Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning Sunday capped a San Diego Padres’ comeback that gave them a 3-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
Ramon Laureano was placed on second base to start the bottom of the 10th and Jackson Merrill was intentionally walked. But Gordon Graceffo (2-1) unintentionally walked Fernando Tatis Jr. to fill the bases, setting the stage for Machado to win the game as the Padres split the four-game set.
Adrian Morejon (3-1) recorded the win by throwing just one pitch, retiring pinch hitter Jose Fermin on a popup to first that stranded two runners in the Cardinals’ half of the 10th.
San Diego forced extra innings when Nick Castellanos, on a 3-2 pitch, belted a two-run homer to left-center off closer Riley O’Brien in the bottom of the ninth that scored Xander Bogaerts. He singled to start the inning, went to second on defensive indifference and reached third on a wild pitch.
It was the second homer of the year for Castellanos and gave O’Brien his third blown save in 14 chances.
The dramatic long ball no-decisioned both starters after good outings. St. Louis’ Kyle Leahy worked five scoreless innings, permitting only two hits and walking four while fanning five. Padres right-hander Walker Buehler gave up just three hits and two runs in six innings with no walks and two strikeouts.
Buehler mowed down the first 11 hitters he faced before finding two-out trouble in the fourth. Alec Burleson singled and stole second before Buehler hung a 1-2 knuckle-curve to Jordan Walker.
He slugged it an estimated 425 feet into the third deck of the Western Metal Supply building behind the left field wall for his 11th homer of the year.
San Diego, which managed just 14 hits in the four-game series, missed on a chance to take an immediate lead. Bogaerts’ flyout to left stranded Merrill and Gavin Sheets after they drew walks in the first.
The Padres also left Bogaerts at third in the fourth and stranded men at second and third in the fifth on Machado’s comebacker to Leahy.
–Field Level Media
