SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tommy Pham hit a solo homer with two outs in the first inning Tuesday night, just as he did in Monday night’s series opener between Cincinnati and San Diego.
And just like Monday night, the Padres answered with Austin Nola hitting a leadoff single and Manny Machado driving a two-run homer into the left-field seats.
That was a big boost for Joe Musgrove, who pitched effectively into the seventh inning to help the Padres win 6-2 and hand the beat-up Reds their eighth straight loss.
“It’s starting to get to the point where we expect it out of him,” Musgrove said of Machado. “He’s such a good player. He prepares better than anybody I’ve played with. He’s built for those moments. I know that’s not a high-leverage pressure situation, but going down early, he waits till he gets his pitch and puts us right back in the lead is huge.
“Manny’s a huge part of this offense and it feels like when he’s going, everybody’s going,” said Musgrove, who has reached the sixth inning in each of his first three starts for the first time in his career.
The reeling Reds lost another player to injury when catcher Tyler Stephenson was knocked out of the game after a collision with Luke Voit in the first.
Voit slammed into Stephenson’s head as he slid into the plate while trying to score from first on Jurickson Profar’s double. Stephenson held onto the ball for the out but was on the ground for several minutes. He was able to walk to the dugout.
The Reds challenged the call, but umpires ruled the play was clean.
“The ball takes him right into Luke,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “There’s nowhere to go, and I think Luke was just trying to protect himself putting his hands up. I think they got it right.”
Aramis Garcia moved from designated hitter to catcher, meaning the Reds lost their DH for the rest of the game.
The Padres extended their major league record with 13 consecutive errorless games to open a season.
Musgrove (2-0), who grew up in suburban El Cajon, held the Reds to two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
“When the offense puts up a couple runs early it allows me to go out there and be aggressive without the worry of a solo shot taking the lead or anything like that,” Musgrove said. “Whenever I get a lead I’m attacking the zone a little more aggressively and it has a lot to do with the offense.
“I feel I compete really well even without run support, but with run support I feel I’m a whole different animal pitching.”
Cincinnati starter Reiver Sanmartin (0-2) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
After the collision at the plate, Eric Hosmer hit a two-out single to bring in Profar. The Padres added on with RBI doubles by Wil Myers and José Azocar in the fourth.
Kyle Farmer hit an RBI single for the Reds in the sixth. They chased Musgrove in the seventh on Joey Votto’s leadoff single and Colin Moran’s one-out walk.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Placed 2B Jonathan India on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 16, and INF Mike Moustakas on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 18. Recalled OF TJ Friedl from Triple-A Louisville and selected the contract of INF/OF JT Riddle from Louisville.
