Donaldson, Braves power past Padres

[July 13, 2019]    Josh Donaldson drove in four runs on two home runs and left-hander Dallas Keuchel held the Padres to one run on six hits over seven innings as the visiting Atlanta Braves opened the second half of the season with a 5-3 victory over the Padres at Petco Park.

Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) hits a first inning three run home run against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Donaldson's first homer followed an 11-minute, first-inning delay after plate umpire Dana DeMuth was forced from the game after being struck on the left forearm by a foul ball off the bat of Atlanta's Freddie Freeman.

DeMuth, who was replaced behind the plate by Angel Hernandez, looked to be in considerable pain when he left the field.

Dansby Swanson was on second with a one-out double when the delay started. Freeman walked shortly after it resumed and Donaldson followed with a 400-foot drive to right-center on a 2-and-1 fastball from Padres starter Dinelson Lamet, who was making his second major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2018.

Ronald Acuna Jr. made it 4-0 in the fifth with a 455-foot homer off Lamet that landed in the second deck in left-center overlooking the Padres' bullpen. It was Acuna's 22nd homer of the season and extended his on-base streak to 18 straight games.

Donaldson's second homer, a 392-foot drive to right off Matt Strahm in the top of the eighth, was his 20th of the season.

The Padres' only run off Keuchel came on Manny Machado's 21st homer of the season leading off the bottom of the sixth.

Keuchel (3-2) allowed 10 baserunners, but two were eliminated on double-play grounders. He issued four walks in his fifth start since signing with the Braves and had five strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches. Luke Jackson picked up his 15th save.

Lamet (0-2) gave up four runs on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings.

Following Lamet was 20-year-old right-hander Andres Munoz in his major league debut. The Mexican native hit three-figures with eight of his 12 pitches, including a 101.9-mph fastball.

The Padres scored their second run in the eighth. Machado opened the inning with his third hit and scored on a two-out single by Francisco Mejia. They scored again in the ninth on an RBI single by Eric Hosmer.

--Field Level Media

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