Despite taking a pair of one run leads, each time the San Diego Padres couldn’t make it hold, which made the two-run eighth by the Cincinnati Reds all the more painful in a 4-3 loss at Great American Ball Park.
Fernando Tatis Jr hit his 18th and 19th home runs for the Padres (73-66), both solo shots, but an 0-for-10 RISP night with eight left proved costly. Cincinnati (66-73) recorded their 10th win when tied after seven innings behind eighth inning RBI from Jose Trevino and Juan Brito.
"I think we had chances to put a few more runs on the board early, and build a little bit of a lead and be able to go to the bullpen the way we wanted to. We just weren't able to execute some of those situations, and then it made the game a lot tighter and gave them a chance to score some runs there in the eighth," manager Craig Stammen said.
Adrian Morejon walked lead off man Elly De La Cruz and allowed a single to Sal Stewart to start the eighth, giving the Reds their sixth RISP opportunity of the night. After a ground out and an intentional walk, Trevino hit a line-drive RBI single back up the middle to give the Reds their first lead of the game and Brito’s sacrifice fly tacked on another run.
Morejon fell behind the final four batters he faced, but what was especially painful was letting De La Cruz off the hook after getting ahead 0-2. The two run-producing at bats battled to see seven and eight pitches, leading to David Morgan coming in to get the final out. Morejon allowed the two runs on two hits and two walks, throwing 27 pitches in 2/3 an inning and took his third loss.
"Just a little off tonight, he's had a heavy workload, it's a hot night, it's September, it's one of those outings where he wasn't himself and that the way it goes," Stammen said. "Elly De La Cruz is a really good hitter and he's a tough matchups for Adrian, and he battled him and battled a walk, and Sal Stewart has been one of the hottest hitter in the game, roped a single and then it made it really tough after that."
Facing closer Emilio Pagán, the Padres led off with pinch-hitters Sun-Mun Song and Jake Cronenworth, who both flew out. Then Tatis was able to square up a four-seam fastball and launch it into the right field seats. But a strikeout by closer earned Pagán his 20th save and reliever Brock Burke his sixth win, as he had stranded a two-out double by Jackson Merrill.
San Diego had a bases loaded situation ended by a double play in the third and left a man on second in four separate innings.
The teams traded runs in the first inning, with Samad Taylor stroking a one-out triple to the left center power alley that one-hopped the wall on the warning track. Manny Machado brought him home with a sacrifice fly for his team-high 75th RBI. But the Reds got a lead off double from Héctor Rodríguez, who scored on a two-out single by JJ Bleday on an 0-2 count.
Starter Randy Vásquez was aggressive with his fastballs all night, only throwing nine breaking balls as he put up a pair of one-two-three innings and allowed only one hit in another.
Ethan Salas, who had his contract selected earlier in the day from Triple-A El Paso, was shown in the dugout in the third inning on the PadresTV broadcast saying hello to his teammates and sporting the number eight in brown and gold.
"(Salas) got in there during the game, his flight was delayed, and we're excited to have Ethan a part of this and get him to experience what's playoff baseball like in September," Stammen said, then later said that Salas would "probably" be the last guy the Padres would've considered using as "it was a crazy day, I'm sure, for him."
Once again in the fifth it was punch-counterpunch, as Tatis hit a line-shot home run over the fence in right field, attacking a sinker that stayed over the outside part of the plate. But the Reds responded by making a one-out walk to TJ Friedl hurt as Edwin Arroyo followed up with a ground rule double, then Rodríguez singled in the equalizer and advanced to second on the throw home, which spelled the end of Vásquez’s night.
The San Diego starter didn’t make it through the fifth for the first time since July 30, going for 4 2/3 innings and allowing both runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Vásquez wouldn’t factor into the decision as Bradgley Rodriguez was called upon to get Elly De La Cruz and induced a flyout to end the inning.
Rodriguez would work his way around a leadoff hit in the sixth by getting the next three, finishing with 1 1/3 innings and a pair of strikeouts. Then in the seventh Yuki Matsui allowed only a two out walk before finishing the inning off with a swinging K.
Prior to the game the Padres made an additional move with the expansion of MLB rosters to 28 players by recalling pitcher Jhony Brito. In a corresponding move, Luis Rengifo was moved to the 60-day IL after he was diagnosed with a torn ACL and sprained MCL in his right knee.
In the series finale the Padres will start Casey Mize (5-8, 3.45 ERA) against the Reds’ lefty Brandon Williamson (2-3, 6.11 ERA). Williamson will be making his first start since April 29, as he was activated from the 60-day IL prior to the game — he had been initially placed on the 15-day IL with left shoulder fatigue on April 30. First pitch is set for 9:40 a.m. PT at Great American Ball Park.
This story was updated at 7:09 p.m.