SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Musgrove pitched 6 2/3 brilliant innings for his hometown Padres against defending World Series champion Atlanta, Manny Machado homered and tied his career high with five hits, and rookie C.J. Abrams hit his first homer for San Diego, which routed the Braves 12-1 in its home opener Thursday night.
The sellout crowd of 44,844 at Petco Park gave Musgrove a standing ovation as he came out of the game with two outs in the seventh and then roared after Machado hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the inning, his first.
Machado went 5 for 5, scored four runs, had two RBIs and stole two bases. Eric Hosmer had four hits while new designated hitter Luke Voit drove in three runs. Atlanta's Ozzie Albies homered leading off the ninth, his second.
New manager Bob Melvin lined up his rotation so Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, would start the home opener. It came a year and five days after Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in franchise history, at Texas in his second start with the Padres.
Melvin went out to get Musgrove (1-0) with two outs in the sixth, allowing the crowd to acknowledge the big right-hander. Musgrove held the Braves to four hits, struck out six and walked none. It was the first time in his seven-year career that he earned a start in a home opener.
Braves starter Charlie Morton (1-1) struggled through five innings. He allowed five runs and nine hits, struck out five, walked three and hit two batters. He also got the 1,500th strikeout of his career.
Abrams, the sixth pick overall in the 2019 draft, made the club after a strong spring. The 21-year-old shortstop, who's from the Atlanta area, hit an opposite-field homer to left on Morton's second pitch of the second. Voit added an RBI double to make it 5-0. Voit hit a two-run single in the sixth.
Morton got into trouble in the first when he hit two batters and allowed a single to load the bases after just four batters. Hosmer drove in two runs on a two-out single and Wil Myers singled in another run.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: LHP Blake Snell was placed on the injured list, retroactive to Monday, with a tight left adductor.
UP NEXT
The four-game series continues Friday night when Padres LHP MacKenzie Gore is scheduled to make his big league debut opposite Braves RHP Kyle Wright (1-0, 0.00), who will face the Padres for the first time. Gore, the third pick overall in the 2017 draft, takes Snell's rotation spot.
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