PHOENIX — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth hit back-to-back home runs, Dylan Cease pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and the San Diego Padres won their third straight game, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Friday night.
Manny Machado hit a two-run homer. Cronenworth finished with three extra-base hits, adding two doubles.
The Diamondbacks lost 10 consecutive series openers after defeating the Colorado Rockies on opening day.
D-backs pitcher Slade Cecconi (1-2) retired the first nine batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the fourth. Jurickson Profar walked to start the inning and Tatis launched a shot to left center — his seventh home run of the season.
Cronenworth followed with another home run to make it 3-0 and rookie Jackson Merrill broke an 0-for-20 streak at the plate with an RBI double for a 4-0 lead.
It was Cronenworth’s second consecutive game with a home run. He hit a grand slam in the team’s 6-2 victory over the Reds on Wednesday.
Cecconi couldn’t get out of the fifth, giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings.
That was a big endorsement for Cease (4-2), the strong right-hander who gave up just one run on three hits and struck out eight.
Machado made it 7-0 in the fifth with a two-run homer to left center off reliever Matt Bowman. The line burn came off Machado’s bat at 111.7 mph.
The D-backs – defending National League champions – have lost 10 of their last 15 games and dropped to 14-19 on the season.
Arizona finished with just three hits. Eugenio Suárez had an RBI single in the fifth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Coach Torey Lovullo told reporters that closer Paul Sewald (oblique) and OF Alex Thomas (hamstring) could return to the active roster as early as Tuesday against the Reds.
NEXT
The D-backs will pitch RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 4.63 ERA) while the Padres will counter with RHP Michael King (2-3, 5.00 ERA) on Saturday night.
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APMLB:
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