Tatis homers, 4 for 4 in return, Padres beat Rockies 3-0

SAN DIEGO (AP) — 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...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Tatis-homers-4-for-4-in-return-Padres-beat-16189575.php