Field Level Media
Sep 6, 2020
Right-hander Garrett Richards threw seven strong innings, and the San Diego Padres completed a series win with a 5-3 victory Sunday afternoon at the American League West-leading Oakland Athletics.
Rookie Jake Cronenworth broke a 2-2 tie with a fourth-inning double off Mike Fiers (4-2), giving the Padres (25-17) a lead they never relinquished en route to their fifth win in their past seven games and two wins in three games in the interleague matchup.
Fernando Tatis Jr. added a two-run home run, his 15th homer of the season, in the seventh inning to pad the margin.
Matt Olson had a pair of run-scoring singles, both scoring Tommy La Stella, for Oakland (23-14), which lost for the fourth time in its past five games on the eve of a five-game AL West showdown with Houston, the three-time defending division champ.
The Padres scored twice in the third inning on an Eric Hosmer RBI single and a Manny Machado sacrifice fly, offsetting Olson's run-scoring hits and creating a 2-2 tie entering the fourth.
That's when Fiers walked Wil Myers before Cronenworth doubled to right-center field, giving San Diego a 3-2 lead.
Fiers went five innings, allowing three runs and five hits. He walked two and struck out four.
The veteran, an in-season acquisition by the A's in 2018, lost for just the third time in 17 decisions in home games since joining Oakland.
Richards (2-2), meanwhile, held the A's to three runs on seven hits in his seven innings. He struck out nine and did not walk a batter in improving to 2-0 on the road this season.
Tatis' homer, which followed a Trent Grisham infield single, put San Diego up 5-2.
Sean Murphy hit a solo homer, his third of the year, to complete the scoring in the last of the seventh.
New Padres closer Trevor Rosenthal worked around a leadoff double by Robbie Grossman in the ninth to record his first save since joining the Padres at the trade deadline. It was his eighth of the season.
Cronenworth, Tatis, Hosmer and Grisham all had two hits for the Padres, who are chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Both of Cronenworth's hits were doubles.
Olson, La Stella and Grossman collected two hits apiece for the A's, who were out-hit 9-8.
--Field Level Media