Giants Bats Go Silent In Season Opener; Padres Win 2-0
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Manny Machado went hitless in his first game with the San Diego Padres and Fernando Tatis Jr. singled twice in his big league debut, a 2-0 opening win over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Wil Myers homered off Madison Bumgarner in the start of a new era for the Padres, who popped above .500 for the first time since June 8, 2015.
The Padres signaled their intentions to move beyond the rebuilding stage when they signed Machado to a $300 million, 10-year contract early in spring training. They then promoted Tatis Jr., whose father played in the big leagues for parts of 11 seasons, giving fans some hope after years of futility. San Diego hasn't had a winning season since 2010.
Machado got a standing ovation as he walked to the batter's box for the first time with the Padres. The crowd booed when he took strike one, and the All-Star slugger struck out on three pitches. He struck out on a foul tip his next time up and then grounded into a double play.
Tatis Jr. singled to left in his first big league at-bat, bouncing a ball over the glove of diving third baseman Evan Longoria in the second inning. The 20-year-old bunted for a hit his next time up, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Tatis's parents and siblings traveled from the Dominican Republic for the opener.
Tatis became the youngest player with a multihit game on opening day since Milwaukee's Robin Yount in 1975.
Myers, batting in the No. 2 spot, just ahead of Machado, hit a 456-foot drive to right-center off Bumgarner (0-1) with two outs in the third. Myers added an RBI single in the sixth.
Left-hander Eric Lauer (1-0), a 23-year-old who was on an opening-day roster for the first time, threw six innings of four-hit ball. Bumgarner (0-1) struck out nine while allowing two runs and five hits in seven innings.
It was the beginning of the end for Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who announced in spring training that he will retire at the end of this season, his 25th as a big league manager. He managed the Padres from 1995 until being pushed out after a playoffs loss to St. Louis in 2006. While San Diego hasn't been back to the postseason since, Bochy was snapped up by the Giants and managed them to three World Series titles in five seasons starting in 2010.
Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for the save.
YOUNG ONE
At 20 years, 85 days, Fernando Tatis Jr. is the youngest Padres player to play on opening day and the youngest to play in a game since Roberto Alomar in 1988. He is the fifth-youngest Padres player ever.
UP NEXT
Giants: LHP Derek Holland, who was 7-9 with a 3.57 ERA last year, gets the start Friday night.
Padres: LHP Joey Lucchesi, 8-9 with a 4.08 ERA as a rookie last year, is scheduled to start the second game of the four-game series.
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