The San Diego Padres could not execute in extra-innings, and the result was a 3-2, 12-inning loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a three-game set at Petco Park on Monday night. No opportunity seemed bigger or more promising than when the Padres had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning.
Fernando Tatis Jr. started the inning on second base as the automatic runner after Adrian Morejon was able to work a scoreless top half of the inning that resulted in the automatic runner being
left at third base. With Tatis on second, Jake Cronenworth attempted a sacrifice bunt that would have moved him to third base with one out. Cronenworth failed to execute the sacrifice and popped out on the bunt attempt, which was the second time in two innings where that was the result of a bunt attempt. Dustin Harris popped out on his bunt attempt in the bottom of the 10th inning, and it resulted in a double play when Luis Campusano was unable to get back to second base.
With one out and Tatis still on second base, Manny Machado worked a walk to put runners at first and second for San Diego. Tatis and Machado pulled off a double steal and runners were at second and third with Ty France at the plate. France worked a six-pitch walk and loaded the bases for Jackson Merrill, who had homered on back-to-back-nights but was 0-for-4 in the game with a strikeout. Merrill only needed to lift a ball into the outfield and Tatis likely would have scored to win the game. However, Merrill appeared overly anxious to come through for the Padres on his bobblehead night and swung at three straight pitches from Pirates reliever Kirby Yates, none of which were strikes, and struck out for the second out of the inning.
Xander Bogaerts followed Merrill now needing a two-out hit to win the game, and lined a ball into center field which hung in the air long enough for Oneil Cruz to make the catch to end the inning. After the two failed sacrifice bunt attempts in the 10th and the start of the 11th, the inability of San Diego to come up with a game-winning swing with the bases loaded seemed like the prelude for what was to come in the of the 12th inning.
Jeremiah Estrada replaced Morejon after two-innings of work and he allowed an RBI-single to the first batter he faced, Nick Gonzalez, and Pittsburgh took a 3-2 lead. Estrada was able to get outs on the next three batters and kept his team in position to at least tie the game in the bottom of the inning with a runner starting at second base.
With Bogaerts on second base, Austin Hays struck out on five pitches against Pirates reliver Yohan Ramirez. Luis Campusano also struck after flailing at sweepers that would have resulted in a weak groundout or weak popout had he made contact. With two outs and Bogaerts still at second base, Harris, who was making his first appearance in a Padres uniform, struck out on a pitch that hit his back foot. Harris like Campusano looked overmatched against the sweeper from Ramirez and swung over the top of the fifth pitch of the at-bat and the ball hit the top of his back foot making him the third out of the inning despite the ball kicked away from the catcher and going toward the backstop.
It was a disappointing end to the first game of the series and the San Diego three-game winning streak.
The Padres will try to right the wrongs from the series opener when they return to action against the Pirates tonight at 6:40 p.m.
Padres News:
- Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano were introduced as the new owners of the Padres at a press conference at Petco Park on Monday. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the new owners of the San Diego franchise had a phenomenal first day.
- Sung-Mun Song was optioned to Triple-A El Paso to make room for Dustin Harris on the Padres’ roster. Lucas Giolito was also moved to the 60-day IL.
Baseball News:
- Cal Raleigh hit three home runs to lead the Seattle Mariners past the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Kevin Gausman was dealing for the Toronto Blue Jays, and the result was a 7-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- The Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the Miami Marlins, 4-2.
- The Tampa Bay Rays earned a three-run win over the Detroit Tigers.
- The Washington Nationals thumped the Colorado Rockies, 13-3.
- Rafael Devers homered to lead the San Francisco Giants over the Cincinnati Reds.
- The Houston Astros and their general manager, Dana Brown, agree to mutually part ways.
