The San Diego Padres (72-56) took care of business on Thursday afternoon, defeating the San Francisco Giants (61-67) 8-4 in a game that featured its fair share of drama.
In the third inning, two runs scored after a miscommunication between outfielders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ramón Laureano, who was filling in at center field for the injured Jackson Merrill. Andrew Knizner hit a ball to shallow center, where Tatis initially called for it before backing off, assuming Laureano would make the play. At the last second, Tatis tried to recover, but the ball glanced off his glove, allowing Luis Matos to score easily for a 1-0 Giants lead.
The next batter, Jung Hoo Lee, hit a routine ball to Jake Cronenworth, who tried to glove-flip it to Luis Arraez at first. Instead, the ball slipped away. Moments later, Heliot Ramos lined one to right, where Tatis misjudged it, giving Knizner enough time to cross the plate.
But that’s when the Padres woke up. After going hitless through the first three innings, their offense came alive. Manny Machado drove in Tatis to cut the deficit to 2-1, and Xander Bogaerts followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Arraez and tie the game.
“We’re just not going to lose that game. Just that simple,” Tatis Jr. said. “Everybody knew that we needed to win that game, especially us, and everybody was on board just doing what it would take to win that ball game.”
The fifth inning was the turning point. San Diego rattled off six hits and six runs, breaking the game open. Padres manager Mike Shildt credited Cronenworth’s 12-pitch at-bat against Giants starter Justin Verlander for wearing him down and sparking the rally.
Whether it was Shildt or the players, everyone agreed on the importance of the win.
“Championship clubs they regroup really quickly and so down early wasn’t as pretty as we like, wasn’t as clean as we like,” Shildt said. “It was like, ‘Nah, let’s kick it into gear this game,’ and we did. That’s what really good teams do.”
The Padres took the series three games to one, but the focus quickly shifted to this weekend’s matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers, who split a two-game set with the lowly Colorado Rockies, arrive at Petco Park with the NL West lead on the line.
“I’m really excited, and can’t wait for tomorrow night,” Shildt said. “I wish it was tonight.”
Not everyone in the clubhouse matched that energy.
“That’s why everyone’s different,” Bogaerts said with a laugh. “It’s the only thing I can say. I just played in a hot sun, and would be nice for me to relax a little bit… That’s just the way he’s wired. He’s ready all the time, and that’s why he’s amazing.”
Asked whether the difference came down to manager versus player mentality, Tatis smiled.
“Yeah, fuck,” Tatis Jr. said laughing. “I want to see you running like that too. See if you would be saying the same stuff. Everybody knows his attitude, and he’s at the front line. It’s always good to have a guy like that leading the line.”
San Diego sits one game behind the Dodgers, with this being their final meeting of the regular season. Both teams have the easiest remaining schedules in MLB, making this series a potential decider.
Last weekend, the Padres entered Dodger Stadium in first place after sweeping the Giants, while the Dodgers were on a four-game skid. Instead, L.A. responded with a sweep of their own, outscoring the Padres 14-6 across three games.
“We didn’t put absolutely our best foot forward,” Shildt said of that series. “We competed. We just couldn’t get on the good side of it.”
The Padres’ offense went just 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position, and starters Yu Darvish and Dylan Cease were hit hard. Their best showing came in a bullpen game on Friday.
“We just came up short,” Bogaerts said. “So obviously, is better playing at home.”
The rivalry has always carried extra intensity.
For the Padres, recent trade acquisitions have provided a much-needed spark. Laureano is hitting .317/.379/.633 with four home runs and 12 RBIs, two of those long balls coming against the Dodgers. Ryan O’Hearn has added three homers and 10 RBIs while slashing .262/.373/.525.
“There is no doubt,” Tatis said of the deadline moves. “Our general manager did his job and now it is time for us to do ours.”
Still, the stars — Tatis, Machado, and Bogaerts — must lead the way this weekend. Merrill remains sidelined with an ankle injury that Shildt admitted “can take a while to heal.”
San Diego needs the type of offensive showing they had in Wednesday’s 8-1 win over the Giants, when they belted four home runs and applied constant pressure. That’s been rare, though — the Padres rank 29th in MLB with just 110 home runs, while the Dodgers sit second with 182.
But power alone won’t win it. On Thursday, Machado drove in three runs, Bogaerts added two RBIs, and Laureano chipped in one. Timely hitting with runners on base is the difference-maker.
On the mound, the matchups are set: Yu Darvish vs. Blake Snell on Friday, Nestor Cortes vs. Tyler Glasnow on Saturday, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Nick Pivetta in Sunday’s finale.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. For San Diego, this weekend could determine whether they start a postseason series at home against the Dodgers or in Los Angeles.
“It’s important,” Gavin Sheets said. “I think it’s important for us not to make it any more than it is. It’s a big three-game stretch, but honestly, every series from here until October is a really, really big three-game stretch.”