After eight and a half innings of a pitcher's duel between the Padres and Dodgers, 43,388 fans at Petco Park were ready for some offense. The sellout crowd was buzzing with electricity, which is exactly the way the newest San Diego star likes it.
"It's amazing. It's a different energy," says Luis Arraez, who was acquired a week prior in a trade with Miami and playing for the first time in front of his new home crowd. "I'm a guy, like, when I've got energy I'll do something good."
"Good" is an understatement and Arraez knows how to make a statement. The 2-time batting champion's first hit in the City Connect jerseys was a line drive single to centerfield in the bottom of the 9th inning that brought home the winning run in a 2-1 win over LA to open a weekend series in the East Village. Arraez's heroics were preceded by two starters at the top of their game.
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Michael King tossed 7.0 scintillating, striking out 11 Dodgers in arguably the best start of his career. Over his last two starts the righty has thrown 13.0 innings without allowing a run, dropping his season ERA from 5.00 to 3.67 and showing the kind of stuff that the Padres were dreaming on when they made him the centerpiece of the trade that sent Juan Soto to New York.
Tyler Glasnow was nearly as good, punching out 10 in his 7.0 innings on the hill. He was on a roll early, riding a string of five straight strikeouts when Luis Campusano stepped to the plate in the 3rd inning looking for a fastball. The first pitch he saw was a 97 MPH heater and he did not miss. Campy launched his 3rd home run of the year 429 feet into the left-centerfield seats, a solo shot that put the Padres on top 1-0.
That was the only run (and the only hit) Glasnow gave up in 7.0 innings. With the starters both at their pitch limits after battling to a near standstill it came down to the bullpens and who would get the big hit when it mattered most.
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Over the last couple of decades or so that's been the Dodgers. Perhaps things will be different in 2024.
Yuki Matsui has been shaky of late and that trend continued against LA. Matsui gave up a single off his leg to Mookie Betts and a double to Shohei Ohtani. Betts scored on a sacrifice fly by Freddie Freeman to tie it 1-1 but Matsui was bailed out when Max Muncy hit a grounder up the middle and Ha-Seong Kim made a tremendous play to turn a 6-3 double play and end the threat.
Blake Treinen was not challenged in the 8th and Robert Suarez continued his utter dominance with a 1-2-3 top of the 9th. Michael Grove came on to try and force extra innings and was met with a line drive double from Campusano, putting the winning run in scoring position. But, Kim struck out trying to bunt, setting the stage for the new kid in town.
Luis Arraez, the hit machine who draws comparisons to Tony Gwynn, lined a shot to centerfield to bring home pinch-runner Tyler Wade with the game-winning run, sending Petco Park into a frenzy. And would you believe, he called his shot?
"I said to Victor (Rodriguez), my hitting coach, hey ... I'll finish this game. I got the opportunity and I did it," says Arraez, standing smiling at his locker and still soaked with sports drink. It was the second walkoff hit of his career, but very likely will not be the last.
The Padres are now 4-2 against their longtime tormentors this year and can win the series on Saturday night when Matt Waldron takes the mound against James Paxton.
