Juan Soto hits 2-run homer, Joe Musgrove wins 8th straight decision as Padres beat Blue Jays 9-1
By Ian Harrison, The Associated Press on July 18, 2023.
TORONTO (AP) – Juan Soto hit a two-run homer, Joe Musgrove pitched six sharp innings to win his eighth straight decision and the San Diego Padres beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-1 Tuesday night. Manny Machado, Gary Sánchez and Trent Grisham each hit solo homers for the Padres, who ended a three-game skid. Musgrove (9-2) allowed one run and five hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Toronto came in having won four straight and eight of nine. The Blue Jays lost for the first time since Detroit beat them 2-0 with a combined no-hitter on July 8. Soto finished 2 for 4 with a walk and three RBIs and scored three runs. His homer off Alek Manoah in the first was his third since June 23 and 17th this season. Soto added an RBI double in the third. Machado connected off right-hander Nate Pearson to begin the fifth, his 18th. Sánchez homered two outs later, his ninth. Sánchez and Jake Cronenworth each had two RBIs for the Padres, who are 37-7 when scoring five or more. Grisham made it 7-1 with a homer off Mitch White in the eighth, his 10th. Making his second start since a demotion to the minors, Manoah (2-8) was nowhere near as effective as he was on July 7, when he allowed one run in six innings at Detroit and won for the first time since April 5. Manoah needed 41 pitches to get through the first and gave up four runs on three hits and five walks in three-plus innings. Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected in the second for arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Malachi Moore. The ejection was Toronto’s third. TRAINER’S ROOM Padres: San Diego activated C Luis Campusano (ligament damage in left thumb) off the 60-day injured list. Campusano has not played since April 14. Blue Jays: RHP Jordan Romano threw from a mound Monday and is feeling better, manager John Schneider said. Romano left last week’s All-Star game because of a sore back. … RHP Kevin Gausman is expected to throw a bullpen Wednesday. Gausman was scratched from last Saturday’s start against Arizona because of discomfort in his left side. … LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (Tommy John surgery) will make a second rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo Friday. … RHP Chad Green (Tommy John) will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Dunedin on Saturday. ODOR REMOVER San Diego cut INF Rougned Odor before the game. The 10-year veteran was batting .210 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 59 games. Odor has been a target of fan ire in Toronto since punching then-Blue Jays slugger José Bautista in a game at Texas in 2016. MORE MOVES The Padres selected the contract of OF Taylor Kohlwey from Triple-A El Paso and recalled infielder Alfonso Rivas from the Chihuahuas. C Austin Nola and utilityman Brandon Dixon were optioned to Triple-A, and RHP Reiss Knehr (elbow) was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day IL. UP NEXT Blue Jays: RHP José BerrÃos (8-6, 3.41 ERA) starts Wednesday against Padres RHP Yu Darvish (6-6, 4.85). ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports 23-22
