SAN DIEGO (AP) - Manny Machado drove a high fly ball to right field and all Bryce Harper could do was turn, run to the wall and watch it sail over his head into the home run deck at Petco Park.
Machado’s grand slam carried the San Diego Padres to an 8-2 victory against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies in the first showdown this season between the superstars who changed teams during spring training.
The Phillies lost center fielder Andrew McCutchen to a sprained left knee in the first inning. He’ll have an MRI Tuesday
It was Machado’s 10th homer this season and first since May 14 off Kenley Jansen in a 6-3 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It felt great. I finally got a good swing and got a grand slam and got the W,” Machado said. “Beating a good pitcher like (Aaron) Nola, I mean, he was getting out of some key situations there that we left runners in scoring position that we should have drove in. … Overall a good W, a good inning for the ballclub so we really thrive off that.”
Machado’s two-out slam off JD Hammer highlighted the seven-run sixth. After rookie Josh Naylor hit a two-run single to knock out Nola (6-1), Hammer came on and walked Greg Garcia to load the bases. He struck out Franmil Reyes before Machado drove the next pitch for his ninth career slam.
Machado signed a $300 million, 10-year deal with the Padres on Feb. 21 and Harper signed a $330 million, 13-year deal with the Phillies on March 1.
Machado said he didn’t get a chance to speak with Harper before the game.
“I think he was getting ready and I was. It’s always good to find a new home. He found one and I found one myself. That’s the most excitement that we could get, knowing that we’re going to be here for a long period of time.”
Reyes homered off Nola in the fifth, his 17th, and Ian Kinsler hit a go-ahead double in the sixth.
Nola allowed six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out three and walked three.
“I just didn’t have it tonight, really didn’t have anything,” Nola said. “Curveball was missing, changeup was missing, fastball was missing. “
San Diego’s Eric Lauer (5-4) held the Phillies to one run and two hits in six innings, struck out three and walked three.
J.T. Realmuto homered off Brad Wieck in the seventh, his ninth. He also had an RBI single in the fourth.
ODD PLAY
McCutchen drew a leadoff walk before Kinsler, the second baseman, let Jean Segura’s popup drop. Kinsler threw to first to get Segura, who slipped coming out of the box and didn’t run hard. McCutchen was caught in a rundown and was hurt as he spun and tried to elude the tag getting back to first. He had to be helped off the field.
“I didn’t feel it pop or anything,” McCutchen said. “Something felt uncomfortable, something that made me grab my knee and go down. I’ve had an ACL injury before and I know what that feels like. This didn’t feel like that. It’s swollen a little but there’s still mobility, I can still move it and all that.
“I didn’t know where Jean was,” he added. “I didn’t know that he wasn’t close. Had I known he was close I would have stayed on first and not even ran. It’s kind of like a golden retriever going after a stick, the ball drops, I’m going.”
Kapler said the Phillies will bring up Adam Haseley on Tuesday and if McCutchen isn’t available for the Phillies, “it will sting.”
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-3, 4.10) is scheduled to start the middle game of the series Tuesday night.
Padres: Rookie RHP Chris Paddack (4-3, 2.40) is looking to bounce back from a loss at the New York Yankees in which he allowed career-highs of six hits, four runs and three home runs.
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