Gavin Sheets kept the Padres rolling Sunday afternoon, and Freddy Fermin delivered the knockout blow in a game that doubled as San Diego’s tune-up for the postseason.
San Diego beat the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4, getting a home run from Sheets and three RBIs from Fermin while closing out the regular season in strong form. The Padres, already locked into a National League wild-card series, improved to 91-71 and will open their best-of-three set Tuesday night against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Arizona’s day turned once Philadelphia finished a 7-3 win over Tampa Bay, eliminating the Diamondbacks from postseason contention around the same time the Padres were taking control in the seventh inning.
The game was tied 4-4 when San Diego broke through with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jake Cronenworth drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run, and Fermin followed with a two-run single to stretch the lead. The Padres then added more cushion in the eighth on Austin Hays’ two-run single.
Fermin’s big swing came after Arizona had rallied to square things up. Corbin Carroll lined an RBI double, then Tim Tawa and Lars Nootbaar added run-scoring singles to tie it in the top of the seventh.
San Diego had built its early lead behind a steady mix of timely hits. Manny Machado opened the scoring in the third with a two-out single that brought home Sung-Mun Song.
Machado later got two at-bats while trying to reach his 400th career homer, but he was removed after that single. Sheets then launched his 17th homer of the year in the fourth, and Ty France added an RBI single in the fifth to make it 3-0.
Arizona finally got on the board in the sixth when Ketel Marte singled home Jordan Lawlar. The Padres answered in their half of the inning, with Fermin doubling in another run before the late-inning back-and-forth.
Griffin Canning earned the win for San Diego even after giving up three runs in the seventh that allowed Arizona to tie the game. Justin Martinez took the loss after issuing four straight one-out walks in that inning.
Neither starter figured in the decision. Arizona’s Michael Soroka worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts. San Diego’s Randy Vasquez went six innings and gave up three hits and one run while walking none and striking out two.
The Padres finished the regular season with seven straight series wins and went 18-4 over that stretch.
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