MLB

For One Day, At Least, the Padres Look Like the Team We Thought They Were in Blowout Win Over Boston

Friars finally get the big hit they've been looking for on Sunday afternoon

The biggest problem for the Padres offense this year has been an inability to take advantage of run scoring opportunities. They're last in baseball in bringing home runners from 3rd base with fewer than two outs and they're on a pace to be the worst offense since 1969 with runners in scoring position.

Finally, in the 1st inning on Sunday against the Red Sox, they got the knock they needed.

Rougned Odor ripped a 2-out, bases loaded double to bring home three runs and allow the sellout crowd at Petco Park one huge collective exhale in a comfortable 7-0 Padres win.

As big as Odor's hit was it almost didn't happen. Boston starter Corey Kluber seemed intent on handing this game to the team that drafted him back in 2007. Fernando Tatis Jr. led off with a walk then Jake Cronenworth hit a comebacker that Kluber couldn't hang on to. After a walk to Xander Bogaerts the Friars had the bases loaded and nobody out.

This was the moment they were either going to snap out of their season-long funk or cement it. Juan Soto's infield fly rule popup did not help but Matt Carpenter's walk to bring home Tatis Jr. at least meant San Diego would not completely sully the occasion. Ha-Seong Kim struck out, bringing up Odor.

He worked a 3-2 count. Kluber hung a curve ball. Odor didn't miss. He hit a laser down the right field line and with everyone moving on the pitch all three runs scored with ease. It was the only hit of the inning. It could not have come at a better time. The pressure seemed to, for a day at least, ease out of the ballpark. And, it wasn't the only time they scored.

In the 3rd inning Soto hit a line shot into center to chase Kluber. Lefty Richard Bleier came on and Carpenter greeted him hit a line drive over the Petco Porch in right field for a 2-run homer and a 6-0 San Diego lead. It was the first time they'd scored more than four runs since May 9 in Minnesota.

And, it was plenty for Michael Wacha, who's turned into one of the best off-season additions AJ Preller made. During their string of 11 losses in 13 games Wacha started the only two wins. He was really good again on Sunday. Wacha got into a little trouble in the 4th inning, allowing a pair of singles in front of Rafael Devers, who is not the guy you want up with runners on base.

Wacha got him to hit a hard grounder to Cronenworth at 1st. Jake threw to Bogaerts for one Xander hit Wacha covering 1st base for a crowd-pleasing 3-6-1 double play. Jarren Duran flew out to end the inning and the Red Sox didn't mount any more real threats against the big right-hander, who went 6.0 shutout innings with four punchouts.

In fact, it might be time to start talking about Wacha as an All-Star Game candidate. He had a few shaky starts to his Padres career but when the calendar flipped to May he flipped a switch. In four starts this month Wacha has thrown 25.0 innings and allowed all of one run on 11 hits with 22 strikeouts and seven walks.

In the bottom of the 6th, Kim singled to center and scored on another double by Odor, this time down the left field line to cap the scoring. Now, as fun as that was, can the Padres do it consistently? They have an off-day on Monday and start a 3-game series in Washington against the Nationals on Tuesday when Yu Darvish takes the mound against a familiar face in former Friar Mackenzie Gore.

LISTEN: With NBC 7 San Diego's Darnay Tripp and Derek Togerson behind the mic,Β On FriarΒ will cover all things San Diego Padres. Interviews, analysis, behind-the-scenes...the ups, downs, and everything in between. Tap here to find On Friar wherever you listen to podcasts.Β 

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