Bob Melvin’s return to San Diego spoiled by Padres

Jake Cronenworth capped a four-run seventh inning with a two-run double Thursday afternoon as the San Diego Padres overtook the visiting San Francisco Giants for a 6-4 win in a matchup of new managers.

After the Giants scored twice in the top of the inning to go up 3-2, the Padres pounded relievers Luke Jackson (0-1) and Ryan Walker for four hits en route to a win in their home opener.

Luis Campusano and Tyler Wade led off the seventh with singles, and the Padres tied the score when Patrick Bailey’s throw to second base on Wade’s steal attempt bounced off the chest of shortstop Nick Ahmed, allowing Campusano to score.

A walk to Jackson Merrill ended Jackson’s day without recording an out, before Xander Bogaerts greeted Walker with an RBI single to left-center to give the Padres the lead for good.

One out later, Cronenworth delivered Merrill and Bogaerts with a double to the fence in right field, making it 6-3.

Yuki Matsui (1-0), who had entered the game during the Giants’ two-run seventh before pitching a 1-2-3 eighth, was credited with the win. Robert Suarez picked up his second save of the season despite allowing the game’s only home run, a solo shot by Michael Conforto with two outs in the ninth.

With former manager Bob Melvin having moved on to the Giants and replaced by Mike Shildt, the Padres had taken a 2-1 lead into the seventh after Jurickson Profar had an RBI single and Wade a run-scoring infield out off Giants starter Logan Webb in the fifth.

San Francisco took its second lead of the day on Ahmed’s RBI single and Jung Hoo Lee’s sacrifice fly, on which Ahmed was caught between second and third for the final out of the inning.

Webb left with a 3-2 lead after giving up two runs and five hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out five.

"That was a little bit better than my spring training, that's for sure."

Webb breaks down his outing and shares the staff reassured him he'd be fine after a rough spring pic.twitter.com/9FgvWEgp6n

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 28, 2024

The Giants opened the scoring against Padres starter Yu Darvish in the third on doubles by Conforto and Ahmed.

Darvish worked the first five innings, allowing one run and five hits. He walked one and struck out seven.

Campusano and Bogaerts had two hits apiece for the Padres, who opened the season with a two-game split with the Los Angeles Dodgers in South Korea last week.

Conforto collected a single, double and home run while scoring three times, for the Giants, while Ahmed had a single, a double and two RBIs.

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–Field Level Media

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