MIAMI (AP) - The Padres could only watch Giancarlo Stanton’s big blast. Someday they’ll be the ones putting on an offensive show.
It just hasn’t happened yet, as San Diego came up short at the plate again in an 8-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday.
Yasmani Grandal and Jedd Gyorko each had two hits for the Padres, who have scored eight runs in four games.
“That’s something that can get a little bit overplayed,” Gyorko said. “We have 700 at-bats coming so you can’t look too much into things at this point.”
The Padres had a chance to cut into a 5-0 deficit in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out, but couldn’t push a run across.
“We get a base hit there and it’s at least 5-2 and we still have the inning going,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “That was critical for us, we just couldn’t get the big tonight. That was our best opportunity.”
Jarrod Saltalamacchia had three hits and drove in a pair of runs and Adeiny Hechavarria had a career-high four hits for the Marlins, who have won four of five to start the season.
Tom Koehler (1-0) pitched six innings allowing two runs and Brad Hand pitched three scoreless innings in relief for his first career save.
The pitch wasn’t where Stults had in mind.
“I just threw a fastball down the middle,” said Stults, who allowed five runs in four innings. “I was trying to throw a fastball in and just didn’t get it to my spot.”
It was Stanton’s second home run and now has nine RBIs through five games while hitting .350.
Casey McGehee had two RBI’s pushing his total to 10, which is the most by any Marlin in the first five games of the season. McGehee had a sacrifice fly as part of a three-run third inning to stretch the lead to 5-0 and had an RBI single in the eighth to cap the scoring for Miami.
Garrett Jones also had an RBI double and Marcell Ozuna drove in a run for the Marlins.
Yonder Alonso and Gyorko drove in the runs for the Padres.
“It’s so big in this game to get into a rhythm and they had it going early and we didn’t,” Alonso said.
NOTES: Grandal, a Miami native, reached base four times and had approximately 150 friends and family members in attendance. . Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Brandon Albert threw out the ceremonial first pitch. . Marlins 21-year old ace RHP Jose Fernandez (1-0, 1.50) will make his second start of the season on Saturday against Padres RHP Andrew Kashner (0-0, 1.50).
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