Juan Soto hits 2-run homer, Joe Musgrove wins 8th straight decision as Padres beat Blue Jays 9-1

By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

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.

“We’ve just got to be consistent,” Soto said. “It’s been like that the whole year. We have games like this and then we come back and we don’t do anything. We’ve just got to keep the same pace every day.”

Musgrove (9-2) allowed one run and five hits. He walked one and struck out seven.

Musgrove said he felt a slight strain in his left adductor early in the game but was able to continue.

“We monitored it pretty good,” Musgrove said. “I don’t think it’s going to limit anything. I plan on doing everything normal tomorrow.”

Musgrove is 8-0 with a 1.76 ERA in his past 10 starts. He’s struck out 61 batters over 61 1/3 innings in that stretch.

“He’s just a tough guy and he knows he needs to be there for his team,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said.

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.

Grisham made it 7-1 with a homer off Mitch White in the eighth, his 10th.

Sánchez and Jake Cronenworth each had two RBIs for the Padres, who are 37-7 when scoring five or more.

“The offense was banging on all cylinders tonight,” Musgrove said.

Melvin praised his lineup for adding runs late in the game. San Diego is 5-16 in one-run games and 16-29 in games decided by one or two.

“It’s the close ones that are going to tell us where we’re going to end up going,” Melvin said.

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.

“I don’t think it was a step backwards,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Line looked worse than it really was.”

Manoah needed 41 pitches to get through the first and gave up four runs on three hits and five walks in three-plus innings.

“I would have liked to be in the zone a little bit more,” Manoah said. “I’ve just got to continue to compete.”

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.

“I don’t think Pete said anything that would’ve got you thrown out of a 10-year-old travel ball park,” Manoah said.

HE’S HOT

Machado leads the majors with nine home runs and 19 RBIs in 13 games in July.

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, 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 Berríos (8-6, 3.41 ERA) starts Wednesday against Padres RHP Yu Darvish (6-6, 4.85).

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