Padres

Jake Cronenworth's slam powers Padres past Reds

The big swing broke open what had been a neck and neck game.

SAN DIEGO, CA – MAY 1: Jake Cronenworth #9 of the San Diego Padres, right, is congratulated by Jurickson Profar #10 after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 1, 2024 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Boy, the Padres needed that.

Jake Cronenworth provided one of the biggest swings of the young season, belting a grand slam in the seventh inning to help the Padres take the series with a 6-2 win over Cincinnati.

The series finale was up for grabs all afternoon. With the game tied at two Tyler Wade led off with a bunt single, followed by a Jurickson Profar base hit and a Fernando Tatis Jr. walk.

Cronenworth took the first pitch he saw - a 94 mile per hour fastball - and deposited a no-doubter into the right field stands. The bomb was Cronenworth's fifth of the season, and second in the last four games.

Profar had a busy afternoon. The Padres' new leadoff hitter went 4-for-4 with two RBIs.

Joe Musgrove had a bounce back performance after getting tagged for seven earned runs and failing to get through the fourth inning against Philly his last time out. The Grossmont High grad made it through six innings, allowing two earned on four hits and zero walks with nine punchouts.

Musgrove shook off a first inning Spencer Steer homer. It is the 10th that he has allowed this season, with four coming Friday against the Phillies. The veteran righty now has four quality starts in his last six appearances.

The Padres took a temporary 2-1 lead in the fourth inning thanks to this season's surprise star: Profar. His two-out base hit to left plated Jackson Merrill and Wade.

Manny Machado appeared to have a three-run home run in the first inning. Stuart Fairchild had other ideas.

Cincinnati's centerfielder reached above the fence and went crashing into the wall in right centerfield, taking away what would have been Machado's fifth bomb of the season.

It was a catch against a star slugger that looked awfully familiar.

The moment Fairchild came away with the unlikely out, baseball fans thought of Adam Jones' iconic catch in center during the 2017 WBC...at Petco Park...against Manny Machado.

Jones' play has since been considered one of the finest in Petco Park's history, and Fairchild's now enters the conversation. But as MLB.com Padres beat writer AJ Cassavell pointed out, there was another defensive gem in the same vein from one year ago.

Atlanta's Sam Hilliard went to basically the same exact spot as Fairchild to take a homer away from Machado.

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