Juan Soto got the most attention in his first game as a San Diego Padre, but it was another brand new Padre that got the biggest hit.
After walking in his first at bat in San Diego, Soto came in to score on a bases load walk 3 batters later.
Next up, was Brandon Drury, also playing his first game in San Diego, and the Padres designated hitter sent the Petco Park crowd into a frenzy with a grand-slam in his first at bat with his new team. Drury's 402 foot grand-slam to left field gave the Padres a 5-0 1st inning lead against the Colorado Rockies.
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Drury made homer history with his deep drive, becoming the first Padre ever to hit a grand-slam in his first at bat with the team. Drury was traded from Cincinnati to San Diego on Tuesday, in a deal that was separate from the Soto mega-trade with Washington.
In the 5th inning, Manny Machado added to the Padres power surge with his 19th homer of the season, when Rockies pitcher Chad Kuhl grooved a belt high pitch right down the middle. The 389 foot homer put the Padres ahead 7-1.
2 batters later, Jake Cronenworth made it 9-1 with a 2-run homer to right. For Cronenworth it was his 11th homer of the season.
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Josh Bell, who came over from Washington in the Soto trade, also made his Padre debut. Bell started at first base and scored 2 runs, reaching base both times on walks.
A beneficiary of the Padres offensive outburst was starting pitcher Blake Snell. The Padres left-hander pitched 6 innings, allowing just 1 run and striking out 9 Colorado batters to earn his 4th win of the season. Snell has allowed 1 run or fewer in 5 of his last 6 starts.
Soto's final stat line for his San Diego debut was 1-3 (a line drive single in the 8th inning), 2 walks, 1 run scored and plenty of cheers and standing ovations from the home crowd.
Soto began his day at Petco Park over 6 hours before his first at bat when he arrived in the locker room to meet his new teammates, before meeting the media for his introductory press conference.
When asked about a Padres super lineup of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and himself, Soto said, “It’s gonna be really exciting, it’s gonna be tough to go through. I wish good luck to the other pitchers.”
The Padres will go their 6th straight win and a 5-game series sweep of Colorado Thursday, when the teams play a 1:10pm game.
