SAN DIEGO – There was no need for a comeback today as the San Diego Padres got ahead early and carried it all the way against the Washington Nationals 9-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park.
Jackson Merill punished the ball all afternoon, hitting his fifth and sixth RBI of the day on an opposite field home run in his 24th home run and then an RBI single for the Padres (78-68), crushing an elevated cutter from Brady House to straight-away center field. The Nationals (67-81) finished with a pair of runs, pushed across in the second inning.
The Padres pushed across a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth, as Austin Hays led the fourth off with a single, then Samad Taylor bunted to force all kinds of chaos with reliever Jackson Kent, who threw the ball away up the right field line to allow a run to score. The Padres added on with Brad Lord on the hill, as Jase Bowen sacrifice bunted and Fernando Tatis Jr. picked up the RBI by hitting a ground ball single through the left side.
An inning later Merrill cashed in a Ty France double by hitting a home run the opposite way after France led off with a double.
Trailing by two after the Padres allowed a pair of runs in the third when Keibert Ruiz hit a solo home run and Nasim Nuňez walked, then the Nationals loaded the bases, a single by Dylan Crews and an infield fly rule pop out but Andrés Chaparro led to Craig Stammen taking the ball from starting pitcher Walker Buehler.
The Padres seemed to take that personally, getting a one out single from Tatis and then a two out walk from Manny Machado. France hit a two out through the left side, then Merrill hit a fly ball to the wall at right-center field that Jacob Young couldn’t haul in at the wall to give San Diego the lead.
San Diego leaned on the bullpen early, pulling Walker Buehler after just 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and a walk to go with three hits and two runs. Kyle Hart pitched 2 1/3 innings with no hits allowed and no walks while dealing a strikeout.
Buehler, the San Diego starter, lasted only 2 1/3 innings, getting yanked in third inning after allowing three hits and two runs while striking out four and walking one in his only 60 pitched.