SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres continued their historic start Tuesday night, again at the expense of the Cleveland Guardians.
The Padres shut out the Guardians 7-0 to improve to 6-0 this season — the best start in franchise history. San Diego had never opened a year better than 4-0 before this season.
The Padres, behind strong pitching, have taken the first two games of this three-game series with the Guardians (2-3).
San Diego starter Michael King was dominant Tuesday night, striking out 11 in five innings. Cleveland managed just two hits and a walk off King.
The Padres bullpen then did the rest, working four scoreless innings. Four San Diego relievers combined for another five strikeouts.
The Padres bullpen has not allowed a run this season after the sixth inning.
A Jackson Merrill solo home run in the fourth inning opened the scoring Tuesday.
San Diego added two runs apiece in the fifth and seventh, and a single run in the sixth and eighth. Two Cleveland errors also helped the cause for the Padres.
Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado each had two-hit games for the Padres. Cronenworth drove in a run in the sixth with a single. Machado scored a run and also walked. Fernando Tatis Jr. had two RBIs, without a hit, knocking in runs on a sacrifice fly and a ground out.
