Cincinnati starter Reiver Sanmartin gave up seven straight hits to open the fourth, including a three-run home run to Eric Hosmer.
Sanmartin (0-3) was charged with all eight runs, even though Jeff Hoffman replaced him with the bases loaded and gave up a three-run triple to Jake Cronenworth.
Sanmartin’s earned run average exploded to 10.91 and piled more points on the ERA of Cincinnati’s starting pitchers, highest in the majors.
The Padres swept three games from the Reds last week and have won 10 of the last 11 games against the Reds over the last two seasons.
The Reds gave Sanmartin a 1-0 lead in the second. Nick Senzel singled with two outs. He took second when San Diego catcher Austin Nola hit batter Colin Moran’s bat on his throw back to the pitcher. He scored on Moran’s single.
Sanmartin rertired the first eight Padres before No. 9 hitter Ha-Seong Kim homered with two outs in the third.
The home run was the first hit by either team in the last four games at GABP. Four games in a row without either team homering has never happened at GABP.
Then came the other-wordly fourth inning and here is how it unfolded:
Cronenworth singled. Manny Machado singled. Jurickson Profar doubled (2-1). Hosmer homered off the right field foul pole, his first home run (5-1).
Wil Myers beat an infield hit to second base. Luis Campusano singled. Trent Grisham beat an infield single to second base, filling the bases. Kim walked on four pitches, forcing in a run (6-1).
Hoffman replaced Sanmartin and coaxed a shallow fly ball to right for the first out. Cronenworth tripled to the right field corner for three runs (9-1). Hoffman retired the next two to end the inning.
The inning: Eight runs, eight hits, one walk, one strikeout.
Blessed with a 9-1 lead, San Diego starter Joe Musgrove (3-0, 2.16) struggled a bit.
The Padres set a major league record by starting the season with 16 straight games without making an error. They made two in the Reds fourth that led to two runs.
Joey Votto walked and Kyle Farmer singled, the only hit of the inning. Senzel reached when catcher Nola hit Senzel’s bat on a pitch — catcher’s interference, an error --- and Senzel was awarded first base that loaded the bases.
Moran grounded into a fielder’s choice, but shortstop Kim’s throw to first to complete a double play went awry. The wild throw for an error permitted two runs to score.
The Reds scored two more in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Jonathan India, fresh off the injured list, and Tyler Naquin. A ground ball by Votto plated the second run and the Reds were within 9-5.
But the San Diego bullpen of Steven Wilson and Luis Garcia retired six straight through the seventh and eighth.
Senzel led off the ninth against Robert Suarez with a home run down the left field line to cut San Diego’s lead to 9-6.
But Moran popped to center, Aramis Garcia struck out and Jake Fraley grounded out to end it.
The play of the night, though, was recorded by a fan behind the third base dugout. Jacob Kingsley was feeding formula out of a baby bottle to his infant son. A pop foul came his way and he stuck up his right hand and caught the ball … still holding the infant in his left hand, still feeding it its formula.
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