The San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants did not disappoint fans gathered in Mexico yesterday for the first regular season game played on Mexican soil.
In total, both teams hit 11 home runs, taking full advantage of the power-favoring atmospheric conditions. The Padres had the upper hand 16-11.
Manny Machado (Padres) powered the ball over the fence twice, while teammates Nelson Cruz, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts hit the trails once each.
Cruz had a remarkable game, hitting the ball for safety on five occasions. He also drove in four runs.
On the side of the Giants, Brandon Crawford, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mitch Haniger, Blake Sabol and David Villar played the big arms in order to add a long ball to their record.
These are ten players who will have given the opportunity to the fans present to celebrate, which equals a Major record.
For his part, Xander Bogaerts, became the first Major League Baseball player to hit a home run in four different countries. The new member of the Padres has achieved the feat in the United States, Canada, England and now in Mexico.
The pitchers of the two teams certainly did not appreciate the spectacle in the same way, they who gave a total of 30 hits during this historic meeting.
On the losing side, Sean Manaea, a former Padres, left the game after two innings. His teammate Jakob Junis did no better, giving the Padres five runs in two and two-thirds innings.
Joe Musgrove (Padres) didn’t enjoy the mariachi sound for long either and had to give up his place after a fourth-inning out. The Padres starter gave the Giants seven points before leaving the game.
The atmosphere during this match was reminiscent of that experienced during the recent tournament presented as part of the World Classic. A festive and very noisy atmosphere.
Alex Cobb (Giants) and Yu Darvish (Padres) will automatically play today as part of the second and final duel between the two teams on Mexican soil. We bet that in the light of the backfire experienced yesterday, the latter must expect the worst.
