The San Diego Padres recorded 31 hits in their final two games on the road against the Colorado Rockies. They returned to Petco Park to start a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday and were held hitless until the bottom of the fourth when Gavin Sheets hit a double to the right-center field gap. San Diego would add another hit against Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo on a bunt-single by Jake Cronenworth in the bottom of the fifth. The Padres were unable to get any additional offense going against Lodolo, however he only pitched five innings and the Padres’ bats came to life against the Reds’ bullpen.
San Diego scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game and had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 10th inning after closer Robert Suarez and Wandy Peralta combined to work a scoreless top half of the inning. Cronenworth started the inning as the runner at second base for the Padres. Freddy Fermin dropped a bunt toward third base that was fielded by pitcher Nick Martinez. The Cincinnati reliever threw late and wide to first base, allowing Fermin to reach and Cronenworth moved to third. Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped to the plate with a chance to win the game and recorded a sacrifice fly to left-center field that allowed Cronenworth to tag up and score from third to give the Padres a 4-3 extra-inning win.
Yu Darvish, as has been the case lately with San Diego starting pitching, fell behind early after allowing a leadoff home run to TJ Friedl to start the game. Cincinnati built on its 1-0 lead with a second run in the top of the third inning. Elly De La Cruz hit a ground ball through the middle of the infield for a two-out, RBI-single to score Friedl and put the Reds ahead 2-0.
Cincinnati scored its third run of the game in the top of the sixth inning when Darvish allowed a one-out solo home run to Austin Hayes to give the Reds a 3-0 lead. Darvish got Gavin Lux to fly out to left field for the second out of the inning and he was then replaced on the mound by Alek Jacob. He got the final out of the inning and the Padres went to the bottom half of the sixth inning with a 3-0 deficit and a new pitcher on the mound for Cincinnati.
Reds reliever, and former Padre, Scott Barlow allowed a leadoff single to Tatis Jr. He stole second before Luis Arraez lined out to left field for the first out of the inning. Manny Machado followed with a strikeout and Sheets came up with a chance to drive in a run for San Diego. He did just that when he ripped a two-out, RBI-double to right field that allowed the Padres to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Ramón Laureano drew a four-pitch walk to put runners at first and second for Jackson Merrill, knocking Barlow out of the game. Merrill delivered a game-tying hit off Cincinnati reliever Brent Suter with a line drive into right-center field that Reds centerfielder Friedl was unable to catch on a sliding attempt into the gap. The ball dropped to the turf and Sheets and Laureano scored to tie the game, 3-3.
The San Diego bullpen allowed just one hit after the sixth inning. Jeremiah Estrada came on after Jacob and recorded two outs. He allowed a two-out double, the only hit allowed by a Padres reliever, after he struck out the first two batters of the top of the seventh. Adrian Morejon came in to get the final out of the seventh inning. Mason Miller pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Suarez pitched a scoreless ninth and got the first two outs of the 10th before Peralta came in to finish the inning against Friedl.
The Padres continue their series with the Reds, Tuesday at 6:40 p.m.