Halep beats Barty in first of 2 matches in Cincinnati

Top-ranked Simona Halep won the first of two scheduled matches Friday at the Western & Southern Open, edging 16th-seeded Ashleigh Barty 7-5, 6-4.

Halep will face unseeded Lesia Tsurenko in a quarterfinal match after rain delayed matches on Thursday.

Barty, who lost to Halep in last week's Rogers Cup semifinals in Montreal, committed 32 unforced errors to Halep's 17. Halep is seeking her first Cincinnati championship after losing in the finals last year and 2015.

Ashleigh Barty, of Australia, serves to Simona Halep, of Romania, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Mason, Ohio. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)

In the men's draw, 11th-seeded David Goffin upset sixth-seeded Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-4 to reach the Cincinnati quarterfinals for the first time in three tries. Later Friday, Goffin will play the winner of the match between Juan Martin del Potro and Nick Kyrgios.

Juan Martin del Potro, of Argentina, returns to Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Mason, Ohio. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)

Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, serves to Juan Martin del Potro, of Argentina, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Mason, Ohio. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)

Kevin Anderson, of South Africa, returns to David Goffin, of Belgium, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Mason, Ohio. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)

Ashleigh Barty, of Australia, returns to Simona Halep, of Romania, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Mason, Ohio. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Cincinnati Reds center fielder Stuart Fairchild made a sensational leaping catch to rob Manny Machado of a three-run homer in the first inning of Wednesday's series finale against the San Diego Padres.

After Spencer Steer homered for the Reds with two outs in the first, it looked as if the Padres would surge ahead on Machado’s drive to right-center off Graham Ashcraft. But Fairchild tracked down the ball, leaped to make the catch and slammed into the low fence, with his cap flying off. He regained his balance and threw the ball in to hold the runners at second and first.

Ashcraft turned and raised his right index finger toward Fairchild as some Padres looked on in disbelief from the dugout.

The catch was reminiscent of the one San Diego native Adam Jones made to rob Machado of a home run in the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Petco Park. Then teammates with the Baltimore Orioles, Jones was playing for the United States and Machado was playing for the Dominican Republic.

Machado hit a three-run double in a 6-4 win Tuesday night that snapped a five-game losing streak.

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

Cincinnati Reds center fielder Stuart Fairchild slams into the wall after making a leaping catch for the out on San Diego Padres' Manny Machado during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Cincinnati Reds center fielder Stuart Fairchild makes a leaping catch over the wall for the out on San Diego Padres' Manny Machado during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)