Orioles Soar Past Padres in Series Opener with 7-3 Victory

The San Diego Padres faced a challenging start to their series against the Baltimore Orioles, suffering a 7-3 defeat at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday night. The Orioles wasted no time, scoring three runs in both the first and second innings, ultimately overpowering the Padres and pushing their record to 34-37.

Padres pitcher Griffin Canning struggled on the mound, allowing seven runs while walking five batters, which enabled Baltimore to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Although the Padres' offense initially found its rhythm, highlighted by Gavin Sheets driving in two runs and Manny Machado contributing a pair of doubles, it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Orioles.

San Diego's offense kicked off with an early advantage, taking advantage of an error by Coby Mayo that allowed Fernando Tatis Jr. to reach base. Sheets then delivered an RBI double, marking his fourth extra-base hit in the last nine games. Tatis later scored in the second inning, but the Padres could not build on this momentum.

In contrast, the Orioles quickly established control. Rutschman’s sacrifice fly opened Baltimore’s scoring, followed by a two-run homer from Samuel Basallo. Canning managed to strike out the side in the third, but a solo home run from Gunnar Henderson later in the game sealed his fate, resulting in his fifth loss of the season.

Wandy Peralta and David Morgan provided relief for Canning, with Morgan managing to strike out a key batter to end a bases-loaded threat. Orioles starter Shane Baz earned his fourth win, allowing three runs over five innings while the bullpen effectively shut down the Padres in the latter part of the game.

In a roster update before the game, Xander Bogaerts returned from the Paternity List, leading to the designation of Bryce Johnson for assignment. The Padres now look ahead to the second game of the series, where Randy Vásquez will pitch against rookie Trey Gibson, marking just his third major league start.