Lucchesi, long balls carry Padres to 8-3 win over Mariners
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Hunter Renfroe homered and drove in four runs, Manuel Margot had a homer among his three hits and prized rookie Luis Urias had his first three hits for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Seattle Mariners 8-3 Wednesday for a two-game sweep.
The offensive outburst made a winner of rookie left-hander Joey Lucchesi (7-7), who stayed in the game after needing a few minutes to recover from Ryon Healy’s comebacker that glanced off his glove and then his groin. Lucchesi fielded the ball and threw to first for the out, and then went down in a heap. He was tended to by the training staff for a few minutes, threw a few warmup pitches and remained in, striking out the next two batters.
The big southpaw held the Mariners to one run and six hits in a career-high 6 2-3 innings, matched his career-best with nine strikeouts and walked two.
The teams, deemed natural rivals by MLB, meet again in Seattle on Sept. 11-12. The Mariners lost their third straight and for the fifth time in seven games.
Eric Hosmer also had three hits for the Padres, who worked over Mariners starter Erasmo Ramirez (1-3) for seven runs and nine hits in three innings.
San Diego took a 7-1 lead after three innings.
Hosmer had an RBI single and Renfroe a sacrifice fly in the first. Margot homered into the second deck in left field with one out in the second, his seventh, and Renfroe drove a three-run home run into the balcony on the third level of the brick warehouse in the left-field corner. Urias was aboard on his first big league hit, a single to right, and Hosmer on a double to the left-center gap. San Diego loaded the bases on three straight singles and Lucchesi hit a sac fly for his first career RBI.