Nelson Cruz had three hits — including a three-run homer and a double — and drove in six runs Sunday night as the visiting San Diego Padres cruised to a 10-2 win over the Atlanta Braves for their third victory of the four-game series.
The 42-year-old Cruz hit his second homer of the season — a 432-foot drive to left center — in the third, an RBI double in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth. It was the 10th game in Cruz’s career with six or more RBIs.
The Padres scored in five straight innings against Braves left-handed rookie starter Dylan Dodd and reliever Lucas Luetge.
Ha-Seong Kim drove in the Padres’ first run in the second as the tail end of back-to-back doubles with Jake Cronenworth. Kim then greeted Luetge by golfing a two-run homer off the glove of Braves left fielder Eddie Rosario in the fifth.
Trent Grisham opened the fourth with a 424-foot homer off Dodd.
Padres starter Seth Lugo (2-0) gave up one run on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts over six innings to earn the win. The Padres were leading 8-0 when the Braves scored in the fifth. Orlando Arcia and Sam Hilliard singled to lead off the inning, with Arcia scoring on Ronald Acuna Jr.’s grounder to the right side.
Arcia walked and came around to score on back-to-back singles by Acuna and Matt Olson in the seventh, before Padres reliever Domingo Tapia got Sean Murphy to ground out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
The Padres attacked control artist Dodd (1-1) early in the count. The left-hander gave up seven runs on 10 hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Luetge gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Manny Machado joined Cruz in having three hits for the Padres. Acuna and Arcia each had two hits for Atlanta.
–Field Level Media