Eric Hosmer homered and Jake Cronenworth tripled in three runs during an eight-run fourth inning as the visiting San Diego Padres continued their dominance of the Cincinnati Reds in a 9-6 win Tuesday.
Joe Musgrove (3-0) allowed five runs — only two earned — over six solid innings for the Padres, who won the opener of the three-game series. San Diego has won all four meetings with the Reds this season by a combined 25-9 score and has won 10 of 11 against Cincinnati since the start of 2021.
The Reds dropped their 12th game in 13 tries after snapping their 11-game losing skid on Sunday against St. Louis.
In allowing just two earned runs, Musgrove was credited with a quality start for the fourth time in as many starts to begin 2022.
After the Padres opened the season without an error in their first 16 games, setting a major league record, they committed two in Sunday’s game and had three more miscues Tuesday.
In the second inning, Padres catcher Austin Nola’s routine throw back to Musgrove hit the bat of Colin Moran in the left side batter’s box. The ball skipped away far enough for Nick Senzel to advance to second. Senzel then scored on Moran’s bloop single to left for an unearned run.
Cincinnati’s lead did not last long as Ha-Seong Kim launched a Reiver Sanmartin sinker to the second deck in left for a two-out solo homer to tie the game, 1-1.
The Padres sent 12 men to the plate and blew the game open with an eight-run fourth, as Sanmartin was victimized by several softly-hit, well-placed singles and a long three-run homer from Hosmer to right field, Hosmer’s first of the season.
After seven consecutive hits, Sanmartin walked Kim with the bases loaded to force home the fifth run of the inning. Reliever Jeff Hoffman allowed a two-out, three-run triple to Cronenworth that made it 9-1.
Sanmartin (0-3) was tagged for nine earned runs on eight hits, with two strikeouts and a walk.
The Reds answered immediately thanks to two more unearned runs on another error from Nola and a throwing error by Kim. Moran’s ground ball to second appeared tailor-made for a double play. Instead, Kim’s throw to first was wild, allowing a second run to score on the play.
The Reds added two more in the fifth and another in the ninth on Nick Senzel’s first homer of the season.
In his return from a 10-day stint on the injured list due to a right hamstring strain, Jonathan India doubled and scored.
–Field Level Media