SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Gary Sánchez homered to help the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Blake Snell (7-8) limited the Pirates to two hits and one run in six innings. Steven Wilson, Robert Suarez and Josh Hader pitched three innings of one-hit relief.
Machado’s 20th homer of the season, a 418-foot shot to left-center off Rich Hill (7-10), tied it at 1 in the second inning.
Sánchez added the go-ahead run, making in 2-1, with an RBI single to center field that scored Xander Bogaerts from second base. Bogaerts reached on a single to center and stole second base.
Soto’s solo home run, also his 20th, to deep right field in the seventh put the Padres ahead 3-1. Soto has hit 20 or more homers in five of his six seasons, the only exception was the pandemic-shortened season in 2020.
“I’ve never faced that guy, just making sure I got one pitch,” Soto said. “I got it and didn’t miss it, it feels great.”
Following Soto’s homer, Machado was hit in the upper left shoulder by reliever Angel Perdomo on the next pitch.
“If you give up a bomb like that, I mean I’d be mad, too,” Machado said.
Perdomo was ejected along with Pirates manager Derek Shelton.
“I think the umpires handled it right,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “You saw where the catcher set up and missed by a pretty wide margin.”
Sánchez added insurance with a two-run homer in the eighth that plated Luis Campusano and put the Padres ahead 5-1. Sanchez’ homer capped off a three-hit, three-RBI performance.
In the top of the seventh, Soto sprinted in to make a diving catch on Andrew McCutchen’s sinking line drive. Soto’s two-out catch came with runners on first and second base and preserved the Padres’ 2-1 lead.
Soto said, based on the count, he was expecting McCutchen to pull the ball.
“It’s a different game if that ball drops, and on top of that he hits a homer,” Melvin said.
Hill allowed seven hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Alika Williams, who attended Rancho Bernando High School, made his major league debut for the Pirates at shortstop in the seventh inning. He replaced Liover Peguero.
