PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. connected for his first homer since 2021, Ha-Seong Kim had a crucial two run single and the San Diego Padres rallied for a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
The Padres took the lead in the first inning on Tatis' first homer since his return from an 80-game drug suspension on Thursday. The 24-year-old turned on an 0-2 fastball from Merrill Kelly, hitting it into the left-center stands, just out of the reach of a leaping Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Matt Carpenter’s two-out double brought home Xander Bogaerts to make a 2-0.
Tatis missed all of last season, first because of a broken left wrist. When he was about to return, he was hit with his PED suspension for a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Clostebol.
The young star is 2 for 13 at the plate in his first three games this season.
The D-backs bounced back for a 3-2 lead in the third on Christian Walker's third homer of the season. The first baseman turned on a breaking ball from Joe Musgrove, and it landed in the D-backs' bullpen down the left-field line.
Musgrove (1-0) made his first start of the season after starting the year on the injured list. He fractured his left big toe during spring training in a weight room accident.
Musgrove wasn't particularly sharp but got through five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. He struck out six.
The Padres rallied in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs against Kelly. D-backs manager Torey Lovullo brought Kyle Nelson in the game and the lefty struck out two straight batters before Kim hit a bouncing single through the left side, which scored two runs and put San Diego up 4-3.
Jake Cronenworth's RBI single in the eighth made it 5-3. Josh Hader worked the ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.
Kelly (1-3) labored through five innings, giving up four runs. He struck out seven, but walked five and threw 94 pitches.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: 3B Manny Machado got the day off on Saturday because of back tightness. Machado's had a slow start to the season, batting .221 with one homer and seven RBIs.
UP NEXT
The teams wrap up the four-game series on Sunday afternoon. The Padres will send RHP Yu Darvish (0-2, 3.44 ERA) to the mound while the D-backs will counter with rookie RHP Drey Jameson (2-0, 2.25 ERA).
