Fernando Tatis Jr. keeps finding new ways to put the Padres on his back, and Monday night at Coors Field was another reminder. His 465-foot two-run shot helped San Diego survive a Colorado push and escape with an 8-7 win, good for its eighth straight victory.
San Diego got rolling early and never really let the game settle down. Manny Machado opened the scoring with a first-inning homer, but TJ Rumfield answered in the bottom half with an RBI single to tie it.
The Padres then blew it open in the second. Jake Cronenworth delivered an RBI single, Freddy Fermin added a sacrifice fly, and Tatis unloaded on a pitch for a two-run homer that traveled 465 feet to straight away center field. Jackson Merrill followed with an RBI single in the third, and suddenly San Diego was sitting on a 6-1 lead.
Colorado didn’t fold. The Rockies chipped away with four runs across the fifth and sixth innings, turning what had looked like a comfortable night into a tense one. San Diego got some breathing room back when Ty France singled in a run in the seventh to make it 7-5.
Still, the Rockies kept coming. Cole Carrigg hit a solo home run, then Damien Harris answered with an RBI double to push the Padres back in front 8-6 in the eighth. Connor Norby then doubled in another run to leave Colorado just one run short of tying it.
That set up Mason Miller, who came in and struck out two batters to earn the save and shut the door.
Casey Mize started for San Diego and worked five innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while picking up his second win. The bullpen had a shakier night behind him: Kyle Hart gave up three runs on one hit and two walks in just 0.1 innings, Bradgley Rodriguez allowed a run on two hits over 1.2 innings, and Adrian Morejon surrendered his first run since September 6, though his ERA remains under 3.00.
The Padres’ lineup kept the pressure on with 13 hits. France and Merrill each had three hits, and every San Diego starter except Luis Campusano reached safely with a hit. Seven Padres drove in at least one run, with Tatis finishing with two RBIs in another balanced offensive effort.
San Diego will go for its ninth straight win Tuesday in Colorado. Walker Buehler, 8-6 with a 4.61 ERA, is set to start for the Padres, while Ryan Feltner, 5-10 with a 5.88 ERA, will take the ball for the Rockies in the second game of the four-game set.
In Other News...
Mason Miller Scare Leaves Padres Facing A Late-Season Bullpen Concern
Mason Miller gave the Padres a brief scare Tuesday night when a 101-mph ground ball smacked into his right calf during the game against the Rockies, a moment that looked far more ominous than the end result. He stayed in the game, finished a scoreless inning and picked up his 37th save, while keeping his usual velocity intact and later saying he did not have any significant concern about the injury.
Still, even a scare that passes quickly can linger for a club trying to hold its position with 12 games left in the regular season. San Diegos bullpen has been a key part of its push in the National League wild-card race, and any late-season issue involving Miller would be worth watching closely, especially with every out carrying more weight from here on out. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Made A Deep Farm System Cut Fans Will Notice
The Padres trimmed their Dominican Summer League roster picture this week by releasing eight players from the organization, a move that mostly hits the pitching side of the ledger. Seven of the players let go were pitchers, all of whom spent this season with one of San Diegos DSL clubs, while the lone position player in the group was shortstop Yonaiker Hernandez.
Jose Blanco, Aneury Sosa, Gensy Aquino, Daniel Burciaga, Dioscaride Sarit, Luis Morales and Raudi Perez were among the arms moved out, leaving Hernandez as the only infielder in the batch. It is the kind of deep-farm adjustment that usually says as much about the organizations evaluation of its lower-level inventory as it does about any one player, and it leaves a few open questions about how San Diego wants to reshape that part of the system going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Bullpen Depth Just Made A Strong October Case
The Padres finished off a 6-4 win and a series sweep even with three of their usual late-inning arms unavailable after recent heavy usage, a reminder of how much strain October can place on a bullpen. Nick Pivetta was limited to four innings, but the game still stayed in hand as Kyle Hart, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta, Randy Vsquez and Yuki Matsui helped carry the load behind him.
San Diego also got a little extra along the way, with Ethan Salas collecting his first major league hit and run. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill handled all six RBIs, and the way the Padres pieced together the final innings without Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejn or Mason Miller gave the club another useful look at just how deep this staff can be when the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]