Fernando Tatis Jr. put the Padres on his back Sunday, launching two homers as San Diego rolled past the Twins, 8-1, and completed a three-game sweep.
What had been a tight pitcher’s duel flipped in a hurry in the sixth inning, when the Padres turned a 1-1 game into a runaway. By the end of the frame, the damage was done, the crowd had its answer, and Minnesota never found a way back in.
San Diego struck first in the third when Tatis went deep to give Walker Buehler an early cushion. Bailey Ober held up well for Minnesota and matched that effort for a while, and the Twins pulled even in the fifth on Brooks Lee’s solo homer.
Then the sixth arrived, and the game cracked open.
Kody Funderburk and Jeff Hoffman issued walks that loaded the bases, and Luis Rengifo followed with a double that cleared two runs. Tatis then came through again, singling in two more to stretch the lead to 5-1 and bury the Twins under the pressure of their own bullpen issues.
Buehler had already done his part. The right-hander worked six innings, allowed one run on four hits and struck out four to pick up the win and move to 8-6. With closer Mason Miller unavailable, Wandy Peralta took over and handled the middle innings after Buehler exited.
The Padres kept the pressure on in the seventh. Jackson Merrill opened the frame with a solo homer, and Xander Bogaerts added an RBI double to make it 7-1.
Tatis wasn’t finished. In the eighth, he lined his second homer of the day to left, a ball that came off the bat at 108 mph. It was his 12th homer since the All-Star break, and it pushed the score to 8-1.
Peralta covered two innings, and Yuki Matsui closed things out with a scoreless ninth as San Diego finished off the sweep in convincing fashion. Buehler’s steady work has given the Padres exactly what they need while Robbie Ray and Casey Mize get acclimated.
In Other News...
Manny Machados Familiar Slump Is Becoming A Padres September Problem
Manny Machados August has looked a lot like a player searching for the right gear at the wrong time. The Padres third baseman has gone through long stretches of quiet at the plate, with his production leaning heavily toward singles and far less of the extra-base damage San Diego usually counts on from him. On some nights he has looked locked in, but the overall pattern has been inconsistency at a moment when the lineup can least afford it.
San Diego enters September with a narrow grip on the NL Wild Card race, and Machados bat sits right at the center of that tension. The Padres do not need him to carry the entire offense, but they do need more than brief flashes if they want to protect their position down the stretch. A familiar slump has a way of feeling bigger in the final month, and for a team trying to stay ahead in a crowded race, every quiet series from one of its biggest hitters tightens the pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Still Face A Real Sung-Mun Song Question
Sung-Mun Song has given the Padres a little bit of everything since arriving, just not much at the plate. In 62 games, he has shown the kind of plate discipline and defensive versatility that keeps a player in the mix, while also flashing above-average fielding and baserunning that make him useful in more than one spot. For a team that has spent plenty of time patching together its roster, that sort of flexibility still carries value.
The larger question is whether there is enough offensive growth left for Song to become more than a limited role player in San Diego. His power and contact quality have lagged, even after injuries and time in the minors complicated his path, but his track record in the KBO offers at least a reason to think there may be another gear somewhere in there. The Padres do not need him to be a star, but they do need to know whether the upside is real or whether his current profile is close to the final product. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Pulled Off A Gritty Comeback After An Early Scare
The Padres had to work through an awkward early turn Tuesday, falling behind 5-1 before settling in and putting together a 7-5 comeback against the Twins. San Diegos offense did enough to erase the deficit, while the pitching side was forced to adjust after an early exit in the opposing dugout changed the shape of the game.
Minnesota starter Casey Mize was hurt when he slipped on the dugout steps and sprained his ankle, though imaging came back negative and he is day-to-day. From there, the Padres took advantage of the opening, with Griffin Canning handling the middle innings to steady things before Mason Miller finished the job for his 32nd save, another reminder that San Diego can survive a rough start when the game stays within reach. [Read more 🡒]