SAN DIEGO – After falling behind in the first inning, the San Diego Padres battled their way back thanks to a trademark performance from the bullpen in a 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday night at Petco Park.
Kyle Hart retired all 11 batters he faced to earn his third win after coming in with an out in the second inning, then four additional relievers combined to allow just a pair of hits. San Diego (48-41) pitchers only got into three three-ball counts all game, as Robert Suarez nailed down his 25th save with a perfect ninth.
"We've played a lot of really good baseball, we pitched really well, we played defense, that was well played in all phases," manager Mike Shildt said postgame. "If we continue to do that offensively, take those at bats, one through nine contributions... We do that we're going to go on a little tear for a while."
Martín Maldonado had his sixth multi-hit game of the season, cracking a two-out single that brought home Xander Bogaerts in the sixth inning to extend the San Diego lead to 3-1. Bogaerts, Luis Arraez and Fernando Tatis Jr. also had two-hit nights, with Tatis also drawing a pair of walks.
"(It was) just working, right approach at the plate today and getting better with my mechanics at the plate," Tatis said. "We're putting way better at bats out there. If everybody is coming together like that, definitely good stuff is going to happen."
All four of the Padres’ runs came home on two out hits, as the Friars went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position despite leaving the bases loaded in the first and sixth innings. Jake Cronenworth added to the lead with an RBI single in the seventh to make it 4-1 after Gavin Sheets started a two-out rally with a single.
Earlier in the day MLB announced that Tatis and Jason Adam would join Manny Machado in Atlanta for the All Star game as reserves for the National League.
Tatis led off the third with a walk and stole his 19th base of the season when Machado struck out on the 11th pitch of his at bat against Texas (44-46) starter Jack Leiter. Arraez followed up by bounding a high sinker through the middle of the infield for a two-out RBI single, his eighth hit of the series, to tie the game at 1-1.
An inning later Tatis gave the Padres the lead after Trenton Brooks reached on a fielder’s choice and two-out single by Maldonado. The All Star selection laced a double down the left field line, plating Brooks but seeing Maldonado cut down at home on review after a relay throw by Marcus Semien.
Hart, who was recalled from Triple-A El Paso earlier in the day as Stephen Kolek was optioned to the Chihuahuas, was perfect in his 3 ⅔ innings with a pair of strikeouts. With an efficient 32 of 43 pitches for strikes, Hart had three batters see two balls in their at bats and only went to a 2-1 count once.
"I think just staying on the attack, got ahead and stayed ahead and I think that put me in a lot of leverage counts where I was able to get weak contact," Hart said. "I wasn't able to put guys away at the level that I would like, but the weak contact was great and usage was similar and pitch shapes were good."
Jeremiah Estrada pitched a clean sixth inning with a pair of strikeouts, while Adam and Adrian Morejon each went an inning and allowed a hit with a strikeout. Prior to Jake Burger’s seventh inning single off Adam, Padres relievers had retired 17 consecutive Texas batters.
"(Hart) got right tot the line where we were thinking about taking him, and after that, gosh man Jason Adam, good for him being an All Star, but we've got four guys down there that are all deserving including the guy at the end that is leading the league in saves," Shildt said.
David Morgan made his first career Majors start, serving as an opener in his 15th appearance of the season for the Brown and Gold. He went 1 ⅓ innings, allowing four hits with one run, one strikeout and a walk.
After giving up a leadoff single to Josh Smith and an RBI double to Corey Seager, Morgan buckled down and was able to keep the deficit at 1-0 in the first. Arraez got a fielder’s choice out at home, Marcus Semien struck out and Cronenworth dove to snare a Jonah Heim liner with the bases loaded.
Leiter lasted 3 ⅔ for the Rangers and took his sixth loss, conceding five hits and two runs with five strikeouts and two walks as the Padres worked him for 85 pitches. The other runs came against reliever Jacob Latz, who gave up five hits and two runs with three walks and a strikeout in three innings of work.
Monday will mark the 2025 Padres debut for Yu Darvish, as manager Mike Shildt announced before the game that the 38-year-old righty will make the start with a workload limitation. In the first of the four-game series against the Diamondbacks, Arizona will counter with Zac Gallen (6-9, 5.45 ERA) for the 6:40 p.m. first pitch at Petco Park.
"It's wonderful, any chance you're getting Yu Darvish back or he's on the mound... He's one of the best to every do it so we're definitely happy to get him back," Tatis said.
This story was updated at 10:10 p.m.