, obtained along with outfielder Trent Grisham in an offseason trade with Milwaukee, allowed three singles in 5 2/3 innings, struck out six and walked none.''I tried to stay at the bottom of the zone as much as I possibly could tonight,'' Davies said. ''Being able to locate there is a huge success. That's where I tried to take my game. Didn't stray from that. Live on the edges, the defense was there, we got enough to win the game 3-0.'' The game took only 2 hours, 27 minutes, and Davies' efficiency had a lot to do with that.''Staying at the bottom of the zone, trying live on soft contact, strikeouts are great but at the same time my goal is to try to get guys out as quick as possible,'' he said.Four relievers finished the combined four-hitter for San Diego's first shutout. Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for his second save in as many chances.The Padres have beaten the Diamondbacks four times in five games this season. San Diego came in having lost four of five.Tatis homered on Luke Weaver's first pitch of the game, driving a 93 mph fastball into the Padres' bullpen beyond the center field fence. It was his fifth this season and the seventh leadoff homer of his career. He has homered in consecutive games and in three of the last four.He has reached base all 14 games this season, matching his career single-season best. He's been on base 15 straight times dating to his last game of 2019, Aug. 13. He was shut down after that with a stress reaction in his lower back. He still finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.''First pitch home run to left-center, I mean, there's really no better way to get a dugout going,'' Cronenworth said of Tatis' homer. ''Right after Davies had a first inning that was awesome, to have that, every night it seems like every night he's doing something to get the guys going,''Said Weaver: ''That first pitch of the game is always something in the back of your mind you know you've got to execute. I had a good feeling he was going to be swinging. I know he's pretty aggressive on the first pitch. The ball just got away from me a little bit ... He got a hold of that one.'' Davies said Tatis' homer ''sets the tone for the offense and shows the guys are ready. Tatis is that type of player. Everybody knows about him. Keep the ball down, don't give him anything to hit. That was a mistake, just trying to get a strike where he's ready to hit.'' Cronenworth homered to right on the first pitch of the second, his second. He has impressed the Padres with his bat and glove in filling in for first baseman Eric Hosmer, who is on the injured list with a stomach ailment.Olivares, pinch-hitting for Abraham Almonte, connected off Alex Young leading off the fifth for his first big league homer.Weaver (0-3) went only three innings, allowing two runs and two hits with three strikeouts and one walk.''Obviously a frustrating night because we had a lot of momentum coming in here,'' Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. ''I thought offensively we were really prepared. We walked in here feeling good about scoring some runs. You get shut out, it's not something you really want to watch or go through from a player's standpoint. So we've got to regroup the troops, have a good approach tomorrow and see what that can lead to.''We clipped Luke Weaver a little short,'' Lovullo said. ''I know there's probably a lot of curiosity about that. It was by design and then the bullpen took over from there.'' Lovullo said the Diamondbacks limited Weaver because he's struggled in the fourth and fifth innings of outings.''It's part of the game,'' Weaver said. ''We're trying to win ballgames, trying to get guys in the right situations, the right spots in order to move on down the road and to be at their best. After some discussions, we felt like this was a good way to go. Ultimately Torey makes that decision. I just try to do the best I can to improve.'' TRAINER'S ROOMPadres: Manger Jayce Tingler said there's a good chance 1B Eric Hosmer will be activated from the injured list on Saturday. He's been out with a stomach ailment.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Merrill Kelly (1-1, 2.63) is scheduled to start Saturday night. He took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning at Texas on July 28. He was 3-1 with a 3.71 ERA in five starts against San Diego in 2019, including winning his MLB debut on April 1, allowing three runs in six innings of a 10-3 victory.Padres: RHP Chris Paddack (2-0, 2.65) is scheduled to make his fourth start. He beat Arizona at home on opening day, throwing six scoreless innings in a 7-2 win.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Familiar foes Padres, Diamondbacks meet againCrazy things are happening in this unpredictable 60-game Major League Baseball season.For example, the San Diego Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park. The two teams opened the season with a four-game series at Petco Park, meaning they meet only once more this season . . . next weekend at Chase Field in Phoenix.Meaning that less than halfway into the shortened season, the National League West rivals will be done with one another.And just two days ago, tonight's series opener looked to be a pitching rematch of the season's fourth game -- left-hander Joey Lucchesi starting for the Padres against Arizona right-hander Luke Weaver.Well, Weaver will be facing the Padres a second time.But Lucchesi is not only not starting in his regular No. 4 spot in the Padres rotation, he's not currently on the major-league roster. Lucchesi and outfielder-designated hitter Josh Naylor were dispatched to the Padres alternate camp Thursday as major league teams trimmed their rosters to 28 players.There were strong hints regarding Lucchesi's status as early as Monday when Padres manager Jayce Tingler listed Friday night's starter as TBA. On Wednesday night, Tingler announced the Padres were skipping Lucchesi and going to No. 5 starter Zach Davies for the opener against the Diamondbacks -- setting up the possibility that top-of-the-rotation starters Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet would get a second shot at the Diamondbacks on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.Davies will be facing the Diamondbacks for the first time this season. The right-hander is 1-1 after his first two starts, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 10 innings.The 6-foot, 27-year-old Davies was acquired with starting center fielder Trent Grisham from Milwaukee during the offseason in exchange for rookie second baseman Luis Urias and left-handed starting pitcher Eric Lauer. He has a 3-2 career record in five starts against the Diamondbacks with a 4.13 earned run average and a 1.235 WHIP. He has given up 15 runs (13 earned) to the Diamondbacks on 26 hits and nine walks against 14 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings."I love the way Zach competes," Tingler said during spring training. "He works the plate and the count. He knows how to spot pitches and doesn't beat himself." Meanwhile, Lucchesi had an 8.44 ERA in his first two starts of 2020 -- giving up five runs on 11 hits and two walks in just 5 1/3 innings. The Padres won his first start on July 27 against Arizona. But he lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter.Weaver gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks in just 3 1/3 innings in the same game and was tagged with the loss. The 26-year-old is 0-2 after his first two starts of 2020 with a 14.73 ERA and a 2.592 WHIP -- giving up 12 runs on 14 hits and five walks with 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.But the Diamondbacks are 4-5 since leaving San Diego the first time. And they are coming off two straight wins against Houston, capped by Thursday's 5-4 walk-off victory on Kole Calhoun's two-run double in the bottom of the ninth."Good wins can lead to good runs," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We're playing better with two straight wins over a good team." --Field Level Media
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