Amarista's homer highlights pink bats' productivity
ST. PETERSBURG -- Pink bats were not just a popular choice for the Padres on Sunday at Tropicana Field.
They were productive as well, none more so than in one swing by second baseman Alexi Amarista, who drilled a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Rays.
That home run gave the Padres a 2-1 lead, one that would eventually dissolve into a 4-2 loss to the Rays in front a crowd of 17,396 that included many moms in the stands on Mother's Day.
Sunday marked the eighth straight Mother's Day when members of the Padres and the rest of Major League Baseball wore pink equipment and took to the plate with pink bats.
The pink is about honoring mothers, but it is also part of MLB's effort to raise breast cancer awareness.
Amarista was not the only member of the Padres to have success with a pink bat.
Teammate Yonder Alonso singled in Chase Headley in the fourth inning while swinging pink. Earlier in that inning, Carlos Quentin singled sharply to center field with a pink bat.