SAN DIEGO — A day before the Padres slugged three homers and mauled the Diamondbacks, 13-1, on a rowdy Saturday night at Petco Park, manager Mike Shildt sat at the podium for his postgame press conference and reflected on his team’s sudden power surge.
“Let’s not kid ourselves,” Shildt said. “The homer is still a good friend of ours. But we can do it all. That is the point. … We want to be able to compete offensively in every different area.”
Lo and behold, a night later, the Padres did it all offensively. They got three-run homers from Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Cronenworth and a solo blast from Kyle Higashioka. They pounded out 14 hits, consistently working deep counts and keeping Arizona’s pitchers on the ropes. They worked six walks. They ran the bases well. They went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Shildt wanted the Padres to thrive “in every different area” on offense. They did precisely that on Saturday night in scoring a season-high-tying 13 runs at Petco Park. Meanwhile, right-hander Matt Waldron pitched six innings of one-run ball, lowering his ERA to 3.76.
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