A raucous sellout crowd of 44,652 jammed Petco Park Wednesday night to see Juan Soto make his San Diego debut. But the superstar outfielder was a minor factor in the Padres’ 9-1 demolition of the Rockies and starter Chad Kuhl.
Instead, Brandon Drury, another newcomer to the powerhouse lineup, stole the show, hitting a grand slam on the first pitch he saw wearing a Padres uniform. National League MVP candidate Manny Machado and left-hander Blake Snell co-starred for the Padres.
Soto, acquired from Washington at Tuesday’s trade deadline as part of a blockbuster deal, hit 1-for-3 and walked twice.