SAN DIEGO — The Padres hardly looked like they missed Fernando Tatis Jr. while he was gone.
Then he returned Wednesday and, except for Jake Cronenworth and Joe Musgrove, his teammates mostly watched in appreciation like any other baseball fan as Tatis emerged from his nine-day absence by going 4-for-4 with a home run and two doubles in a 3-0 victory that completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. (Box score.)
The Padres, who were 7-1 while Tatis was sidelined following a positive COVID test, swept their second straight series and ran their season-high winning streak to six games.
A solo home run to right-center field and RBI double by Tatis and an inside-the-park home run by Cronenworth provided the Padres with all the runs they needed to support Musgrove and two relievers.
Musgrove allowed two hits and struck out 11 in seven innings and got the win in his second straight start to even his record at 4-4.
He was cheered as he walked to the dugout having ended the top of the seventh inning with his final strikeout. Craig Stammen pitched a perfect eighth inning and Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 15th save as the announced crowd of 15,250 at Petco Park voiced its appreciation.
The day’s first major eruption from the crowd came when Tatis was announced before his second-inning at-bat, in which he singled on a grounder up the middle and stole second base. The ballpark got loud again after his fourth-inning home run and his sixth-inning double. For a couple seconds in the eighth inning, as his line drive zipped to left field with the slightest of hope it might bounce around in the corner and allow him to complete the cycle, the crowd again rejoiced before Tatis slowed to a jog after rounding first base and cruised into second.
Cronenworth brought those who came out to watch some day baseball to their feet by hitting the ball off the right field wall and racing all the way around the bases for a stand-up inside-the-park home run that gave the Padres a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning.
The Padres activated Tatis and Eric Hosmer off the injured list before Wednesday’s game, Tatis having been without symptoms since his positive COVID test on May 9 and Hosmer having quarantined for seven days after his close contact with Wil Myers. Myers, who was pulled from the Padres’ May 11 games after his positive test was returned, could be back as early as Friday.
