Merrill homers and Vásquez pitches 6 strong innings as the Padres beat the Rockies 2-0 | Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jackson Merrill homered and Randy Vásquez struck out a career-high nine in six strong innings for the San Diego Padres, who beat the last-place Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Thursday night to open a four-game series.

The Padres pulled within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and opened a four-game lead over the New York Mets for the second of three National League wild cards.

kAm%96 !25C6D H6C6 4@>:?8 @77 2 9@>6 D6C:6D =@DD E@ r:?4:??2E: 2?5 H@? 7@C ;FDE E96 7@FCE9 E:>6 😕 “ 82>6D] %96J 92G6 E96 62D:6DE C6>2:?:?8 D4965F=6 2>@?8 A=2J@77 4@?E6?56CD 3FE 5C@AA65 4@?D64FE:G6 D6C:6D E@ |:??6D@E2 2?5 q2=E:>@C6 367@C6 E2<:?8 EH@ @7 E9C66 2E r@=@C25@ =2DE H66<6?5]k^Am

kAm|6CC:== 9:E 2? @AA@D:E6\7:6=5 D9@E E@ =67E @77 |4r256 qC@H? W_\cX H:E9 EH@ @FED 😕 E96 7@FCE9] w:D “E9 9@>6C @7 E96 D62D@? 82G6 $2? s:68@ 2 a\_ =625]k^Am

kAm{F:D pCC26K D:?8=65 9@>6 uC655J u6C>:? 😕 E96 E9:C5]k^Am

kAm’áDBF6K Wd\eX 96=5 E96 #@4<:6D E@ 7@FC 9:ED 2?5 H2=<65 ?@?6] w:D AC6G:@FD DEC:<6@FE 9:89 H2D D:I[ 244@>A=:D965 7@FC E:>6D]k^Am

k9amz6J >@>6?Ek^9am

kAmp EC:@ @7 !25C6D C6=:6G6CD 7:?:D965 E96 7@FC\9:EE6C] #@36CE $F2C6K C6E:C65 E96 D:56 @? ?:?6 A:E496D 😕 E96 ?:?E9 7@C 9:D }{\=625:?8 bfE9 D2G6]k^Am

k9amz6J DE2Ek^9am

kAmu@FC @7 |6CC:==VD 7:G6 9@>6CD D:?46 yF=J `a 92G6 366? E@ E96 @AA@D:E6 7:6=5]k^Am

k9am&A ?6IEk^9am

kAm#@4<:6D #w! %2??6C v@C5@? Wd\e[ e]e_ t#pX 2?5 !25C6D =67E\92?56C y! $62CD Wg\`_[ d]_`X 2C6 D4965F=65 E@ DE2CE uC:52J ?:89E]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.