David Peralta hits 1st homer of the season, helps the Padres beat the Rangers 6-4
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — David Peralta hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning for his first of the season in the San Diego Padres’ 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.
The 427-foot drive into the Texas bullpen in right-center field helped give the Padres their 10th win in 13 games. San Diego ended the Rangers’ three-game home shutout streak on Manny Machado’s two-run shot in the third.
Jurickson Profar had two hits on the night he was named an All-Star for the first time as an NL starter. The nod came almost 12 years after Profar made his major league debut as a 19-year-old for the Rangers, with him in the city of his original team, and where the All-Star Game will be held July 16.
Corey Seager had a tying RBI double in the third inning as a late add to the lineup for Texas. The star shortstop had missed the previous two games after getting hit by a pitch on the left wrist in Baltimore.
The Rangers led 4-2 in the fifth when Profar scored on a dribbler down the third base line from rookie Jackson Merrill. The ball bounced over the bag, landed in foul territory and was ruled fair by crew chief Alfonso Márquez at third.
Luis Arraez’s tying single in the sixth set the stage for Peralta, who is playing for his fourth team in three seasons after a seven-year run with Arizona. He started this season in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system.
The 36-year-old Venezuelan jumped on a changeup from starter-turned-reliever Dane Dunning (4-7) and raised his right arm while approaching second base as the Rangers’ six-game home winning streak ended.
Left-handed reliever Adrián Morejón (2-1) retired all five batters he faced after rookie Japanese lefty Yuki Matsui got all four of his outs on strikeouts.
Robert Suarez struck out two while getting the last four outs for his 21st save.
Machado’s 11th homer and fourth in seven games — off Texas starter Jon Gray — ended a three-game home shutout streak for the Rangers and put the Padres up 2-0 in the third.
Seager’s tying double came in the bottom of the third after Leody Taveras’ sacrifice fly, and the Rangers went in front when Josh Smith lined a pitch to just about the same spot as Seager in the right field corner.
Smith moved down to third in the order as Seager slid into his usual No. 2 spot, and also switched to third base, where he has spent most of the season filling in for the injured Josh Jung except when he’s been needed to replace Seager.
UP NEXT
RHP Max Scherzer (1-1, 1.74 ERA) makes his third start of the season for Texas in the series finale. RHP Michael King (6-5, 3.61) is scheduled for the Padres. Scherzer has been solid since his return from offseason back surgery and a setback involving a nerve issue.
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