SAN DIEGO – With so much discussion of ingredients for the San Diego, a peppering of Jose Iglesias late proved vital in the Padres 3-2 walk off win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.
Entering into the game in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter, Iglesias first delivered a game-tying two-RBI single. Then after a Luis Arraez single and a one-out Xander Bogaerts double in the ninth, Iglesias hit an infield fielder’s choice to bring home the winning run for the Padres’ (42-35) third walk-off and 18th comeback win.
“It means a lot, coming from the bench in such a situation like that and be able to come through for the team,” Iglesias said. “I’m just very happy to get the job done and just be ready in those situations to put the team in a good position.”
It backed up a career-best seven inning start by Randy Vásquez, and a strong return effort by Jackson Merrill after being reinstated from the 7-day IL as part of concussion protocol.
Beyond the pair of clutch at bats, Iglesias also made a pair of sterling defensive plays. He combined with Bogaerts to turn a double play in the eighth inning, then in the ninth Iglesias relayed Merrill’s throw off Freddy Fermin double to home for Elias Díaz to tag Drew Waters for the final out.
“Part of the process of being a winning Major League player is knowing what the game does call for, having the awareness to it and then beyond that, having the ability to do something to execute,” said manager Mike Shildt. “We’ve got a team full of guys, when were at our best places, we’re doing that. We have a group of guys that understand what that looks like, have the ability to execute it and Jose’s one of them.”
Merrill started the Padres seventh inning rally with a lined double to right off Kansas City (38-40) starter Seth Lugo. Then Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts drew walks with two outs against reliever Angel Zerpa, drawing changes for both teams. Lucas Erceg came on to pitch and Iglesias came through.
Iglesias drove in three runs as a pinch hitter in the series and has knocked six RBIs over the past four games — he has seven RBIs in June as part of 19 for the season.
Kyle Leibel – The Sporting Tribune
San Diego Padres players Jackson Merrill (3) and Tyler Wade (14) dump water on José Iglesias (7) after a walk-off win against the Kansas City Royals on June 22, 2025 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA.
Vásquez limited Kansas City to five hits and two runs with two strikeouts and two walks. The only blemish was a two-run home run by Salvador Perez, as the third year right-hander allowed one non-run-scoring hit in four Kansas City at bats with runners in scoring position.
Yet his counterpart Lugo was every bit as locked in, allowing a leadoff single to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the first and then retiring 18 straight until Merrill’s double. Lugo, who was a Padre in 2023, finished with seven strikeouts and no walks, with one run charged to him in 6 ⅓ innings.
There was early bumpiness for Vásquez, with the Royals taking advantage of a leadoff walk and a pair of one out singles to load the bases in the second. However he induced an infield fly rule pop out by Kyle Isbel and then got Jonathan India to chase an outside cutter for an inning-ending strikeout.
Maikel Garcia drew a one-out walk in the third and stole second, but Vásquez left him there and retired the next eight batters.
Then in the sixth with Vinnie Pasquantino aboard on a one-out single, the San Diego starter left a cutter over the heart of the plate and Perez crushed it to left field for a go-ahead two-run home run. It was the fifth home run of June for Perez and his ninth of the season.
“His changeup was really good, the cutter was good, he was getting off barrels,” Shildt said. “Credit goes to Vásquez, huge seven innings (to) earn more trust deeper into games and rewarding it, and just through the ball really well.”
Kyle Leibel – The Sporting Tribune
San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Vásquez (98) throws a pitch during an MLB game against the Kansas City Royals on June 22, 2025 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA.
Robert Suarez picked up his second win of the season after a walk and a hit allowed in the ninth, following a one hit and one strikeout eighth inning by Jason Adam. Daniel Lynch IV took his second loss of the season after allowing the two hits in the ninth, though Iglesias notched the winner off John Schreiber.
Merrill finished 1-of-4 with a run, putting a good swing on the first pitch he saw for a sharp flyout to center and then had a potential two-run home run robbed by Jac Caglianone in the eighth. Merrill was slotted second in the lineup, while Arraez got moved to the four spot.
“That’s something I was mulling over before Jackson got the concussion, (but the) good news is we have interchangeable parts,” Shildt said. “(Arraez) is a presence wherever you put him… he also knows how to drive in runs and just frees up a little bit of the top for Jackson and Tatis to go ball out and have Luis sitting there to use his magic wand.”
Up next is a three-game series against the Washington Nationals, who dropped a 13-7 result to the Dodgers on Sunday and are fourth place in the NL East.
Left-hander Mitchell Parker (4-8, 4.59 ERA) is expected to start for Washington, while the Padres have yet to announce a starter for the 6:40 p.m. first pitch on Monday at Petco Park.
This story was updated at 4:53 p.m.