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 The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner hit an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, and pitched seven innings of three-hit ball to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros in a season opener on Monday night.
The Padres were back in action six months after their shot at a third straight playoff berth ended in a gut-wrenching, 13-inning loss to Colorado in the wild-card tiebreaker game.
It was the second straight opening day shutout for the Padres, who had none in their first 38 seasons.
Peavy (1-0) had plenty of help in roughing up Oswalt (0-1), who was making his record sixth straight opening day start for the Astros. Tadahito Iguchi went 3-for-5 in his Padres debut and Paul McAnulty singled twice in his first opening day start. Tony Clark, who pinch-hit for Peavy long after Oswalt was gone, had an RBI single in his debut with his hometown Padres.
Oswalt allowed three runs and 11 hits in 5 1-3 innings, struck out six and walked one. He dropped to 2-2 with a 3.26 ERA on opening day. The Padres finished with 14 hits.
Peavy has won all three of his opening day starts, with a 0.45 ERA. He allowed six baserunners Monday night, none of whom advanced past second base. Peavy struck out four and walked three. Heath Bell and Cla Meredith finished the combined four-hitter.
Peavy was equally impressive with his bat.
He drove in his catcher, Josh Bard, in both the second and fourth innings. Bard hit a one-out double to left in the first, advanced on McAnulty's single and scored on Peavy's sac fly to left.
Bard singled to left with out in the fourth, advanced on McAnulty's single and scored on Peavy's base hit to right-center.
Peavy, who's from Alabama, and Oswalt, who's from Mississippi, have been friends since pitching in the 2005 All-Star game.
Oswalt fell to 7-2 against the Padres lifetime and 3-1 in San Diego.
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He was hit on the upper right leg by Kevin Kouzmanoff's line drive for a single in the first inning. After being checked by the trainers, he took a warmup pitch and fired it over catcher Brad Ausmus' head.
The Padres made it 3-0 in the fifth when Adrian Gonzalez singled in Iguchi, who was aboard on a leadoff double.
Notes: Peavy also walked in the fifth. ... Padres CF Jim Edmonds (strained right calf) will have a rehab assignment at Class A Lake Elsinore on Thursday and Friday. He's expected to come off the disabled list when he's eligible on Saturday. "Seeing the way he moved today and the way he says he feels, it's looking positive," manager Bud Black said. ... This was the first time the Astros opened the season on the road since 2000 and only the second time in 13 seasons. ... The crowd of 44,965 was the second-largest in Petco Park's five seasons.
[Associated Press; By BERNIE WILSON]
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