Arraez has 4 hits after trade from Miami, Padres batter listless Diamondbacks 13-1

PHOENIX (AP) — Luis Arraez had four hits and an RBI in his first game after being traded from Miami, Ha-Seong Kim hit a three-run homer in San Diego's eight-run seventh inning and the Padres routed the listless Arizona Diamondbacks 13-1 on Saturday.

The Padres made a massive deal before the game, acquiring Arraez from the Marlins along with nearly $7.9 million in a trade for four players. The two-time batting champion didn't join his new team until about 3:30 p.m., but wasted no time in producing, going 4 for 6 while scoring two runs.

“Clearly an amazing approach and I can see why he is the rightful moniker of ‘The Sprinkler,’" Padres manager Micke Shildt said. "You're talking about he's an artist being able to put the ball in the whole field. That was that was a sight to behold. What a talent.”

Arraez wasn't the only San Diego player seeing the ball well at Chase Field.

Jurickson Profar had a two-run homer in the seventh inning among his four hits and Kim followed with a three-run shot. Manny Machado had three RBIs and Michael King (3-3) allowed six singles in six innings for San Diego's season-high fourth straight victory. The Padres had 18 hits.

“I absolutely love him,” King said about Arraez. “He's a sparkplug who's a really tough out and just finds the bases. It's going to be really fun to see him with the guys we have behind him.”

The Diamondbacks would love to put this week behind them.

Arizona had two runners picked off at first in the first inning and didn't get a runner past second base until Gabriel Moreno's two-out, run-scoring single in the ninth. The reigning NL champion Diamondbacks have been outscored 28-2 since a walk-off 4-3 victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday and have lost seven of nine.

“It's obvious right now we're grinding, things are not going well and we just aren't getting the job done,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You go to work and you have a bad week at work — it happens. But we've got to find a way to shorten up that gap, when we're not playing good baseball to find a way to win a game.”

Arraez led off his first game with the Padres by hitting the second pitch by Brandon Pfaadt (1-2) into the corner in right for a double. He scored on Machado's single for San Diego's 32nd run in the first inning this season, second most in the majors to Philadelphia's 37.

“He got us going and kept us going,” Shildt said.

The Diamondbacks got off to a much shakier start.

Arizona had two singles in the first inning, but Jack McCarthy got picked off by King and Ketel Marte was thrown out by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. after rounding first too far.

Fielding caused the Diamondbacks problems in the fourth inning.

Shortstop Blaze Alexander had a fielding error on a potential double play ball, then threw late to the plate when Profar took off from third on Luis Campusano's grounder. Arraez's single to left put San Diego up 3-0.

The Padres chased Pfaadt in the seventh inning and blew the game open against Arizona's bullpen, sending 14 batters to plate. Pfaadt allowed five runs on 10 hits in six innings.

“We're a team trying to get back on its high horse and certainly it didn't work out today,” Pfaadt said. Certainly, we'll try to look forward to tomorrow and try to get back on the horse."

UP NEXT

San Diego RHP Matt Waldron (1-3, 4.35 ERA) faces Arizona RHP Rhyne Nelson (1-2, 4.60) in the series finale Sunday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte is tagged out by San Diego Padres' Jake Cronenworth, right, advancing to second during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy, right, is picked-off first by San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King as Jake Cronenworth makes the tag during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll fields a fly-out hit by San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Blaze Alexander bobbles the ball hit by San Diego Padres' Xander Bogaerts for an error during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

San Diego Padres' Luis Campusano connects for an RBI base hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar, left, scores on a base hit by Luis Campusano during the fourth inning of a baseball game as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno fields the throw, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez scores on a base hit by Manny Machado during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR is hoping a repaved track and some softer tires will make for more competitive short track racing for Sunday night’s All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

It can’t get much worse than last year.

After months of hype leading up to the first race at the renovated track since 1996, the All-Star race turned out to be a snoozer, with Kyle Larson running away with the victory and the $1 million prize. He was in front for 145 of 200 laps and at times led by nearly 11 seconds, or more than half of a lap on the .625-mile short track.

That caused Larson to boast afterward “that was an old school (butt)-whipping, for sure.”

And it didn’t make for compelling television.

But William Byron is optimistic that this year’s race will be much closer, with NASCAR experimenting with softer tires on the short track in what has been a rain-soaked weekend at North Wilkesboro.

“This place is so different and unique, we almost need a couple more practices to get everyone closer," Byron said. "I think there will be a lot of comers and goers, and the gaps will be closer because the pace is up and there is less falloff. But I still think it will be tough to complete the passes.”

Larson is still hoping to race Sunday night after spending the week preparing for the Indianapolis 500.

In the meantime, Kevin Harvick came out of retirement to drive Larson's No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet during practice, something he never anticipated happening.

“It’s definitely not the attire that I thought I would be wearing this year," Harvick quipped as he wore the Hendrick Motorsports fire suit.

But Harvick, who now works in the broadcast booth, said it has been a fun week.

His former employer, Stewart-Haas Racing, even helped out by sending the seats and seat rails Harvick used while he was racing for it so he would fit better.

“Sometimes there are phone calls that you react to different than others,” Harvick said. “When Rick (Hendrick) called and said what he needed and I said, ‘OK,’ everyone at Fox was kind enough to let us take the day to do what we needed to do.”

Chase Elliott said he's intrigued by NASCAR's experiment next year with an in-season bracket-style tournament, similar to what the NBA did this season.

“It sounds interesting, especially starting at Atlanta (Motor Speedway) with it now being a speedway thing,” Elliott said. "But yeah, I think it has potential to add some excitement to our year and doing something a little different. I don’t have any issues with that.”

There could be some bad blood this weekend between Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick. Buescher went after Reddick on pit lane after last week's race at Darlington, where Reddick drove him into the wall, ruining his chances of winning the race.

"When you are racing for the win, you are racing for the win," Reddick said. “In that moment I was trying to think how I could take my car that was in second place to first place.”

Reddick explained that "the obvious thing is I drove in so deep that I needed the entire racetrack. I didn't have enough tire left to keep the outside lane open. So I'm just trying to learn for next time.”

Denny Hamlin is a 19-4 favorite to win the All-Star race, a slight favorite over the three-time champion Larson, according to BetMGM.

AP Motorsports: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

FILE - Kyle Larson (5) celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR All-Star Cup Series auto race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sunday, May 21, 2023, in North Wilkesboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)