SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado got another big hit for the San Diego Padres, and Yu Darvish pitched seven strong innings in a 3-2 victory against the skidding Miami Marlins on Friday night.
Machado reached base three times and had two hits, including a critical RBI single as the Padres won for the fourth time in five games while handing the Marlins their sixth straight loss.
The star third baseman gave San Diego a 3-0 lead with his two-out single in the fifth. That run proved to be huge after Darvish gave up Jesús Aguilar's monster two-run homer to left field in the sixth. It was Aguilar's third of the season.
Machado lined out to left with two runners on to end the seventh, keeping it a one-run game.
Darvish (3-1) allowed five hits in his longest outing of the year. He struck out three and walked none. The 35-year-old right-hander has gone at least six innings in five of his six starts.
Coupled with Nick Martinez's seven innings in Thursday night's 2-1 win, it's the first time this season Padres starters have gone seven innings in consecutive games. They did it just once last year, when Darvish and Blake Snell accomplished the feat Aug. 7-8 against Arizona.
Rookie reliever Steven Wilson pitched the ninth for his first career save, allowing the first two batters to reach before retiring the side.
Eric Hosmer and Machado, who led the majors in batting average coming in, combined for San Diego's first run, sandwiched by three strikeouts from Miami starter Sandy Alcantara in the first. Machado drew a two-out walk and scored on Hosmer's double to right-center.
The Padres made it 3-0 in the fifth. Trent Grisham hit a leadoff triple and scored on Matt Beaty's double. Machado's two-out single brought in Beaty and chased Alcantara.
Alcantara (2-2) permitted three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two.
UP NEXT
Marlins RHP Pablo Lopez (3-1, 1.61 ERA) starts the third game of the series Saturday night against LHP Sean Manaea (2-2, 3.60).
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
