BALTIMORE (AP) — Jackson Merrill and Samad Taylor each hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and three more San Diego batters went deep as the Padres rolled to a 9-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
Taylor's home run was the first of his career, and it gave the Padres a 4-0 lead. Pete Alonso went deep in the bottom of the first for Baltimore, but Randy Vásquez (6-4) held the Orioles to two runs in five innings, and the Padres added two runs in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. Then Gavin Sheets, Rodolfo Durán and Manny Machado added solo shots in the seventh, eighth and ninth for San Diego.
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Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres left fielder Samad Taylor celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrates during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill celebrates with San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
Orioles starter Trey Gibson (1-2) allowed only three hits in 4 1/3 innings, but he walked five with seven strikeouts. He was pulled after one of his pitches hit Xander Bogaerts in the helmet in the fifth. Bogaerts left the game the following inning.
Eight of Baltimore's 10 hits came with two out. The Orioles were 6 for 6 with two walks and a hit batter in two-out, bases-empty situations. That made them the first team since at least 1974 to bat 1.000 with two outs and nobody on while having at least eight such plate appearances in a game.
The final of those situations came in the ninth. With two outs, nobody on and a six-run lead, Padres reliever Ron Marinaccio hit Gunnar Henderson with the first pitch. Marinaccio was ejected, and manager Craig Stammen came out to argue and was tossed too.
After Alonso's solo homer in the first, Samuel Basallo drew a walk and Leody Taveras hit an RBI triple. That was all the scoring for the Orioles until Alonso's RBI double in the seventh.
After Gibson hit Bogaerts in the fifth, the Padres had men on first and second with one out. Keegan Akin came on and issued a walk that loaded the bases, and Taylor's single put San Diego up 5-2. Then pinch-hitter Nick Solak hit a sacrifice fly.
Solak's contract was selected from Triple-A El Paso before the game, and the Padres put infielder Miguel Andujar (left hamstring) on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Thursday.
The Orioles were set to start Trevor Rogers (3-6) on Sunday against San Diego's Walker Buehler (3-3).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres left fielder Samad Taylor celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrates during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill celebrates with San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Samba soccer this wasn't.
Facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002, five-time champion Brazil was outplayed early and needed Vinícius Júnior's 32nd-minute goal to gain a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in a pulsating, high-profile group match.
“We started on a really bad note,” Vinícius said through a translator. “For certain, we got to hold on to the ball. We have to move better.”
A semifinalist four years ago, Morocco had 12 shots in the first 30 minutes and went ahead on Ismael Saibari's 21st-minute goal, a chip over goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
“The team was a bit anxious at the beginning. Nerves were all over the place,” Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said through a translator. “A very imbalanced team.”
Brazil evened the score 11 minutes later. Vinícius exchanged passes with Bruno Guimarães on the left flank, took a few touches to cut around Neil El Aynaoui and rifled a right-footed shot past the outstretched arm of Yassine Bounou for his 10th international goal.
“We are satisfied with the draw,” Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said. "We are not euphoric.”
Fans in Brazil's canary yellow dominated the crowd of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium — only about five sections near the south goal had fans in Morocco's red.
Seleção supporters expected the flowing, entertaining play of Pelé’s era and were subdued before Vinícius evened the score with his spectacular angled effort.
Brazil extended its unbeaten streak in World Cup openers to 21, including 17 wins, since a 1934 loss to Spain. No. 6 Brazil and seventh-ranked Morocco are the only top 10 teams to meet in the first round of the expanded 48-nation World Cup tournament.
“We cannot lose heart,” Ancelotti said. “You don’t win a World Cup based on your first match.”
Brazil plays Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, then closes Group C against Scotland in Miami Gardens, Florida. Morocco faces Scotland in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Friday, then meets Haiti in Atlanta.
Brazil star Neymar, recovering from a torn right calf, didn’t dress for the game.
One hour before the match, an Uber from Times Square to the stadium, site of next month's final, was $126.95 — up from $83.95 for advance booking for the same time Sunday.
Ancelotti, the Italian who became Brazil's first foreign World Cup coach, wore a three-piece suit with a necktie on a sunny afternoon with a 88-degree Fahrenheit (31-degree Celsius) temperature for the 6 p.m. start.
Morocco went ahead after Lucas Paquetá lost control of a short pass from Roger Ibañez and knocked it off Bilal El Khannouss. It bounced to Noussair Mazraoui, who sent the ball to Brahim Díaz in the center circle.
His through pass split Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinho, and Saibari ran onto the ball at the top of the arc. Alisson was slow to come off his line as Saibari scored his 10th international goal.
Morocco nearly went back ahead in the ninth of 10 minutes of stoppage time. Alisson spilled Aynaoui's long-range shot, which was headed wide, then while on the grass leaned back toward the goal and used his right hand to block Ayoube Amaimouni's follow-up effort.
“We still have to improve,” Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi said. “We have to keep the positive things. We’re going to learn from the mistakes, for sure.”
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Brazil's fans sing while watching the FIFA World Cup Group C match between Brazil and Morocco during a public watch party in Central Park, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (1) punches the ball away from Brazil's Gabriel Magalhaes (3) as Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi (6), Chadi Riad (18) and Issa Diop get in on the play during the World Cup Group C soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Brazil's Vinicius Junior (7) celebrates a goal iduring the World Cup Group C soccer match between Brazil and Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Brazil's Douglas Santos, left, challenges Morocco's Achraf Hakimi during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Brazil and Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti reacts during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Brazil and Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Morocco's Ismael Saibari celebrates scoring his side's opening goal against Brazil during the World Cup Group C soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Morocco's Ismael Saibari celebrates scoring his side's opening goal against Brazil during the World Cup Group C soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Brazil's Vinicius Junior (7) celebrates a goal in the first half during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Brazil and Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Brazil's Vinicius Junior (7) reacts after being tripped in the first half during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Brazil and Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
