Manny Machado delivered a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning on Sunday, completing a comeback that gave the San Diego Padres a 3-2 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
Ramon Laureano started the 10th inning placed on second base, and Jackson Merrill was intentionally walked. However, Gordon Graceffo (2-1) unintentionally walked Fernando Tatis Jr. to load the bases, setting the stage for Machado’s game-winning hit.
Adrian Morejon (3-1) earned the win with just one pitch, retiring pinch-hitter Jose Fermin on a popup to first base, leaving two runners stranded in the top of the 10th.
San Diego forced extra innings when Nick Castellanos launched a two-strike, two-run homer to left-center field off closer Riley O’Brien in the bottom of the ninth. The blast scored Xander Bogaerts, who singled to start the inning, advanced to second on defensive indifference, and reached third on a wild pitch.
It was the second home run of the season for Castellanos and marked O’Brien’s third blown save in 14 opportunities.
The dramatic long ball erased the starting pitchers’ strong outings from the decision. St. Louis’ Kyle Leahy threw five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and four walks while striking out five. Padres right-hander Walker Buehler surrendered just three hits and two runs over six innings, with no walks and two strikeouts.
Buehler retired the first 11 batters he faced before encountering trouble with two outs in the fourth. Alec Burleson singled and stole second base, then Buehler hung a 1-2 knuckle-curve to Jordan Walker, who crushed it an estimated 425 feet into the third deck of the Western Metal Supply building behind the left-field wall for his 11th homer of the year.
San Diego managed only 14 hits in the four-game series and missed early scoring chances. Bogaerts’ flyout to left stranded Merrill and Gavin Sheets after they drew walks in the first inning. The Padres also left Bogaerts at third in the fourth and stranded runners at second and third in the fifth when Machado grounded back to Leahy.
