The Padres, after a game-tying home run by Jackson Merrill, roared back Wednesday to defeat the Pirates in 10 innings 9-8.
It was a nail biter, as the Friars almost lost the game in the bottom of the ninth following a key error by Xander Bogaerts, before he was part of a three-run outburst in the top of the 10th to break a 6-6 tie.
The Padres, though, had to watch Pittsburgh claw back by taking advantage of three walks by Tanner Scott and a wild pitch by Adrian Morejon to score two runs in their half of the 10th. But Morejon rebounded to shut them down for the win.
The seesaw game started with a 2-0 Pirate lead in the first, which the Padres cut in half with Merrill’s first homer of the game in the second. But the Friars made it 4-3 in the fourth thanks to a three-run homer by Kyle Higashioka, an advantage promptly erased by Andrew McCutcheon with a two-out knock in the bottom of the frame.
Merrill struck again in the fifth with a run-scoring single, but an inning later, so did McCutcheon, who topped him with a single that sent two Pirates home for a 6-5 Pittsburgh lead.
The Pirates maintained it until, with one out in the ninth, Merrill jumped on David Bednar’s first pitch, driving the ball deep to center to tie the game. But in the bottom of the inning, Bogaerts, with one on, seemed to be ready to toss a grounder to Ha-Seong Kim before he fielded it cleanly, leading to an error.
After a bunt that put both runners in scoring position, Robert Suarez walked the next batter, and then drew a grounder from Ji Hwan Bae to Bogaerts, who made a high-pressure throw to the plate for the second out. Scott took over from Suarez and got the third out to end the threat.
The Padres quickly made the Pirates regret their failure to score. With Luis Arraez on second to start the inning, Kim walked, and Bogaerts atoned for his miscue, driving in Arraez with a single. Kim hustled to third and Manny Machado brought him in with a sacrifice fly. An error by catcher Yasmani Grandal allowed Bogaerts to cross the plate for the 9-6 lead.
Scott, though, opened the door, and his third walk allowed the Pirates’ Oneil Cruz, who started the inning on second, to score. Morejon came in, and despite tossing the wild pitch that allowed the Pirates to pull within one run at 9-8, got the three outs the Padres needed – including another runner cut down at the plate.
Scott was credited with the win and Morejon the save. Merrill ended his night with four hits, two homers and three RBIs. Higashioka also drove in three.
“Had a couple of tough innings but we battled the whole game. We didn’t ever go out of it,” Merrill said in the post-game interview.
The Padres, now just three games back and tied for second in the National League West – and for first in the wild-card race – will try for the sweep Thursday when they send Randy Vásquez to the mound.