Michael Wacha fired six shutout innings against his former team and Rougned Odor and Matt Carpenter combined to drive in every run Sunday afternoon as the San Diego Padres defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox 7-0 to salvage a win in the finale of a three-game series.
Wacha extended his scoreless innings streak to 15 as the win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Padres, who won for only the third time in 14 games.
Wacha, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in his previous start, held Boston to five hits and a walk with four strikeouts to improve to 5-1. Wacha has allowed only one run over his last 25 innings and is 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA in May. He pitched for the Red Sox in 2022.
Tom Cosgrove, Nick Martinez and Josh Hader each worked a scoreless inning after Wacha departed to finish the Padres’ third shutout of the season.
Padres relievers have worked 29 1/3 scoreless innings over the past eight games.
The Padres, who have struggled offensively, scored four unearned runs in a disastrous first inning for Red Sox starter Corey Kluber — the rally capped by Odor’s three-run, two-out double into the right field corner. Odor added an RBI double in the sixth for his fourth RBI of the game, surpassing his season total in his first 23 games.
Carpenter, who drew a bases-loaded walk in the first, hit a two-run homer off Boston reliever Richard Bleier in the third.
Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the game for the Padres by drawing a walk from Kluber. Jake Cronenworth then hit a comebacker that had the potential for a double play. But Kluber fumbled the ball for an error. Xavier Bogaerts drew a walk to load the bases. After Juan Soto popped out, Carpenter walked to drive in a run. Kluber then struck out Ha-Seong Kim, extending the Padres’ mark with runners in scoring position in the series to 0-for-10.
Odor then pulled a full-count breaking ball down the right-field line, scoring Cronenworth, Bogaerts and Carpenter.
Soto’s one-out single in the third ended Kluber’s day. Carpenter then drove Bleier’s first pitch 363 feet into the seats in right to make it 6-0. Kim singled to open the sixth and scored on Odor’s second double.
Kluber (2-6) gave up five runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media