Jackson Merrill knocked in four runs and Gavin Sheets homered to spark a four-run seventh that allowed the San Diego Padres to rally for a 7-4 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
Playing in front of the largest Opening Day crowd in Petro Park’s 22-season history – 45,568 – San Diego trailed 4-3 before victimizing Hector Neris (0-1) and the Atlanta bullpen. Sheets drilled a pinch-hit, 405-foot shot over the center-field wall to tie the game.
Elias Diaz and Fernando Tatis Jr. singled to put runners at the corners. Reliever Aaron Bummer came in and allowed the tiebreaking sacrifice fly to Luis Arraez, then an RBI double by Manny Machado. After an intentional walk to Xander Bogaerts, he and Machado orchestrated a double steal that preceded Merrill’s sacrifice fly to cap the big inning.
Wandy Peralta (1-0) got the last out of the top of the seventh on one pitch to earn the win, and Robert Suarez closed it out in the ninth for the save. San Diego’s bullpen shouldered 6 1/3 innings of work after Michael King struggled in his 2 2/3 innings.
Making his first Opening Day start, King was touched for three runs on four hits and four walks, fanning three and throwing 76 pitches. Braves starter Chris Sale left with a 4-3 lead after yielding six hits, a walk and three runs in five innings, striking out seven.
Atlanta initiated scoring in the first when Ozzie Albies reached on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded and one out, plating Jurickson Profar. Albies was originally called out but the call was overturned via replay review.
That lead didn’t last long as Merrill poked a two-run, two-out, two-strike single into center in the bottom of the inning to score Tatis and Machado. Albies gave the Braves a 3-2 lead in the third, clouting a long two-run homer halfway up the seats in right.
Merrill tied it in the bottom of the inning with an RBI groundout but Austin Riley put Atlanta up 4-3 in the fourth with a homer to left-center.
