The San Diego Padres claimed a doubleheader win over the Colorado Rockies at home at Petco Park on Tuesday. The Padres won the matches 13-5 and 3-2.
The first win was secured by Jurickson Profar, who hit his career-high of five hits and two runs, while the second win was decided by Trent Grisham’s second home run that day in the ninth inning. With the two-game losses in one day, the Rockies are now 0-2 in their four-game series.
Before securing the win, Padres obtained Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals in one of the biggest trades in baseball history. His acquisition was announced by team officials a few minutes before the first game. Together with Soto, Josh Bell is one player that was exchanged for MacKenzie Gore, Luke Volt, James Wood, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, and Jarlin Susana.
Padres’ player comments on doubleheader win
Grisham, who secured the late-game homer, said that he was worried about the second game. However, he said he was thrilled by the doubleheader sweep. Grisham already scored 13 homers this season for the Padres.
“It was pretty low. I was kind of worried, so I’m glad it got out,” he said. “It was a long day, a fruitful day.”
In the match, it was Grisham’s ball that flew to right field from Rockies reliever Alex Colome that secured the 3-2 win in the ninth. The 25-year-old outfielder said that it was the Soto and Bell trade effect that allowed the Padres to secure the doubleheader sweep, especially the first win that also made Profar the match MVP with two singles.
“Anytime you can come up big for your team is huge,” Grisham said. “(The trades) definitely played a part in the first game. In the second game, it was all will.”
The crowd of 23,828 at Petco Park cheered when Soto and Bell appeared on the video board before the game. With the trade announced, manager Bob Melvin said he was excited about getting Soto and Bell as additions to the team.
“You’re talking about a premier player, and you look at what Josh Bell is doing this year, too. Those are two big bats that will be somewhere in the middle of the order. I did a little scouting in my own head what it might look like come tomorrow,” Melvin said.
Melvin said that another trade forced him to take the decision, which was the departure of the first baseman Eric Hosmer, who did not want to extend the contract. Hosmer declined to waive a no-trade provision, allowing him to be sent to Nationals.
“But you know what? It’s baseball. You’ve got to be a pro and you’ve got to go out there and continue to play,” Melvin said. “We’ve got some really good players coming in here and everybody knows that. Once they took the field, it’s all about winning, playing hard, and winning baseball games,” he said.
Besides Soto and Bell, the Padres also obtained Brandon Drury from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for SS Victor Acosta.