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Gennett homers to help Mahle, Reds beat Padres 7-2
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Scooter Gennett homered and Jose Peraza had three hits and three RBIs for the Cincinnati Reds, who beat rookie right-hander Walker Lockett and the San Diego Padres 7-2 Friday night in a matchup of last-place teams.
The Reds came in with the NL's worst record. The Padres, who have the league's third-worst record, had taken three of four against the Miami Marlins, the NL's other last-place team.
Gennett, who on Tuesday won his second NL Player of the Week Award in May, hit his 11th homer to center field leading off the fifth off reliever Robbie Erlin to give the Reds a 5-0 lead. Travis Jankowski made a futile leaping attempt at the ball as it cleared the fence.
Center fielder Billy Hamilton was shaken up when he slammed into the fence trying to track down Freddy Galvis' two-run triple with two outs in the ninth. The ball hit off the heel of his glove just before he hit the fence and then the ground. He was able to flip the ball to right fielder Scott Schebler.
Tyler Mahle, a 23-year-old right-hander, pitched five scoreless innings for the win and doubled for his first career extra-base hit. Mahle (4-6) allowed five hits, struck out five and walked two. Michael Lorenzen earned his first save by pitching four innings.
Lockett (0-1), a 24-year-old right-hander, lasted 3 2-3 innings in his major league debut. He allowed four runs and four hits, walked five and struck out two. He was recalled from Triple-A El Paso, where he was 2-5 with a 5.31 ERA. He was starting in place of Joey Lucchesi, who is on the disabled list with a strained right hip.
Lockett allowed a run in the third on a leadoff walk, stolen base and two groundouts, and then allowed three runs in the fourth on three hits and two walks. Peraza hit a two-out double before Lockett struck out Mahle and Hamilton. But the rookie walked Jesse Winker and allowed an RBI single to Tucker Barnhart before making way for Erlin.
The Reds added two runs in the seventh, one on Peraza's single.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Matt Harvey (1-3, 5.63) is scheduled to make his fifth start with the Reds on Saturday night. He made two relief appearances at Petco Park against the Padres earlier this year while he was with the New York Mets.
Padres: Rookie LHP Eric Lauer (1-3, 7.67), set to make his eighth career start, is coming off a career-low 2 1-3 innings in a 7-2 loss against Miami on Monday.
