Field Level Media
Aug 22, 2020
Six Padres relievers held visiting Houston to two runs on four hits over the final seven innings, and Manny Machado had two RBI singles Friday night as host San Diego halted the Astros' winning streak at eight straight games with a 4-3 victory.
The win was the Padres' fifth straight.
The San Diego bullpen entered the game with a 6.08 ERA, but the relievers were quickly pressed into service when right-handed starter Garrett Richards lasted only two innings.
Javy Guerra (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings after replacing Richards. Matt Strahm retired all three Astros he faced. After Craig Stammen and Cal Quantrill each allowed a run, Pierce Johnson worked a scoreless eighth and Emilio Pagan finished the game to earn his first save as a Padre.
The Astros had four hits and received three walks from Garrett Richards in the first two innings, but they scored only one run in that span -- and it came before Richards retired a hitter. George Springer opened the game with a double, moved to third on a single by Jose Altuve and scored on a single by Carlos Correa.
But Houston left the bases loaded in each of the first two innings, forcing Richards to leave early.
The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the first on a two-out double by Eric Hosmer and a run-scoring single by Machado, then added three more runs in the middle of the game against Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. to build a 4-1 lead.
Jake Cronenworth walked to open the fourth and moved to second when McCullers hit Wil Myers with a pitch. After both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Greg Garcia, Cronenworth scored on Jurickson Profar's sacrifice fly to deep left.
Trent Grisham doubled to open the fifth against McCullers and scored on Machado's two-out single. The Padres third baseman then scored from first on Cronenworth's double.
McCullers (2-2) allowed the four runs on seven hits, two walks and two hit batters in five innings. He had two strikeouts.
--Field Level Media