Padres took a quick 4-0 lead against Bryse Wilson in the second game. Trent Grisham doubled, Tatis walked and Jake Cronenworth singled before Grisham scored on Eric Hosmer’s sacrifice fly and Tatis scored on a wild pitch. Cronenworth and Wil Myers scored on Ha-Seong Kim’s double.
San Diego tacked on a run in the second when Grisham walked, stole second and scored on Cronenworth’s single.
The Braves trimmed the lead to 5-4 in the second on Guillermo Heredia’s RBI double, Orlando Arcia’s sacrifice fly, Ehire Adrianza’s pinch-hit RBI double and Joc Pederson’s RBI single.
Padres starter Reiss Knehr was chased after allowing three runs, one hit and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. Wilson didn’t last much longer, giving up five runs, four hits and four walks in two innings.
In the first game, Tatis made it 3-0 in the fifth inning against reliever Shane Greene when his NL-leading 29th homer landed in the left-field seats. The All-Star shortstop has eight hits, seven runs and six RBIs in his last five games.
Paddack (6-6), who had a 10.31 ERA in his last five appearances, worked five scoreless innings, allowing three hits with no walks and one strikeout.
“I’m not trying to get ahead of myself here,” Paddack said. “We did a lot of great things today, but there’s still some improvements for my changeup. You know, 0-2 curveballs that we could’ve done a better job with. There’s always something you have to grow on.”
All-Star closer Mark Melancon wrapped it up for the Padres in the seventh, earning his major league-leading 28th save in 32 chances.
The Padres went ahead 1-0 in the fourth when Jurickson Profar doubled off the right-field wall with one out, advanced on Kyle Muller’s second wild pitch and scored on Kim’s sacrifice fly.
Muller (1-3) allowed two hits and walked three, working out of jams in the first and third. Greene, who came on to begin the fifth, saw his ERA increase to 10.38.
“I couldn’t really find that groove to keep executing pitches and hit some spots, so on the pitching side of things it wasn’t a very good performance, but in terms of damage control I was pleased with that because it could’ve gotten out of hand there a couple of times,” Muller said of his fourth career start. “I think my tempo was a little fast, so I was just rushing down the mound.”
The Braves got within 3-2 in the sixth against Drew Pomeranz when Freddie Freeman singled, advanced on Ozzie Albies’ double and scored on a passed ball. Albies scored on Austin Riley’s sacrifice fly.
San Diego, which began the day having dropped four of six, was in third place in the NL West, 5 1/2 games back of first-place San Francisco. The Braves are 4 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres C Austin Nola (left knee sprain) will join the team in Miami on Thursday and could be activated for the first game of the series. … San Diego LHP Ryan Weathers (right ankle inflammation) threw a bullpen between games and is a strong possibility to start Saturday against the Marlins.
SCORING WOES
The Braves began the nightcap having scored nine total runs in their previous eight doubleheader games.
FLASH THAT LEATHER
In the first game, Profar made a diving catch in center field to rob pinch-hitter Abraham Almonte in the fifth.
UP NEXT
Braves RHP Charlie Morton (8-3, 3.69 ERA) will face LHP Matt Moore (0-1, 5.25) when Atlanta begins a four-game series at Philadelphia on Thursday.
San Diego, which opens a four-game series at Miami, will go with LHP Blake Snell (3-3, 5.21 ERA). The Marlins had yet to announce a starter.
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