Yu Darvish extends scoreless innings streak to 25 in Padres’ 9-0 rout of Braves
By BILL TROCCHI
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Yu Darvish dominated a slumping Braves offense and extended his career-high scoreless innings streak to 25 while earning his 200th professional win as the San Diego Padres hammered Atlanta 9-1 on Sunday night.
Darvish (4-1) gave up only two hits, struck out nine and walked one on 99 pitches in seven innings, and lowered his ERA to 2.08.
He became the third Japanese-born pitcher to reach 200 career wins between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball, joining Hiroki Huroda (203) and Hideo Nomo (201). Darvish, who has won his last four starts, has 107 major league victories and 93 in the NPB.
Jake Cronenworth, Luis Campusano and Ha-Saeong Kim all hit home runs for the Padres, who entered with no extra-base hits in their previous three games. Jurickson Profar was 3 for 4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.
Luis Arraez was 2 for 4 with a walk, a run and a stolen base to extend his on-base streak to 23 games, the longest active stretch in the majors.
Atlanta starter Bryce Elder (1-2) struggled from the outset and allowed six earned runs in three innings. He gave up nine hits and walked three, and struck out three.
Braves reserve shortstop Luke Williams pitched a perfect ninth.
Meanwhile, the Padres’ pitching has dominated the Braves through the first two games of the four-game series, limiting Atlanta to two runs and 11 hits while recording 29 strikeouts.
San Diego took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Cronenworth hit a two-run homer into the Chop House restaurant in right field with two outs. Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill all followed with singles to drive in the third run.
The Padres added four runs in the fourth, helped by a dropped fly ball by Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a two-run double, Profar had a run-scoring double and Bogaerts had a sacrifice fly on what would have been the third out had Acuña not dropped Machado’s sinking fly in the previous at-bat.
UP NEXT
The Braves and Padres will play a doubleheader Monday to finish the four-game series due to Saturday’s rainout. In the opening game, Braves RHP Reynaldo Lopez (2-1, 1.34) will face Padres RHP Dylan Cease (5-3, 2.45). In the nightcap, it will be LHP Chris Sale (6=1, 2.54) for Atlanta against San Diego’s Randy Vasquez (0-2, 6.32).
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