Cleveland starter Aaron Civale came in feeling good after back-to-back solid starts, but Civale did not have it on Wednesday. His night started with Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting a lead-off home run that set the tone as Civale only went 3 2/3 innings making 95 pitches.
The San Diego Padres really flexed their muscles as they hit four solo home runs. Tatis, Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and Nelson Cruz all went deep.
The Guardians did have an opportunity to close the gap in the 7th inning down 4-0 they had the bases loaded with 2 outs and Myles Straw up who struck out to end the inning. Interestingly, they had one of the hottest Guardian hitters, Will Brennan, batting 8th behind Straw. One has to wonder what could have been if Brennan was batting ahead of Straw.
On Wednesday night, the San Diego Padres achieved a convincing 5-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, propelled by stellar pitching from Michael Wacha, who delivered seven scoreless innings. The Padres displayed their power at the plate, with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each belting solo home runs among the team’s four long balls.
San Diego’s offensive prowess was highlighted by Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz, who also contributed home runs. This win marked the Padres’ fifth triumph in their last six games, positioning them for a potential three-game series sweep against Cleveland and a chance to reach the .500 mark for the first time since May 11th.
Wacha, boasting an exceptional 0.91 ERA since the beginning of May, demonstrated his dominance once again, allowing only four singles over 6 2/3 innings. This outstanding performance further lowered his season ERA to an impressive 2.89.
The Padres wasted no time asserting their dominance, as Tatis led off the game with his 14th home run of the season, a solid shot that cleared the left-field wall by a few feet. This 364-foot blast marked Tatis’ 11th career lead-off homer and came against Aaron Civale (2-2), the Guardians’ pitcher.
In the third inning, Machado extended the Padres’ lead to 2-0 with a powerful solo shot to left-center field against Civale, who conceded two runs in 3 2/3 innings. Civale managed to strike out seven batters but surrendered five hits in the process.
In the sixth inning, Tatis continued his impressive performance by hitting his second double of the night down the left-field line with two outs and the bases empty. He subsequently stole third base and scored on a wild pitch by Guardians pitcher Sam Hentges. Shortly after, Soto delivered an opposite-field home run to left, further increasing the Padres’ lead to 4-0.
Cleveland had a chance to mount a comeback in the seventh inning when Wacha was replaced with two outs and the bases loaded. However, San Diego reliever Steven Wilson stepped up and struck out Myles Straw, effectively extinguishing the Guardians’ threat.
In the eighth inning, Cruz sealed the Padres’ victory with a solo home run off Cleveland reliever Xzavion Curry.
Padres reliever Tim Hill took over in the eighth and ninth innings, pitching flawlessly to maintain the shutout and secure the win.
San Diego’s stellar defense also played a crucial role in the victory, with centerfielder Trent Grisham and right-fielder Tatis both making outstanding diving catches on the run during the fifth inning.
Guardians: INF Andrés Giménez was back in the lineup on Wednesday after leaving Sunday’s game due to left hamstring tightness and being held out of Tuesday’s starting lineup. Giménez pinch-hit in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Padres.
Thursday 6/15 8:40 PM EST – Series Finale at Padres.
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