SAN DIEGO — It took just one swing by Manny Machado in the first inning to give the San Diego Padres all the runs they’d need to avoid being swept by the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox.
Machado hit a two-run home run — his first in more than three weeks — and left-hander Joey Lucchesi pitched five decent innings in the Padres’ 3-1 win Sunday.
Machado, the $300 million slugger, drove a pitch from left-hander Brian Johnson for his 27th homer to give the Padres a 3-0 lead.
It was the third straight hit off Johnson to open the inning. Manuel Margot hit a leadoff double, stole third and scored on Francisco Mejia’s single.
Machado hadn’t connected since July 30 in a home loss to his original team, the Baltimore Orioles.
“You’ve got to come out with some wins,” Machado said. “Today we started off the game giving our pitchers a nice little lead early on and our pitching staff, Joey, everyone that came out of the ‘pen, they did their job today. They held that lead. It was big to come out with a win.”
It was the Padres’ 190th homer of the season, setting the franchise’s season record.
Lucchesi (9-7) allowed one run and three hits in five innings, struck out three and walked two.
“I came out with the mindset of just hitting the glove, attacking,” Lucchesi said. “It feels great, man. Feels great for the team. Super happy.”
He said being handed the early lead was “a confidence booster, for sure. I was already motivated, just attack, attack. But it makes me feel really good when your team puts up three automatically.”
His only big mistake was allowing J.D. Martinez’s 411-foot home run into the top balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner for Boston’s first hit of the game with two outs in the fourth. It was his 31st.
In the previous inning, Martinez tracked down rookie Ty France’s double into the left field corner and threw to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who nailed Eric Hosmer trying to score from first to end the frame.
Rookie Andres Muñoz struck out Martinez with runners on the corners to end the eighth.
Kirby Yates bounced back after taking the loss Saturday night, pitching a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 37th save in 40 chances.
Johnson (1-3) went three innings, allowing three runs and four hits while walking three and striking out one.
“They only scored three runs,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We didn’t do much offensively today. We didn’t generate too much pressure on them, and that was the game.”
Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. made a spectacular leaping catch of Luis Urias’ fly ball at the top of the wall in center field opening the fourth, grabbing the wall briefly with his right hand to steady himself.
“Just get back there and time up my leap,” Bradley said. “I didn’t have to necessarily get on the wall, but it’s one of those ones where the wind is blowing out a little bit, so I’d rather get up there and ask questions later.”
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (11-10, 5.49) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game series at Colorado.
Padres: LHP Eric Lauer (6-8, 4.47) is scheduled to start Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the runaway NL West leaders. The Dodgers are expected to counter with rookie RHP Dustin May (1-2, 4.26).
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Brock Holt homered on All-Star closer Kirby Yates’ first pitch of the ninth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 victory against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.
The defending World Series champion Red Sox blew a 4-0 lead before Holt put them ahead again by hitting his third homer of the season to open the ninth. The ball sailed over right fielder Hunter Renfroe and into the Home Run Deck. Yates dropped to 0-4. The Red Sox have beaten the Padres in seven of their last eight meetings and lead the overall series 14-6.
Matt Barnes (4-4) pitched the eighth for the win and Brandon Workman pitched the ninth for his eighth save. Workman struck out Eric Hosmer for the final out with runners on first and second.
Boston took a 4-0 lead against Dinelson Lamet after four innings but the Padres chased Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi during the three-run fourth and tied it in the seventh against two relievers.
Luis Urias opened the seventh with a walk and advanced when pinch-hitter Francisco Mejia was hit by a pitch by Ryan Brasier, who was replaced by Josh Taylor. Rookie pinch-hitter Ty France singled to left to bring in Urias with the tying run.