SAN DIEGO — Fernando Tatis Jr. homered and went 4 for 4 in his first game back after testing positive for COVID-19, and the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 3-0 Wednesday for a three-game sweep.
Tatis, who had been out since May 11, finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in helping the Padres win their sixth straight game and for the ninth time in 10 games. Tatis came up in the eighth and got his third extra-base hit of the game, an RBI double.
Jake Cronenworth had an inside-the-park home run and Joe Musgrove struck out 11 in seven innings.
Craig Stammen struck out the side in the eighth, and Mark Melancon finished the two-hitter with a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 15th save in as many chances.
The Padres were 7-1 without Tatis, their star shortstop who was placed on the injured list before a game at Colorado on May 11. Right fielder Wil Myers and first baseman Eric Hosmer were pulled from that game, Myers after he returned a positive test and Hosmer due to contact tracing.
Tatis and Hosmer were activated before Wednesday’s game and Myers is expected back this weekend. Jurickson Profar and Jorge Mateo, also placed in the contact tracing protocol on May 11, returned Monday night.
Tatis drove the first pitch he saw from Chi Chi González to right-center field with two outs in the fourth for his 10th homer.
Tatis, batting cleanup for the first time in his three-year big league career, singled leading off the second and then stole second, doing the splits after sliding feet-first. The Padres have encouraged Tatis to cut back on head-first slides after he experienced left shoulder discomfort during spring training and then suffered a partially dislocated left shoulder on a hard swing on April 5 that landed him on the 10-day injured list.
Cronenworth hustled for an inside-the-park homer after his smash to right field went over Charlie Blackmon, caromed off the wall and rolled away from the fielder.
It was San Diego’s first inside-the-park home run since Everth Cabrera on June 8, 2012, at Milwaukee, and the first at Petco Park since Tony Gwynn Jr. on July 17, 2010, against Arizona.
Musgrove (4-4), who threw the first no-hitter for his hometown Padres on April 9, was brilliant in his ninth start. He allowed only two hits, including a booming double to center by Gonzalez after he retired the first eight Rockies batters, and didn’t walk a batter.
It was the third time Musgrove struck out at least 10 this season, including setting a career high with 13 against Milwaukee on April 19.
Gonzalez (2-2) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked one.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: To make room for Tatis and Hosmer, the Padres optioned INF/OF Tucupita Marcano to Triple-A El Paso and returned OF John Andreoli to El Paso.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Germán Márquez ((2-4, 5.56 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game home series against Arizona.
Padres: Haven’t announced a starter for Friday night’s opener of a home series against the Seattle Mariners, who have scheduled RHP Chris Flexen (4-1, 3.46).
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