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From Mirror, wire reports
SAN DIEGO -- Xander Bogaerts had an RBI single in the seventh inning, Jackson Merrell made a game-saving diving catch in the ninth inning, and Joe Musgrove had a solid return from the 60-day injured list as the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Monday night.
The Padres won for the 17th time in 20 games since July 20, and handed the struggling Pirates their eighth straight defeat and 10th loss in 11 games.
Pirates starter Jake Woodford (0-4) pitched well in the loss, giving up one run and three hits in six-plus innings. He gave up a double to Jurickson Profar to lead off the seventh and Profar eventually scored when Bogaerts punched a single through the drawn-in Pirates infield against reliever Kyle Nicolas.
Musgrove, sidelined since May 26 due to right elbow inflammation, gave up two hits and walked one while striking out one in 4• scoreless innings. He pitched effectively, mixing his sliders, changeups and four-seam fastballs. It was Musgrove's first scoreless outing since July 28, 2023, when he pitched six innings against Texas in his final start of the season.
Jeremiah Estrada (4-2) got the win for the Padres after pitching one inning in relief and closer Robert Suarez earned his 26th save after giving up two singles and a run in the ninth inning.
With San Diego leading 2-1 and the Pirates' tying run at first with two outs, Merrell made a spectacular diving catch after running far to his left to rob Bryan Reynolds of extra bases and end the game.
"I think if you were painting up how the last 10 days have gone, that kind of sums it up right there," said manager Derek Shelton. "We just have to make our own break. Bryan has a not good at-bat there, swings out of the zone but squares the ball right up. [Merrill] makes a heck of a catch, and that ends up being the difference of the game."
Elsewhere:
n Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is headed to the injured list with a left elbow injury, manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday. The 26-year-old Chisholm has a probable ulnar collateral ligament injury. Chisholm was hurt on a headfirst dive scoring in the fifth of Monday's 12-2 loss to the White Sox.
n Justin Verlander will make his second minor league rehab start Thursday night as he eyes a return to the Astros' rotation. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is coming back from neck stiffness that has sidelined him for two months. He last pitched for the Astros on June 9. He is 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 10 starts this year.
n Dodgers rookie pitcher River Ryan will require Tommy John surgery for the elbow injury that he suffered Saturday against the Pirates while making his fourth major league start. The team had already said Ryan would miss the rest of this season. The surgery will likely force him to miss most if not all of 2025, as well. The 25-year-old Ryan went 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA in four starts for Los Angeles this season.