Padres Split Series vs Nationals
The Padres ended their recent homestand by welcoming in the Washington Nationals for a four game series this past weekend.
The series began on Thursday with a 5-4 win. Fernando Tatis Jr. made his return to the lineup and had a hit, walked twice and scored a run. San Diego fell behind early 4-0
Hunter Renfroe cut the deficit in half with his 18th home run of the year in the 2nd inning.
The Padres tied the game in the fifth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Manny Machado and an error but the Nationals infielder and took the lead on a Franmil Reyes sac fly.
San Diego’s pitching did not allow a baserunner after the third inning, retiring 20 straight batters. Kirby Yates picked up his league leading 23rd save of the year in the win.
Friday night saw the Padres pick up another 5-4 win, this one in walk off fashion.
Machado drove in a run in the bottom of the first with an RBI single and it stayed 1-0 until Fernando Tatis Jr made his return to the lineup felt with a two run homer in the sixth.
Washington scored three runs in the seventh to tie the game and scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth to take a 4-3 lead. The Padres rallied however.
Eric Hosmer tripled with one out and after a Reyes strikeout, was driven in by Josh Naylor who then proceeded to steal second base.
Austin Hedges came to the plate and sent Padre fans home happy with a walk off single to drive in Naylor and give the Padres a 5-4 win.
On Saturday night the Padres offense ran into the buzzsaw that is Max Scherzer. The Nationals starter shut down the Padre bats in a 4-1 Nationals victory.
San Diego fell behind 1-0 early and could not get anything going against the right-hander. Their best chance came in the 2nd when they loaded the bases against Scherzer but couldn’t make anything of it.
Washington added two more runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth making it 4-0. San Diego scored a run in the bottom of the ninth making it 4-1.
History was made on Sunday at Petco Park, unfortunately the Padres were on the wrong end of it in their 5-2 loss.
The Nationals became the ninth team in MLB history to hit four straight home runs and the first team to accomplish that feat multiple times.
With the score tied at 1 in the top of the 8th, Howie Kendrick, Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon hit back to back to back to back solo home runs to give Washington a 5-1 lead.
The loss puts the Padres at 33-33, 4th place in the NL West and 3.5 games out of the Wild Card.
San Diego begins two game road series vs. the Giants on Tuesday before an important four game road series vs. Colorado who currently sits a game above the Padres in the standings.
