PHOENIX — Luis Arraez had four hits and an RBI in his first game after being traded from Miami, Ha-Seong Kim hit a three-run homer in San Diego's eight-run seventh inning and the Padres routed the listless Arizona Diamondbacks 13-1 on Saturday.
The Padres made a massive deal before the game, acquiring Arraez from the Marlins along with nearly $7.9 million in a trade for four players. The two-time batting champion didn't join his new team until about 3:30 p.m., but wasted no time in producing, going 4 for 6 while scoring two runs.
“Clearly an amazing approach and I can see why he is the rightful moniker of ‘The Sprinkler,’" Padres manager Mike Shildt said. "You're talking about he's an artist being able to put the ball in the whole field. That was a sight to behold. What a talent.”
Arraez wasn't the only San Diego player seeing the ball well at Chase Field.
Jurickson Profar had a two-run homer in the seventh inning among his four hits and Kim followed with a three-run shot. Manny Machado had three RBIs and Michael King (3-3) allowed six singles in six innings for San Diego's season-high fourth straight victory. The Padres had 18 hits.
“I absolutely love him,” King said about Arraez. “He's a sparkplug who's a really tough out and just finds the bases. It's going to be really fun to see him with the guys we have behind him.”
The Diamondbacks would love to put this week behind them.
Arizona had two runners picked off at first in the first inning and didn't get a runner past second base until Gabriel Moreno's two-out, run-scoring single in the ninth. The reigning NL champion Diamondbacks have been outscored 28-2 since a walk-off 4-3 victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday and have lost seven of nine.
“It's obvious right now we're grinding, things are not going well and we just aren't getting the job done,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You go to work and you have a bad week at work — it happens. But we've got to find a way to shorten up that gap, when we're not playing good baseball to find a way to win a game.”
Arraez led off his first game with the Padres by hitting the second pitch by Brandon Pfaadt (1-2) into the corner in right for a double. He scored on Machado's single for San Diego's 32nd run in the first inning this season, second most in the majors to Philadelphia's 37.
“He got us going and kept us going,” Shildt said.
The Diamondbacks got off to a much shakier start.
Arizona had two singles in the first inning, but Jack McCarthy got picked off by King and Ketel Marte was thrown out by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. after rounding first too far.
Fielding caused the Diamondbacks problems in the fourth inning.
Shortstop Blaze Alexander had a fielding error on a potential double play ball, then threw late to the plate when Profar took off from third on Luis Campusano's grounder. Arraez's single to left put San Diego up 3-0.
The Padres chased Pfaadt in the seventh inning and blew the game open against Arizona's bullpen, sending 14 batters to plate. Pfaadt allowed five runs on 10 hits in six innings.
“We're a team trying to get back on its high horse and certainly it didn't work out today,” Pfaadt said. Certainly, we'll try to look forward to tomorrow and try to get back on the horse."
UP NEXT
San Diego RHP Matt Waldron (1-3, 4.35 ERA) faces Arizona RHP Rhyne Nelson (1-2, 4.60) in the series finale Sunday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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