An inning before Jackson Merrill and Ty France connected on their second home runs of the game, both coming off a position player in the top of the ninth, France connected on a grand slam home run that all but ended the game between the San Diego Padres and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday. France came to the plate in the top of the eighth inning with the Padres leading the Royals, 9-2. San Diego scored a run earlier in the inning and then loaded the bases against Kansas City reliever
Beck Way. He was replaced by Lucas Erceg who came in to face France. The cleanup hitter connected on the fourth pitch of the at-bat and hit it over the wall in left field to give the Padres a 13-2 lead.
San Diego continued to add to its total in the top of the ninth facing Tyler Tolbert, who started the game at shortstop for Kansas City. The position player took the mound in the top of the inning, and the Padres did not make anything easy. San Diego scored six runs in the frame with Merrill hitting a two-run home run and France adding a two-out solo shot. to make the score 16-2. The next four batters got on with a single, a walk, a single and a hit-by-pitch to make the score, 17-2. Sung-Mun Song, who started the inning with a double, returned to the plate and connected on a two-out, two-run single to give the Padres a 19-2 lead en route to the win.
Merrill finished the game 4-for-6 with two home runs, two runs and four RBI. He was joined by Fernando Tatis Jr. who homered for the second time in as many days, France, Luis Rengifo, Jase Bowen and Song who all had multiple hits in the game.
The San Diego offense needed to be as good as it was. German Marquez started the game for the Padres and lasted just three-plus innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Yuki Matsui pitched out of an inherited bases loaded jam with no outs without allowing a run and he completed two scoreless innings in the game. Randy Vasquez returned from the IL and reliever Ron Marinaccio was designated for assignment, and Vasquez completed three scoreless innings with just three hits allowed and two strikeouts. Wandy Peralta pitched a scoreless ninth inning to complete the day for San Diego.
The Padres travel to Atlanta to start a four-game series with the Braves today at 4:15 p.m.
Padres News:
- Respondents for this week’s Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball do not think San Diego can get back into postseason contention.
- Kash Mayfield returned to the mound for the Fort Wayne TinCaps.
Baseball News:
- The Boston Red Sox dominated the Tampa Bay Rays and have now won 13 straight.
- Willliam Contreras hit a walk-off home run to help the Milwaukee Brewers sweep the Miami Marlins.
- The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers split their doubleheader on Sunday.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks rallied and earned a walk-off win.
- Hunter Goodman hit three home runs, but the Colorado Rockies lost to the Cincinnati Reds.
