After laying in the weeds for much of the game, the San Diego Padres offense came alive late and set the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first game of the Mexico City Series on Saturday afternoon at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú.
Mason Miller pitched a clean ninth inning to set the franchise record by extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 34 2/3 innings pitched, as the Padres (18-8) pushed across four runs in the seventh inning. Ty France hit a pair of solo home runs as well to back up a strong six inning start from Germán Márquez.
After putting up a four-spot in the second inning, Arizona (14-11) generated just two runners in scoring position opportunities the rest of the way.
Miller’s record-setting ninth saw a flyout on six pitches, a ground out on four pitches and then a ground out on three pitches — his 102.7 MPH fastball got the final out to record his 10th save of the season.
Through the first six innings, San Diego couldn’t generate any pressure on the base paths.
That changed in the seventh, starting with Jackson Merrill drawing a lead off walk en route to loading up the bases and ending the afternoon for reliever Brandon Pfaadt. Sheets stepped in against Taylor Clarke and roped a single to right field for a pair of RBI.
France followed by hitting it sharply back up the middle that Geraldo Perdomo bobbled behind second base, twisting his ankle in the process and loading the bases — the shortstop would be removed after the play. Freddy Fermin hit a sacrifice fly to score Xander Bogaerts, then Ramón Laureano did the same to plate Sheets and give San Diego the 5-4 lead.
After having just one reach over the first 15 San Diego batters, France connected with a sinker that Brandon Pfaadt left over the middle in the fifth inning and went opposite field for his second home run of the season.
He added his second home run of the game in the ninth inning, blasting reliever Andrew Hoffman’s low fastball out down the right field line. It was France’s second multiple-extra base hit game of the season, and his first multi-home run game since hitting a pair with Seattle against Oakland on May 25, 2023.
Márquez got into trouble in the second inning after picking up the first two outs in five pitches. Ildemaro Vargas and Nolan Arenado singled back-to-back, then Jose Fernandez put the first runs on the board with a two-RBI double. Alek Thomas followed by hitting a home run into the bullpen in right field to make it a four run inning.
But that would be the only major turbulence in Márquez’s six innings of work, as he allowed just one Diamondback to get into scoring position after the second and allowed six hits with two strikeouts and a walk to improve to 3-1 on the season.
He retired the eight of the final nine batters he faced, getting the final two outs to escape men on first and second in the fourth, leaving a lead off walk in the fifth and getting the D-Backs in order in the sixth.
Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen went just three innings, as in the third he took a line drive off the bat of Freddy Fermin off his shoulder for the only hit he allowed. However that was the only hit the righty allowed, as Gallen struck out three and got four more outs on ground balls.
Pfaadt came on in the fourth inning, pitching three innings and allowing four earned runs on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Clark took the loss, as well as a blown save.
The second and final game of the series will see Michael King (3-1, 2.28 ERA) get the nod for the Padres against Arizona’s righty Ryne Nelson (1-2, 6.97 ERA). First pitch from Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
This story will be updated.