The Padres turned a quiet night into a loud one in the seventh, stringing together a four-run rally that sent them past the Twins 7-5 on Saturday night in San Diego.
Jake Cronenworth and Ty France did the heavy lifting when it mattered most. Cronenworth raced home on an error to tie the game, then France followed with the go-ahead single as San Diego kept rolling, winning for the 10th time in 13 games and the 20th time in 27.
The Padres stayed in the National League’s third wild-card spot and will try to finish off a three-game sweep on Sunday. Minnesota, meanwhile, remained bunched just outside the American League’s third wild card.
The decisive inning opened with some help. Freddy Fermin reached on catcher’s interference with one out, Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with a single, and Cronenworth then drove an opposite-field double into the left-field corner to score both runners and cut the deficit to 5-4.
Manny Machado followed with a grounder to shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, who fired to third trying to get Cronenworth, but Brooks Lee missed the tag for an error. Cronenworth popped up and kept going, sliding home headfirst to tie it.
France then sent an opposite-field single to right, bringing Machado in with the go-ahead run.
Griffin Canning earned the win to move to 4-9, and Mason Miller handled the ninth for his 32nd save.
The Padres had been digging out of an early hole after Casey Mize was tagged for three solo homers before leaving with two outs in the third because of a sprained right ankle. He slipped while heading down the dugout steps after the top of the second.
Luke Keaschall jumped on Mize’s fourth pitch and sent it into the left-field seats for his eighth homer, marking the first leadoff homer Mize has allowed. Lee and Culpepper then went back-to-back in the second, with Lee connecting for his 19th homer and Culpepper hitting his second.
San Diego got one back when Jackson Merrill launched his 20th homer with one out in the second off Dean Kremer, and Merrill later added an RBI single in the sixth.
In Other News...
Twins Fans Should Be Careful Before Regretting This Pitching Move
Simeon Woods Richardsons path has become one of those small roster decisions that can linger around a season. The Twins designated him in late May and later sent him to Toronto for cash, and he has looked sharp enough since then to catch the eye, turning in a 0.55 ERA over six games for the Blue Jays. But the underlying picture is less tidy, with a high walk rate and a low BABIP hinting that the results may not be quite as stable as they first appear.
Minnesota also had a chance to circle back when Toronto designated him for assignment, and it passed. That call looks a little less dramatic now because the Twins have since bolstered their bullpen with other additions, giving them more relief depth without needing to revisit the old move. It is the kind of transaction that can tempt second-guessing in the moment, but the broader roster context makes the regret a bit harder to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit With Rojas In Trouble
The Twins pitching depth took another hit this week when Kendry Rojas was placed on the minor league injured list with an oblique strain. Rojas had to leave his start for Triple-A St. Paul after just one inning, adding another layer of concern to a pitching group that has already been stretched by injuries and roster shuffling as Minnesota tries to stay in the playoff race.
Rojas setback matters because the Twins have been leaning on every bit of organizational depth they can find, and this is the kind of injury that can linger and complicate a pitchers timeline. With the season now in jeopardy for one of their upper-level arms, Minnesota is left trying to patch together innings while the bigger-picture pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twin Is Making Minnesota's Trade Look Worse By The Week
Ty France has quietly turned into one of the better value stories in the National League, and his latest stretch is only making Minnesotas decision look rougher. After a down offensive season sent him to San Diego on a minor-league deal, he has become one of the Padres most productive players and has even climbed to the top of the clubs offensive leaderboard in several key categories.
For the Twins, the hard part is how directly Frances resurgence ties back to their own trade chain. Minnesota dealt him to Toronto in 2025 before the Padres landed him, and now San Diego is getting strong production from a player making just $1.35 million this year. In a game where roster decisions are judged almost immediately, France is becoming the kind of former Twin who keeps the second-guessing alive. [Read more 🡒]