Craig Stammen didn’t have his usual late-inning safety net on September 13, and the Padres still found a way to finish the job.
San Diego wrapped up a 6-4 sweep of the Giants with several of the players on the roster’s quieter end stepping into the spotlight. Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejón and Mason Miller were all unavailable after working on consecutive days and at least five times over the previous nine, and Nick Pivetta was done after four innings and 69 pitches in just his second start back from a layoff of nearly four months. That left the Padres needing 15 outs from elsewhere.
They got them.
Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill accounted for all six RBIs, the kind of production the Padres expect from the top of the payroll. But the day also belonged to the players trying to make their case for October roles.
Samad Taylor singled, stole second and scored in the second inning. Ethan Salas picked up his first major league hit with a triple and later scored his first run, giving the Padres a real payoff after he spent much of September trying to earn his spot in the lineup.
San Diego even marked the moment on social media: “First Major League hit for Ethan Salas! pic.twitter.com/f8eeFQPWFY”
The bullpen had to piece together the rest. Kyle Hart and David Morgan helped bridge the game into the sixth, though Hart allowed a run and Morgan let an inherited runner score.
Wandy Peralta came in with two runners on and set down four straight hitters. Randy Vásquez walked two batters in the eighth but escaped without giving up a run.
Then Yuki Matsui took over.
Matsui, who led Japan in saves three times before coming to San Diego, hasn’t often been used as the Padres’ ninth-inning answer. With Miller, Morejón and Rodriguez resting, he was the one asked to close it out Sunday. He worked through a 10-pitch battle with Jonah Cox and recorded his first save of the season.
It wasn’t a spotless bullpen performance, and it didn’t need to be. Postseason games rarely line up neatly, and the Padres used this one as a reminder that October outs can come from anywhere on the roster.
One game won’t settle Stammen’s postseason decisions, but it did offer useful information. Taylor’s speed showed up.
Salas finally got something concrete to show for his recent push. Matsui finished the sweep.
In Other News...
Padres Suddenly Have A Real October Decision With Dustin Harris
Dustin Harris has turned a late-summer detour into a real opportunity for the Padres. Released by Triple-A El Paso on Aug. 5, he was back with the organization two days later, then got the call to the big club on Aug. 24. Since arriving in San Diego, Harris has hit his way into the conversation, batting .355 and making a case with timely production that has fit right into the clubs push down the stretch.
What makes the next few weeks interesting is where the Padres have already chosen to use him. They started Harris in a key spot in the batting order against a left-handed pitcher, a sign that this is no longer just about getting him some at-bats. For a team sorting through postseason roster choices, Harris has moved from an afterthought to a player whose role could be decided by how much the Padres trust that recent offensive burst when October arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Still Have One Ramon Laureano Question Hanging Over October
Ramon Laureano arrived in San Diego as a trade-deadline pickup with the kind of bat and energy the Padres hoped would deepen their lineup for the stretch run, but his 2026 season has been shaped instead by the injury list. The outfielder has been dealing with hip inflammation, and in a recent interview he said the pain first hit him on April 8 before he kept playing through it for nearly two months, a decision that clearly affected what he was able to do on the field.
For the Padres, the immediate question is less about the regular season than whether Laureano can get healthy enough to matter in October. A postseason return looks unlikely, but he has not completely shut the door on it, and he is still working through rehab while also staring at free agency after the 2026 season. Even with the calendar tightening, San Diego still has a reason to monitor every step of his recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Mason Miller Faces A Late-Season Question The Padres Cant Ignore
Mason Miller has the kind of arm that can make a game look simple for a few batters at a time, which is why the Padres have leaned on his fastball and slider in the ninth inning. But as the season grinds into its final stretch, there is a quieter subplot around their closer: he does have a changeup in the mix, even if it has barely surfaced when the games matter most.
Miller has been experimenting with the grip and the speed of the pitch, trying to make it usable enough to matter without disrupting the way he attacks hitters now. The problem is the obvious one for a team in a pennant race, where matchups are tight and every pitch is scrutinized. He knows the challenge is less about learning a new weapon than finding a way to trust it when the pressure is highest. [Read more 🡒]