SAN DIEGO (AP) — Struggling Juan Soto homered and Nick Martinez pitched seven strong innings as the San Diego Padres beat NL East-leading Atlanta 1-0 Wednesday to snap the Braves’ winning streak at eight.
The Braves, who had the longest active winning streak in the majors, were shut out for the first time this season.
The Padres won for just the second time in eight games and will welcome back superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. on Thursday in the opening game of a four-game series at Arizona. Tatis finished an 80-game PED suspension on Wednesday, but won’t be added to the active roster until Thursday, when the Padres will make a corresponding move.
San Diego is looking for an infusion of energy from Tatis, an electrifying player who will be in right field when he returns, rather than shortstop, where he was an All-Star in 2021. San Diego’s superstar-laden roster had scored just one run in its previous three games, all loses, and hadn’t had a lead since Saturday night, when it beat Milwaukee 10-3.
Even with the win, which gave San Diego a 4-3 series win against Atlanta, the Padres are two games under .500.
Tatis, an All-Star in 2021, missed all of 2022. He was on the cusp of returning from a broken wrist suffered in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic in December 2021 when he was suspended on Aug. 12.
“It’s been a long time. I’m looking forward to getting him in there,” said manager Bob Melvin, who will put Tatis in the leadoff spot. “We saw what he had to offer in spring training, we saw how he was swinging the bat in Triple-A. He couldn’t be more excited about getting in the lineup.”
Right-hander Joe Musgrove, who broke his left big toe in a weight room accident in spring training, will make his season debut Saturday night.
“It’s almost like the…