A towering three run homer by Manny Margot and a subsequent solo shot by Jose Pirela could not seal the series opener against the Texas Rangers Monday night in Arlington, Texas. The Padres dropped the first game against the Rangers 7-4 as they kicked off the final leg of their seven game road trip.
Joey Lucchesi was on the mound for San Diego. The lefty has been out for the over month nursing a hip injury. The rookie was solid on the mound against the Rangers and pitched through four shutout innings where he allowed just one hit and struck out four. However, Lucchesi was on a strict pitch count and had to leave the mound after 70 throws.
Margot’s 424 foot home run in the top of the fifth inning opened up the scoreboard and gave San Diego a 3-0 lead. It also marked his third blast of the season. Pirela’s homer was also a no-doubter and gave the Padres a solid cushion and increased the lead 4-1. But in the bottom of the sixth inning the Rangers’ bats came to life. The locals pushed in five runs in that inning alone. Texas added another in the seventh inning to seal the victory.
The second game of the series is on Tuesday June 26 at 5:05 p.m. PST at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
