SAN DIEGO — Joe Musgrove pitched 6 2/3 brilliant innings for his hometown Padres against defending World Series champion Atlanta, Manny Machado homered and tied his career high with five hits, and rookie C.J. Abrams hit his first homer for San Diego, which routed the Braves 12-1 in its home opener Thursday night, reported the Associated Press.
The sellout crowd of 44,844 at Petco Park gave Musgrove a standing ovation as he came out of the game with two outs in the seventh and then roared after Machado hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the inning, his first.
Machado went 5 for 6, scored four runs, had two RBIs and stole two bases. Eric Hosmer had four hits while new designated hitter Luke Voit drove in three runs. Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies homered leading off the ninth, his second.
New manager Bob Melvin lined up his rotation so Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, would start the home opener. It came a year and five days after Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in franchise history, at Texas in his second start with the Padres.
The team was supposed to open the season at home, but a lockout by the owners pushed the Padres home opener until April 14 against the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves in a four-game series after playing some games already on the road.
Padres off to a 4-3 start on the road
Through seven games on the road of the 2022 season, the San Diego Padres are off to a 4-3 start.
There is optimism for the team even after some early adversity. The team's star shortstop Fernando Tatis broke his wrist during the offseason and is expected to miss around the first three months of the season. In addition to Tatis Jr., pitchers Mike Clevinger, Blake Snell and Austin Adams were sidelined with injuries during the first week of the season.
Throughout the ups and the downs, the Padres are happy to have their new manager keeping things steady. Bob Melvin was brought to town to skipper the club after a decade in Oakland. Melvin has a career 1,350-1,273 record as a manager, including 853-764 with Oakland over the past 11 seasons, according to MLB.com.
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Cheer for Padres stolen bases!
Rubio’s Coastal Grill and the San Diego Padres have partnered to give fans something extra tasty during the 2022 MLB season. Each time the Padres steal a base at Petco Park, fans will score a free, à la carte Rubio’s taco, with any purchase, the day after the game.
“We are pleased to bring together two hometown favorites,” said Sergio Del Prado, senior vice president, corporate partnerships at San Diego Padres. “Rubio’s has forged strong roots in San Diego, based on their authentic recipes and brand concept, so we’re very proud to partner with them this season.”
Padres fans will receive one taco of their choice, with the purchase of any item on the menu, on the day after the stolen base. Guests can order online or through the app, and enter code GOPADRES, or mention the offer when visiting a restaurant.
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Rules for bags
Those planning to attend the game should know a few things. All entry gates will open for general seating at 3 p.m. However, fans are being urged to be in their seats by 4:30 p.m. to take in the pageantry and festivities of Opening Day.
Petco Park has instituted a rule limiting bags that can be brought into the stadium. Bags that are acceptable include single compartment bags measure seven inches by 10 inches or smaller. Infant and medical bags are also allowed.
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Transportation and parking at Petco
Attending fans are being urged to utilize public transportation and Trolley Park & Ride locations. For those who will be driving down to Petco Park, more than 27,000 parking spaces are located near the ballpark in the downtown area. Of those spaces, 8,000 have been designated specifically for Petco Park guests at prices ranging from $10.00 to $35.00 depending on proximity to the ballpark. Padres Preferred parking, located directly adjacent to Petco Park, can be purchased in advance.
Guests driving to the ballpark should plan on arriving early and should choose a parking location based on the direction they will be heading after the game, whether to the north, south or east. For large attendance games, guests are urged to utilize public transportation or to park in Harbor Drive parking facilities or the Horton Plaza garage.