Robert Suarez was on the mound in the top of the ninth inning with game tied 2-2, trying to give the San Diego Padres a chance to beat the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom half of the inning. Tyler Stephenson changed all that with one swing of the bat, hitting a two-out, two-run home run to left field to give the Reds the lead en route to a 4-2 win over the a Padres at Petco Park, Tuesday.
Stephenson attempted a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning. He appeared to have hit an opposite field
home run, but Fernando Tatis Jr. jumped and went high over the wall to make the catch and keep the Cincinnati lead at 2-0.
San Diego used that momentum to score two runs in the bottom of then fourth inning. Jackson Merrill drove in Ramón Laureano for the first Padres run with an RBI-triple to right field to cut the deficit to 2-1.
San Diego tied the game later in the inning when Jake Cronenworth lifted a fly ball to left field, which allowed Merrill to score to give the Padres a 2-2 tie.
Michael King made his return to the mound for the Padres after his IL stint, and lasted five innings, allowing two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Both of the runs allowed by King came on solo home runs. The first was hit to center field by Sal Stewart in the top of the first inning to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.
The second home run allowed by King came in the top of the second inning. Will Benson crushed a solo home run to right field, which gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.
Despite the loss, King looked good on the mound and delivered a solid performance. The question is, how will he recover and feel Wednesday morning.
The Padres will try to win the rubber game against the Reds, Wednesday at 5:40 p.m.
