SAN DIEGO – On a night where Manny Machado added another career milestone, the San Diego Padres couldn’t generate enough offense in a 6-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Petco Park.
Machado joined the 2,000 hit club with a leadoff single in the fourth inning, following up a knock in the first inning. He became the 297th player to reach the milestone and just the fifth currently active member, later adding his 356th career home run on a solo shot in the eighth for his sixth game with three or more hits this season.
Yu Darvish made his first start of the season for the Padres (48-42) and gave up two runs in a limited start, but it was the Diamondbacks (45-46) adding pairs of runs in the fifth and eighth innings against the Friars’ bullpen which proved the difference. Josh Naylor hit a two-run home run in the fifth and four other players added RBIs for the visitors, who saw five of their nine hits go for extra bases.
San Diego struggled to generate traffic against Arizona’s Zac Gallen, who earned his seventh win, as they went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and had five hits against the starter. Their best opportunity came with two outs in the fourth when Xander Bogaerts singled and Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Trenton Brooks flew out to center.
It wasn’t until reliever Kyle Backus took over in the seventh and Cronenworth led off reaching on an error and Jose Iglesias had a pinch hit single. Martín Maldonado bunted both over for Fernando Tatis Jr. to bring home a run on a groundout to cut the deficit to 4-2.
But the Diamondbacks added two more in the eighth, as Corbin Carroll hit an RBI triple and Geraldo Perdomo had an RBI single. Both runs were charged to reliever Wandy Peralta, as Eduardiel Núñez allowed his inherited run to score on the Perdomo hit.
San Diego loaded the bases in the eighth with one out against reliever Juan Morillo, as Bogaerts and Cronenworth drew back to back walks. But Iglesias popped into an infield fly rule out and pinch hitter Elias Díaz struck out to end the threat. Kevin Ginkel earned the save in the ninth.
Five of the nine left on base by the Brown and Gold were in scoring position with two outs, as after going 9-of-26 with runners in scoring position against the Rangers, they finished the night 0-for-6.
The Padres had opened the scoring in the first inning, as Tatis led off with a walk and came home after Luis Arraez reached on a throwing error. Machado had cracked his 1,999th career hit in the inning, but was out at second on the Arraez play.
The Diamondbacks responded by putting up runs in the second and third. First Naylor walked and Eugenio Suárez doubled to tie the game, then in the next inning Carroll hit a leadoff double and came home on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. single after a Perdomo sacrifice bunt.
Darvish, making his first start since Game 5 of the NLDS on October 11, 2024, completed 3 ⅔ innings with three hits and two runs allowed, to go with five strikeouts, three walks and a hit by pitch to take the loss. He threw 41 of 63 pitches for strikes, using eight different pitch types and getting three K’s with the sweeper.
Yuki Matsui replaced Darvish in the fourth and got a lineout by Carroll. Then in the fifth inning Matsui had a high and away four-seam fastball tagged for a two-run home run by Naylor after Gurriel singled to extend the Arizona lead to 4-1.
Game two will see Nick Pivetta (9-2, 3.25 ERA) toe the rubber for San Diego against righty Merrill Kelly (7-4, 3.55 ERA) for the 6:40 p.m. first pitch at Petco Park.
This story was updated at 10:54 p.m.