SAN DIEGO – There was no need for late inning heroics on Wednesday night, as Xander Bogaerts’ three-run first inning home run proved all the San Diego Padres needed in a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Petco Park.
That would be all Padres (27-15) starter Randy Vásquez needed as he matched his season highs with six innings pitched and five strikeouts, conceding four hits and one run as he matched his season-low of one walk to earn his third win of the season.
“(Vásquez) and (catcher Martín) Maldonado have been working together really well together controlling counts, moving the ball around,” said manager Mike Shildt. “He’s changing speeds, the cutter has been good…(it) was really effective for him getting up barrels and controlling counts and getting lead outs.”
Bogaerts continued his productive run of form of the last 10 days by squaring up a middle low changeup on the ninth pitch of the at bat and launched it 393 feet out to left field for his third long ball of the year.
“It feels good to get one where they can’t reach it,” Bogaerts said. “(It’s) a nice bounce back series win.”
He has 12 RBIs over the stretch, as the two-out blast brought home Luis Arraez and Manny Machado, who had singled back-to-back.
“(Bogaerts) is really driving the ball, he’s on balance and he’s driving balls to all parts of the field,” Shildt said. “He’s in a nice stretch…the numbers could be even greater because he’s really smoked some balls.”
The run was Machado’s 500th in the Brown and Gold, joining Dave Winfield and Tony Gwynn as the only players to accomplish the feat. Machado finished the night 2-for-2 with a pair of singles, two walks and two runs scored.
Brandon Lockridge added two runs of insurance in the eighth as he lined a bases-loaded single over the glove of Zach Neto with two outs. It was the second straight night that San Diego took advantage of late inning shakiness by the Angels (17-25), as reliever Jose Fermin had a pair of walks and Yoán Moncada made an error to load it up before allowing the pair of unearned runs.
Robert Suarez had a bounce back performance in a non-save situation in the ninth, sitting the Angels down in order with a pair of strikeouts — including an emphatic punchout with an outside corner sinker for the final out.
After Padres pitchers crossed up the Angels offense the first two games of the series with a majority of off speed as out pitches, Vásquez picked up three with a cutter averaging 89.6 MPH and got another with his 92.8 MPH sinker.
“It gave me the ability to say ‘hey, everything that I practice I’ll be able to use it now and I’ll be able to ease my through these innings,'” Vasquez said when asked about how the early home run helped his pitching effort.
He has notched 13 Ks over his past three starts, three more than his first six starts combined.
The lone Los Angeles run came on a solo home run by Taylor Ward in the second inning. The only other time the Angels got a runner in scoring position was the third when Mitchell Lugo led off with a double, but Vásquez held him at third with a foul out and an inning-ending strikeout.
Relievers Alek Jacob and Adrian Morejon each faced the minimum, with Jacob getting Lugo to ground into a double play that Jake Cronenworth turned with a spinning tag on the runner then zipping the throw to first.
Kyle Hendricks took his fifth loss of the season for the Angels as he gave up five hits and three runs with four strikeouts and a walk.
San Diego has an off day on Thursday and will play the Seattle Mariners in the first official game of the Vedder Cup series on Friday night. Stephen Kolek (2-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the ball for the Padres, with Seattle’s starter to be determined for the 6:40 p.m. first pitch at Petco Park.
This story was updated at 10:08 p.m.