Michael King deserved better than what he got. The San Diego Padres starter completed six innings and scattered five hits while allowing just one run to the Atlanta Braves. The Padres did nothing to support him on offense and his night ended with Atlanta holding onto a 1-0 lead. Jackson Merrill helped out in the top of the seventh inning with a solo home run to tie the game, but that was all the offense could muster in support of King.
San Diego and Atlanta entered the eighth inning with the teams
still tied at 1-1. The Padres went down in order in the top of the eighth inning. Wandy Peralta took the mound in the bottom half of the frame and had a complete meltdown that saw the Braves score four runs on three hits with a walk in just 1/3 of an inning pitched. He was replaced on the mound by Randy Vasquez who had his own struggles over 2/3 of an inning as he allowed two more runs on four hits with a strikeout.
The six-run inning by the Braves set the stage for the Padres in the top of the ninth. The game appeared all but over before the San Diego offense suddenly came to life. Pinch-hitter Sung-Mun Song flied out to start the frame, but Xander Bogarts walked and Jake Cronenworth doubled to put runners at second and third. Gavin Sheets followed with an RBI-single to make the score, 7-2. Sheets advanced to second base on a wild-pitch and the Padres had runners at second and third with one out. Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped to the plate and hit a triple that got under the glove of Atlanta center fielder Michael Harris II and rolled all the way to the wall. The hit by Tatis made the score, 7-4.
San Diego tacked on its final two runs when Luis Rengifo connected on a two-run home run off Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias to make the score 7-6 before he struck out Manny Machado and Ty France to end the game. Based on the recent success and only being down a run, those were the two batters the Padres would have wanted at the plate, neither of them were able to come through in a big moment.
San Diego will try to win Game 4 in Atlanta to force a split this morning at 9:15 a.m.
Padres News:
- Decisions loom for Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller and the two San Diego players who will get most of the attention this deadline season are Mason Miller and Ethan Salas.
- Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the newfound power of Fernando Tatis Jr. could have an effect on how the Padres approach the trade deadline.
- Left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta is drawing trade interest according to MLB insiders.
Baseball News:
- Winning streak ends at 15 games for the Boston Red Sox.
- Dalton Rushing led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
- The Kansas City Royals squeaked past the San Francisco Giants, 5-4.
- Cade Cavalli helps the Washington Nationals get a shutout win over the Colorado Rockies.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks thumped the Athletics, 15-5.
- The Houston Astros handed the Miami Marlins another loss, extending their losing streak to nine games.
