Jackson Merrill hit a two-run homer to help the visiting San Diego Padres to a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays in the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Xander Bogaerts had two hits and the game-winning RBI in the ninth for San Diego (78-61), which had lost three of four.
San Diego’s Dylan Cease breezed through five innings but could not record an out in the sixth. He allowed three runs on two hits in his five-plus innings, striking out four and walking three.
Tanner Scott (9-5) pitched the eighth inning to earn the win and Robert Suarez worked the ninth for his 30th save.
Rays starter Ryan Pepiot allowed three runs and four hits in three-plus innings. He struck out four and walked four for Tampa Bay (67-69).
Jake Cronenworth walked to lead off the ninth against Manuel Rodriguez (3-4). Manny Machado then singled into the right-center field gap, putting runners on the corners.
Bogaerts hit a sacrifice fly to center fielder Jose Siri to drive in pinch runner Tyler Wade for a 4-3 lead and his throw home sailed to the backstop, allowing Machado to take third.
The Padres failed to take advantage of a leadoff single by Luis Arraez in the third, but after Bogaerts singled to left to start the fourth, Merrill stepped up and lifted a 2-2 fastball over the fence in center for a 2-0 lead.
The home run gave Merrill 79 RBIs on the season, tying the Padres rookie record set by Benito Santiago in 1987.
Pepiot then gave up a single to David Peralta and a walk to Luis Campusano, ending his day.
Following a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk by Cole Sulser, Profar hit a sacrifice fly to left to stretch the lead to 3-0.
Cease walked the first two batters on eight pitches in the sixth. Brandon Lowe then lined a single to right, loading the bases and ending Cease’s day.
Jason Adam came in and hit Junior Caminero with a pitch to force in a run and make it 3-1. After a run scored on a ground-ball double play to trim it to 3-2, another run scored on a wild pitch to tie it 3-3.
–Field Level Media
