San Diego Padres vs Oakland Athletics Match Player Stats On Sep 15, 2023

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered and drove in three runs, and the visiting San Diego Padres never trailed in delivering manager Bob Melvin a happy homecoming with an 8-3 interleague victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

After having spent 11 seasons as manager of the A's before taking the San Diego job last year, Melvin made his first return to Oakland a successful one, recording career win No. 1,505. More than half of the wins (853) came in an Oakland uniform.

Tatis saw to it that Melvin could relax early on, belting Sean Newcomb's eighth pitch of the game for his 25th home run of the season, a solo shot.

The Padres made it 2-0 later in the inning on a Newcomb wild pitch, then 4-0 in the second when Tatis chased home Garrett Cooper and Matthew Batten with his one-out double.

The A's chipped away behind solo home runs by Shea Langeliers, his 20th, in the second and Brent Rooker, his 25th, in the sixth. But leading 5-3, the San Diego bullpen threw three straight shutout innings to close out the game.

Jose Azocar's two-out, three-run home run in the ninth, the first of his career in his 142nd game, added to San Diego's margin of victory.

San Diego also scored on a Luis Campusano RBI double in the fifth, while Oakland's only non-homer tally was the product of a Ryan Noda ground-rule double in the third.

Seth Lugo (7-7) allowed all three Oakland runs in six innings. He gave up five hits and one walk, striking out seven.

Newcomb (1-1) took the loss, charged with four runs on five hits in three innings. He walked three and struck out two.

Batten finished with two hits and scored twice for the Padres (70-78), who remained on the periphery of the National League wild-card chase, improving to 6 1/2 games behind with 14 to play. Azocar and Xander Bogaerts also had a pair of hits each, while Juan Soto and Cooper also scored twice.

Esteury Ruiz collected his 59th stolen base of the year for the A's (46-101).

--Field Level Media