Joe Musgrove, Manny Machado lead Padres to win over Braves

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Joe Musgrove had been nervous about Thursday night ever since manager Bob Melvin told the big right-hander during spring training that he was going to start the home opener for his hometown Padres.

It was all worth it when Musgrove walked off the mound with two outs in the seventh inning to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 44,844 at Petco Park.

"Getting to open up in front of your hometown, a full stadium, especially when baseball is as exciting as it is in San Diego, it's everything I dreamed of," Musgrove said after the Padres routed the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves 12-1.

Musgrove pitched brilliantly and had plenty of help from an offense that had been somewhat lethargic opening the season. Manny Machado homered and tied his career high with five hits, and rookie C.J. Abrams hit his first homer for San Diego.

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San Diego Padres' Manny Machado reacts after hitting two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, April 14, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

As the bottom of the sixth dragged on, Melvin told Musgrove he didn't think he needed to go back out there. Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, wanted to stay in the game.

"He said, ‘What if I give you two hitters and then pull you out and see if we can get you a little ovation,'" Musgrove said. "I said I'm up for that. My focus was just getting those first two guys."

Not long after the crowd gave Musgrove an ovation, it roared after Machado hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the inning, his first.

Machado went 5 for 5, scored