For the first time in almost a year, San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller blew a save. He was put in a tenuous situation, entering the game in the top of the eighth inning with one out and the bases loaded for the San Francisco Giants who were trailing, 5-3. Miller struck out Grant McCray for the second out of the inning, but then rookie Osleivis Basabe ripped a 103-mph fastball into left field that tied the game at 5-5 before Miller got Bryce Eldridge to ground out on a tapper in front of the plate
to end the inning.
The Padres were unable to score in the bottom of the eighth and Miller returned to the mound to work the top of the ninth. The right-hander recorded back-to-back strikeouts to open the inning but then allowed a walk to Rafael Devers. Miller wasted no time, throwing just two pitches to get Willy Adames to pop out to Xander Bogaerts at shortstop.
Bogaerts led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a line drive double to left field. Freddy Fermin dropped down a bunt, that he nearly beat out for a base hit, and was thrown out at first, allowing Bogaerts to move to third base with just one out. San Diego needed a fly ball to win the game and sent Gavin Sheets to the plate as a pinch-hitter for Jase Bowen. Sheets hit a weak ground ball toward third and was thrown out at first, leaving Bogaerts at third. Fernando Tatis Jr. came to the plate and was quickly intentionally walked which gave Jake Cronenworth a chance to play hero. He did just that winning a seven-pitch at-bat with a line drive single to center field that allowed Bogaerts to score to give the Padres a 6-5 walk-off win.
San Diego took a 2-1 lead in the series and will look to make that 3-1 with a win today in the final game of the four-game set at 1:10 p.m.
Padres News:
- Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta are working toward returning to the MLB club after long absences. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball looks at what their returns could mean for the Padres and when they might happen.
- Romeo Sanabria hit a grand slam, but it did not help the El Paso Chihuahuas get a win.
- The Padres have played themselves into a position where they are one game out of a playoff spot. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune says they will try to address their needs to get them into the playoffs before the Trade Deadline.
Baseball News:
- The speculation has ended and the predictions came true; the Los Angeles Dodgers are trading for Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.
- The Chicago White Sox bolstered their rotation, trading for Luis Castillo of the Seattle Mariners.
- The Atlanta Braves made a deal with the Kansas City Royals to acquire Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired reliever Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees.
