Trending
SAN DIEGO -- Jackson Merrill doubled, tripled, drove in a run and scored another to help Randy Vasquez reach 10 victories as the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep.
The Padres remained in possession of the National League's third wild-card spot, one game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Diego has won 12 of 17 and 22 of 31.
Merrill doubled to right with one out in the second off Bubba Chandler and scored on Luis Rengifo's single to right.
Manny Machado reached on third baseman Nick Gonzales' throwing error with one out in the fourth and came around on Merrill's triple to the right-field wall, sliding in headfirst and dragging his left hand across the plate.
Jake Cronenworth hit an RBI double in the eighth. Merrill drew an 11-pitch walk with two outs to load the bases before Jase Bowen flied out.
Vasquez retired his first nine batters before loading the bases with two outs in the fourth. He struck out Nick Gonzales to end it after catcher Freddy Fermin challenged a ball call that was overturned by the ABS system.
The right-hander held the Pirates to one hit in five innings, with two strikeouts and two walks. He has four wins and a no-decision in his last five starts. His previous high for victories in a season was six in 2025.
Griffin Canning got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
Bradgley Rodriguez pitched the final two innings for his second save. It was San Diego's 10th shutout.
The Pirates stranded 10 runners and were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
Chandler (6-9) allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits in 5ª innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Cruz clutch in 9th
Oneil Cruz hit the first homer allowed by closer Mason Miller in over a year with two outs in the ninth Tuesday night, sending the Pirates to a 1-0 victory over the Padres.
Cruz improbably lined a low 98-mph pitch from Miller (4-2) into Petco Park's short porch in right field for his 17th homer. Miller, the Padres' All-Star closer and Pittsburgh native, hadn't let anybody go deep on him in 73 consecutive appearances since Arizona's Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did it Aug. 5, 2025, in Miller's second appearance for his new team.
Gregory Soto (6-4) threw a scoreless eighth for Pittsburgh, and Mason Montgomery earned his sixth save.
Paul Skenes pitched six innings of three-hit ball in a solid rebound by the Pirates' reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, but Michael King allowed five hits over seven scoreless innings in his latest strong start for the Padres.
San Diego didn't get a hit off the Pirates' bullpen while losing consecutive games for the first time since July 23, interrupting a 21-7 surge into playoff position.
Skenes had gone 0-3 with a 6.46 ERA in his past five starts, leading Pittsburgh to give extra rest to its ace last week. He was back on form in his native Southern California, throttling the Padres and issuing no walks while his fastball again touched 98 mph, assuaging concerns about his downtick in velocity earlier this month.
After King escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first, the veteran righty found a groove and matched his longest start of the season while striking out seven.
Up next
Pirates RHP Jared Jones (2-5, 4.76 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at St. Louis.