The name Kevin McGonigle will quickly be known across baseball. The Tigers rookie has showcased elite play in the first two games against the Padres.
Craig Stammen’s Padres fell to 0-2 after a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, with McGonigle playing a decisive role.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, McGonigle came to the plate against Wandy Peralta with the bases loaded and a full count. He drove a ball to right field toward Fernando Tatis Jr., bringing in two runs to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead and break a 2-2 tie.
"The kid put a great at bat on Wandy, and the more pitches he saw, and finally got one that could serve over the infield," Stammen said.
Catcher Dillon Dingler followed with an RBI single to right, again toward Tatis, extending the lead to 5-2, a deficit the Padres could not overcome.
David Frerker-Imagn Images
Mar 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Wandy Peralta (58) walks off the field during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park.
McGonigle finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs on Friday night after going 4-for-5 with three RBIs on Opening Day. Through two games, he has scored five runs while the Padres have four as a team.
“I think he is the truth,” Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill said. “It's impressive to watch him battle against lefties, especially against Wandy. Wandy is not a very comfortable arm to face and (he) put up a hell of an AB. Tip of the cap to him.”
The Padres received a strong outing from starter Michael King, who went 5.0 innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out six and walking four. Reliever Adrian Morejon added two solid innings, but things unraveled in the eighth with Jeremiah Estrada and Peralta.
Control issues also plagued San Diego, as Padres pitchers issued seven walks. King accounted for four of them, including one to Gleyber Torres before being replaced by Morejon.
Moments later, Tigers outfielder Jahmai Jones hit a ball to Manny Machado, who bobbled it as he fell to the ground, allowing both runners to reach safely. Spencer Torkelson followed with an RBI single to left field, tying the game at 1-1.
"They're putting on good at bats on us," Stammen said. "They're not chasing anything and we're paying the price a little bit with some of the walks. They're coming around to score...We'll get that right."
Petco Park came alive in the bottom of the sixth inning when Ramón Laureano delivered an RBI single to right field, scoring Merrill from second to give the Padres a 2-1 lead.
But the four-run eighth inning proved to be the difference.
One of the defensive highlights came in the second inning, when McGonigle appeared to have his first career home run. Merrill had other plans, leaping at the wall and extending to rob the rookie third baseman in a play reminiscent of Air Jordan.
"I hugged him again post game," King said. "That was incredible that you see those plays from from him all the time. I'm very thankful that it happened to me, and obviously I wish I had that pitch back, but created a pretty good highlight for being a young player."
The Padres will look to avoid a sweep Saturday night, when the Tigers send Jack Flaherty to the mound against Randy Vásquez at 5:40 p.m. PT.