Gavin Sheets hit a three-run home run and two doubles to lead the visiting San Diego Padres to a 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds Saturday.
The Padres trailed 4-3 in the seventh when reliever Lyon Richardson ran into trouble. Jackson Merrill led off with a double and Xander Bogaerts walked with one out.
Sheets then deposited his 13th home run into the right field bleachers to give the Padres, who have now won five of their last seven, the lead.
Richardson (0-2, 2.88 ERA) took the loss, giving up three runs and two hits in 2/3 of an inning.
Bryan Hoeing (1-0, 0.00 ERA) picked up the win in relief, allowing no runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Robert Suarez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save as the San Diego bullpen combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings.
Despite the loss, the Reds have won four of six, and they played small ball to build a 3-0 lead after two innings.
Matt McLain singled in the first with one out. After a Spencer Steer single, Gavin Lux singled with two outs to score McLain and give the Reds a 1-0 lead.
In the second, Rece Hinds led off with a single, Santiago Espinol singled and T.J. Friedl hit a one-out single to score Hinds.
McLain made it 3-0 Reds with a single off the glove of Merrill in center to bring home Espinol.
Luis Arraez hit a leadoff home run for the Padres in the fifth to cut the lead to 3-1.
The Reds made it 4-1 in the fifth when Tyler Stephenson brought in Steer with a sacrifice fly to center.
Jose Iglesias led off the sixth for the Padres with a single and Jake Cronenworth homered to right to make it 4-3.
Sheets put the Padres up for good in the seventh with his one-out blast.
Padres starter Randy Vazquez gave up four runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out three in 94 pitches.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott gave up one run on seven hits in five innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked two in 102 pitches.
–Field Level Media
