SAN DIEGO (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven shutout innings and Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado hit two of San Diego's four solo homers in the Padres' 5-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.
Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz also homered for the Padres, who have won five of their last six games and have an opportunity to sweep the three-game series versus Cleveland and reach the .500 mark for the first time since May 11th.
Wacha (7-2), who has a major league best 0.91 ERA since the beginning of May, gave up four singles in 6 2/3 innings. He lowered his season ERA to 2.89.
Tatis led off the first inning with his 14th homer of the season, a shot that cleared the left-field wall by a few feet for a 364-foot home run. It was his 11th career lead-off homer and came against Aaron Civale (2-2).
Machado hit a solo home run to left-center in the third to stake the Padres to a 2-0 lead against Civale, who gave up two runs in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and allowed five hits.
In the sixth with two out and the bases empty, Tatis hit his second double of the night down the left-field line, stole third and scored on a wild pitch by Guardians pitcher Sam Hentges. Soto followed with an opposite field homer to left for a 4-0 Padres lead.
Cleveland had an opportunity to get back into the game in the seventh after Wacha was pulled with two outs and the bases loaded. However, San Diego reliever Steven Wilson came to strike out Myles Straw to extinguish the Guardians threat.
Cruz hit his solo shot in the eighth off Cleveland reliever Xzavion Curry.
Padres reliever Tim Hill pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings to preserve the shutout.
The Padres benefited from stellar defense with both centerfielder Trent Grisham and right-fielder Tatis making outstanding diving catches on the run in the fifth inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
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.
UP NEXT
Guardians: LHP Logan Allen (3-2, 3.31) starts the final of the three-game series.
Padres: RHP Yu Darvish (5-4, 4.30) takes the hill for Wednesday evening’s start.
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