The Padres, led by Joe Musgrove, defeated the Texas Rangers 7-1 Friday at Petco Park on a night that opened with the team’s Hall of Fame ceremony.
Musgrove has had his way with the Rangers before – he threw the Padres’ first-ever no hitter against Texas two years ago – and though he wasn’t no-hitter worthy Friday, he went six innings, giving up no runs and four hits.
Manager Bob Melvin said Musgrove “mixed it up a little bit as the game went on,” relying more on his changeup and dropping in his fastball when needed, “kinda doing what he’s (been) doing here for quite a while now.”
And the team, fresh off dropping two of three to the Pirates, did not falter despite facing one of the best teams in baseball all season, the Rangers, leaders in the American League West.
They were up 3-0 until a sixth-inning rally when they put four more on the board – with some help from sloppy Ranger play in the outfield – including run-scoring hits by Gary Sanchez, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.
Tatis also homered, in the fifth.
There’s more than baseball going on this weekend. It’s also a key test of what the Padres, at four games below .500, are willing to do in advance of Tuesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
They have made a splash the last few seasons, but with this year’s team seemingly always on the cusp of a run – though never quite making it – it has been an ongoing argument among fans – do the Friars buy or sell?
Meanwhile, the team inducted 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy into the Padres Hall of Fame, fittingly with Musgrove, who wears No. 44 in his honor, on the mound, but also with Bruce Bochy, his one-time manager, in town with the Rangers.
Former team owner John Moores, who pressed for a new ballpark in San Diego while the Padres still played at Qualcomm Stadium, also was inducted.
Both shared their emotions with the Petco crowd. Peavy told fans, according to MLB.com, that “it was an honor to put a uniform on and play for you as a San Diego Padre, the honor of a lifetime. Like a dream.” Moores said, “it’s impossible to describe the emotion right now that I have, being in this ballpark … It’s really special.”
Yu Darvish is set to start Saturday, followed by Blake Snell – incidentally one of the Padres’ main chips should they choose to enter the market as sellers.
