Jackson Merrill’s solo home run in the ninth inning paved the way for a Padres four-run 10th-inning, completing a 6-2 comeback win over the Marlins at loanDepot park on Friday night.
Left-hander Martin Perez (2-5, 4.78 ERA) made his second start for the Padres after being acquired from the Pirates during the trade deadline. Besides giving up back-to-back home runs to Miami in the fourth, he only allowed a single and two walks, while striking out seven batters in seven innings.
The bullpen held the fort down as well. In three innings of relief, they allowed allowed zero runs on only one hit.
San Diego got their first run in the eighth inning when Manny Machado’s double to center brought in Jurickson Profar to cut their deficit to 1-2. The Padres then scored four runs in the tenth inning, completing a comeback to win a third straight game in which they trailed entering the ninth inning.
The Padres (65-52) have won six straight and will look to win the series on Saturday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways:
MERRILL MADNESS IN MIAMI
Jackson Merrill is special. For the second time in three days, the rookie centerfielder hit a home run in the ninth ining that a tied a game the Padres would go on to win an inning later.
The 400-foot solo homer to right-center field was Merrill’s fourth home run this season that tied a game or gave the Padres a lead in the ninth inning. It was his 16th home run overall for the season, trailing only Profar (19) and Machado (18) for the team lead.
COMEBACK KIDS
In the 10th, former Marlin, Luis Arraez led off with a single through the left side that moved automatic runner Tyler Wade to third. Profar proceeded to ground out, keeping Wade at third and moving Arraez to second.
Jake Cronenworth then hit a grounder up the middle that scored Wade, as his head-first slide beat the throw home and resulted in him face-planting into the dirt.
Machado followed with another double to right-center that scored Arraez and Cronenworth. Xander Bogaerts’s groundout moved Machado to third, and Merrill’s liner to left brought him in for the final run to give San Diego a 6-2 lead.
Tanner Scott, the former Marlins closer who was acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline, tossed a scoreless bottom of the tenth to help secure the win.
THE HOTTEST TEAM IN BASEBALL
The Padres are an MLB-best 15-3 since the All-Star break, and are only two games behind the Dodgers for first place in the National League West.
The Padres can win the series on Saturday afternoon, which would be their seventh straight series win since the All-Star break.
They are also 1.5 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first National League Wild Card spot.
San Diego right-hander Matt Waldron (7-9, 3.79 ERA) will start against Miami right-hander Roddery Munoz (2-6, 5.68 ERA) on Saturday in the second game of the series.