SAN DIEGO — Chase Headley hit a two-run homer and Anthony Rizzo had a triple and scored a run in his big league debut as the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 on Thursday night.
Rizzo, one of three prospects obtained from Boston for All-Star Adrian Gonzalez in December, was called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Tucson. He started at first base and batted seventh, hitting a triple off the fence in center field in his second at-bat and scoring on Chris Denorfia’s infield single. Rizzo went 1 for 2 with two walks.
Livan Hernandez (3-8) tied for the major league lead with his eighth loss. He is 0-6 in his last eight starts overall and 0-6 in his eight road starts. He’s also 0-6 in eight career starts at Petco Park.
Hernandez did make a terrific play by catching Denorfia’s screaming line drive in the third. Hernandez sprawled on his backside on the mound after making the catch, taking off his glove and looking at his hand.
Hernandez allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings, struck out four and walked one.
San Diego’s Aaron Harang (7-2) went six innings, holding Washington two runs and six hits while striking out four and walking three. The seven wins are his most since 2007 with Cincinnati.
Rizzo tripled off the wall in center leading off the fifth and scored with two outs when Denorfia beat out an infield single. Rizzo had one triple during his five seasons in the minors, including this year with Tucson. Rizzo earned the promotion by batting .365 with a .715 slugging percentage, .444 on-base percentage, 16 homers and 63 RBIs at Tucson.
In his first at-bat, Rizzo was punched out by umpire John Hirschbeck on a strike that appeared to be inside.
Headley ended the longest homerless streak in his career with an opposite-field shot to left-center in the first inning. It was his second of the season and first since April 2, a span of 194 at-bats and 229 plate appearances.
The Padres scored three runs in the sixth, when they chased Hernandez. Brad Hawpe had an RBI single, pinch-hitter Kyle Phillips drew a bases-loaded walk and pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe hit a sacrifice fly.
Harang threw 24 pitches in the first inning, allowing a triple and a walk but no runs. The Nationals loaded the bases with no outs in the second and got only one run, on a sacrifice fly by Alex Cora. Hernandez’s sacrifice was the second out and Rick Ankiel fouled out. Alex Cora had a sacrifice fly in the second and Michael Morse an RBI single in the sixth.
Nationals pinch-hitter Wilson Ramos homered with two outs in the ninth, his fifth. It was his first career pinch homer.
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