Mike Yastrzemski, who was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to a sore left hand, belted a pinch-hit home run to break a seventh-inning tie and lead the visiting San Francisco Giants to a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday.
However, the loss of a second straight game wasn’t the Padres’ biggest concern.
Fernando Tatis Jr. sustained a partial dislocation of his left shoulder on a swinging third strike in the third inning and immediately left the game in considerable pain.
The 22-year-old shortstop, who signed a 14-year, $340 million contract with the Padres in mid-February, collapsed in pain at home plate after swinging through the pitch from Anthony DeSclafani. Padres manager Jayce Tingler and a trainer rushed to the plate. Tatis walked off the field holding his left arm.
The Padres have said Tatis had the injury while in the minor leagues. He re-injured the shoulder on a head-first slide into home in an exhibition game last month. Later during spring training, Tatis left a game after again hurting the shoulder making a lunging stop in the field.
All three Giants runs Monday came on solo homers. The Padres countered long balls from San Francisco’s Darin Ruf and Evan Longoria thanks to Victor Caratini twice driving in Jurickson Profar.
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Ruf gave the Giants a 1-0 lead with a leadoff blast in the second against Padres starter Adrian Morejon, The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the second when Profar reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on Caratini’s two-out single.
Longoria homered off Morejon to lead off the fourth. The Padres tied it in the sixth. Profar tripled with one out on a drive that skipped past Giants center fielder Mauricio Dubon. Caratini followed with a sacrifice fly to center.
Yastrzemski, who was hit on the left by a pitch in the Giants’ final exhibition game, homered to straightaway center off Craig Stammen (0-1) with one out in the seventh.
Caleb Baragar (1-0), who pitched one-third of an inning, was credited with the win. Jake McGee got his second save, retiring Tommy Pham on a fly to deep center for the final out with runners on first and second.
San Francisco has alternated losses and wins over its first four games.
–Field Level Media