Padres Walk Off Reds in Extra-Inning Thriller
It was one of those nights in San Diego where the energy at Petco Park built inning by inning and finally exploded in the 10th. The Padres pulled off a 4–3 walk-off victory over the Cincinnati Reds, and it was Fernando Tatis Jr. who came through with the decisive play.
Here’s how it unfolded. The Reds had jumped ahead early, putting pressure on Yu Darvish. TJ Friedl wasted no time, launching a leadoff homer in the first inning. That was followed by Elly De La Cruz driving in another run in the third, and Austin Hays blasting a solo shot in the sixth. By then, Cincinnati held a 3–0 lead, and it looked like they might have the Padres’ number. Darvish, who has been giving up homers regularly in recent outings, surrendered two long balls before being pulled after five and two-thirds innings.
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On the other side, Reds starter Nick Lodolo was sharp. He held San Diego hitless through most of his five innings, giving up just two singles while keeping the Padres off the board. But baseball has a way of turning quickly, and the sixth inning was where it all flipped.
Fernando Tatis Jr. got it started with a single, then Gavin Sheets drove him in with a big double. That cut the deficit to two, and suddenly the crowd came alive. Moments later, Jackson Merrill stepped up with two outs and delivered the swing of the night—at least until later. He ripped a triple into deep center field, and as Friedl tried to make a running catch near the warning track, the ball glanced off his glove. Two runs scored, and just like that, the game was tied 3–3.
From there, both bullpens clamped down. Pitchers traded zeroes through the late innings, and the tension grew. By the time the 10th inning rolled around, the Reds turned to former Padre Nick Martinez. That decision backfired. Martinez made a throwing error on a bunt by Freddy FermÃn, which allowed the automatic runner, Jake Cronenworth, to advance to third. All it took then was a sacrifice fly. Tatis lifted one to left field, Cronenworth tagged up, and the winning run crossed the plate. Teammates swarmed Tatis near first base as the stadium roared.
For the Padres, it was their seventh walk-off win of the season and their third in extra innings. The victory pushed them to 79–65, keeping them just a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West while also maintaining control of the second Wild Card spot. For the Reds, who fell to 72–72, it was a missed opportunity despite getting strong early contributions from their lineup.
The Padres now look ahead to Tuesday night’s matchup, with Michael King expected to return from the injured list and take the mound. The Reds will counter with Zack Littell. But for now, San Diego can celebrate a dramatic finish, one that reminded everyone of the chaos and magic that only extra innings can bring.
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