Fernando Tatis Jr. put the exclamation point on an 8-3 win with a monster two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to lead the San Diego Padres over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday night. Tatis stepped to the plate in the top of the inning with Luis Rengifo on first base after a one-out walk. Tatis worked the count full against Atlanta reliever JR Ritchie, battling through seven pitches. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat Ritchie left a curveball over the middle of the plate and Tatis deposited
it into the left-center field bleachers 474 feet away to give San Diego a six-run lead.
Tatis was not the only Padres player to homer in the game, but he was the last. Jackson Merrill started the slugfest with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning that tied the game, 2-2. Manny Machado added a solo home run in the top of the fifth to make the score, 5-2 and he hit his second home run of the game in the top of the sixth to push the score to 6-2.
Walker Buehler started on the mound for San Diego and turned in his best performance of July. Buehler work into and out of trouble in the second inning when two walks and a triple by Jim Jarvis gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Buehler then allowed a walk to Drake Baldwin to put runners on the corners for the Braves, but he got out of the jam with a strikeout of Ozzie Albies to keep the Padres within a run. Buehler settled in after the second and retired all three batters in the third, fourth and fifth innings. He pitched into the sixth where he was able to get two outs but left the game with runners on second and third. Yuki Matsui came in and allowed a walk to pinch-hitter Joey Bart to load the bases before he got Brewer Hicklen to strikeout on three pitches to end the frame.
Bradgley Rodriguez followed Matsui and Adrian Morejon handled the eighth inning before Mason Miller made his first appearance since striking out three consecutive batters against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Miller allowed a hit and walked one, but ultimately ended the inning and the game with three more strikeouts in a non-save situation.
For the second time in as many days, the Padres outhit the Braves. San Diego finished with 13 hits, while Atlanta managed just four hits. Tatis led the charge for the Padres finishing 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, with Machado finishing 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Merrill went 2-for-4 with a run an RBI and a walk and Ty France chipped in with a multi-hit night, finishing 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jake Cronenworth, Luis Campusano, Xander Bogaerts and Rengifo all finished with a hit in the game.
San Diego will look for a similar offensive output against Atlanta when Michael King takes the mound in the third game of the series this afternoon at 4:15 p.m.
Padres News:
- Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball looks at the various paths A.J. Preller and the Padres could take at the trade deadline.
- Xander Bogaerts found himself batting eighth in the lineup in the second game against the Braves and the Padres shortstop understands what he needs to do if he wants to regain his typical spot in the lineup.
- Padres second-round draft pick signs his deal and is ready to start his professional career with San Diego.
- The Padres need to win games if they want to give the organization a reason to buy at the deadline, but their sluggish start to the second half may get the alternate approach.
- The sale of the Padres could finally be coming to an end with a vote expected soon.
Baseball News:
- The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies with a wild game-ending double play.
- The Miami Marlins turned a 5-4-3 triple play, but lost to the Houston Astros, 5-3.
- Framber Valdez allowed six first-inning runs to the Chicago Cubs who went on to beat the Detroit Tigers, 11-2.
- The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays on the strength of 21 hits.
- The Kansas City Royals earned their second consecutive win over the San Francisco Giants.
- Hunter Goodman hit his 31st home run of the season for the Colorado Rockies and helped them beat the Washington Nationals, 8-7.
