A day after the big four of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts combined to go 0-for-17 at the plate in a 9-7 loss, the same group went 8-for-19 with a home run, three doubles, four runs scored, six RBI, a walk and three strikeouts en route to a 6-4 win in 10 innings over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Machado finished with five RBI in the game and launched what proved to be the game-winning three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning that gave the Padres a 6-3 lead. Mason Miller came on for the bottom of the 10th inning and allowed the Manfred Man from second base to score on an infield hit by Wyatt Langford with two outs in the inning, but a earned his 20th save of the season when he struck out the next batter, Bandon Nimmo, to end the game.
San Diego was able to force the game to go to extra innings when Merrill hit a ground ball into right field with the Padres trailing 3-2 in the top of the eighth inning. The single allowed Samad Taylor to score from second base to tie the game. Adrian Morejon came on to replace Jason Adam for the bottom of the eighth inning after he allowed two runs on two hits in the bottom of the seventh. Morejon faced four batters and recorded three strikeouts in the eighth and returned to the mound for the bottom of the ninth. He faced four batters in the ninth as well and recorded two more strikeouts to give him five in just two innings of work. That set the stage for the Padres to score in the top of the 10th to get Miller to the mound for the save.
San Diego got the first run of the game in the top of the third inning when Machado lined a ball into right-center field, which was just beyond the reach of Langford and kicked off the tip of his glove and rolled to the wall. Tatis Jr., who was on second base after a one-out double, came around to score to give the Padres a 1-0 lead.
San Diego held the lead until the bottom of the sixth inning when starter Walker Buehler allowed back-to-back one-out doubles, which allowed Texas to tie the game at 1-1. Buehler came out after the run scored after completing 5.1 innings with one run allowed on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. It was another strong performance turned in by the right-hander who has allowed just three runs over his last three starts with three walks and 16 strikeouts. Buehler has quietly been the one of the best pitchers in the San Diego rotation.
The Padres will try to win the series against the Rangers with a win in Game 3 today at 11:35 a.m.
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