The 20-year-old rookie catcher drove in three runs during his ninth big-league appearance since making his debut on Sept. 2. According to official league data, Salas became the youngest catcher in Major League Baseball history to record a multi-home run game.

Offensive Momentum Drives Early Lead for San Diego

San Diego established control early in the opening inning by taking a 2-0 lead via a sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Jake Cronenworth. Colorado responded in the bottom half of the frame when Adael Amador drove in a run on a bases-loaded groundout.

Salas expanded the cushion in the second inning by leading off with his first major league home run to make it 3-1. Dustin Harris added another run for the visiting side in the fourth inning by hitting a triple to right field.

Fifth-Inning Rally Breaks Contest Open for Visitors

The Padres broke the game wide open during a high-scoring fifth inning that began with a one-out single by Jackson Merrill. Xander Bogaerts then drew a walk that ended the outing for Rockies starter Mason Adams, who allowed six runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Following a groundout that advanced the runners, Samad Taylor drove in two runs with a single to extend the lead. Salas immediately followed with a two-run home run off reliever Nick Frasso to push the score to 8-1.

Pitching Performance Secures Position in Wild-Card Race

Starter Robbie Ray delivered a commanding performance on the mound to improve his season record to 13-8, allowing just one hit through the first five innings. Ty France added an RBI double in the sixth to extend the lead before Ray surrendered a two-run homer to Kyle Karros.

Despite conceding Karros’ 12th home run of the season, Ray finished his night by retiring the next two batters to complete six innings. He allowed three runs on three hits while striking out six batters during his solid starting stint.

 

Postseason Standings Impacted by Dominant Road Victory

The victory allowed San Diego (83-69) to solidify its hold on the third National League wild-card position. The club remains one game behind the Philadelphia Phillies and 1 1/2 games back of the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card standings.

Conversely, the defeat marked another setback for Colorado (56-96), which has now lost nine of its last 10 games. Multiple San Diego hitters contributed to the offensive output, with Merrill recording three hits alongside two-hit performances from Salas, Taylor, Cronenworth, and Harris.

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