PITTSBURGH — The San Diego Padres triumphed over the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 9-4 victory on Friday night, marking their third consecutive win. The Padres’ victory was largely driven by an impressive performance from Luis Arraez, who notched three hits and three RBIs. Arraez, who has been consistent since returning from a concussion, is now hitting .500 in his recent appearances, going 6 for 12.
Unfortunately for the Padres, star player Fernando Tatis Jr. had to leave the game early after being hit on the left forearm by a pitch thrown by Pirates’ Mitch Keller in the third inning, but initial X-ray results were negative, giving the team a sigh of relief.
Pittsburgh jumped to an early 1-0 lead when Oneil Cruz walked, stole second base, and scored on Bryan Reynolds’ single. However, the Padres quickly responded in the fourth inning, thanks to Gavin Sheets who launched his fourth home run of the season against Keller. Subsequently, Xander Bogaerts singled and crossed home plate on a hit from Taylor Wade to put San Diego in the lead. Pittsburgh’s Alexander Canario then tied the game with a bases-loaded walk.
San Diego claimed the lead in the fifth inning when Oscar Gonzalez singled and eventually scored on an Arraez double, leading to a three-run burst in the inning. Brandon Lockridge delivered a crucial hit in the eighth with a two-out single, followed by Arraez who punctuated the game with a two-run single, extending the lead to 8-4. Jason Heyward added to the tally with a sacrifice fly in the ninth, sealing the victory.
Dylan Cease of the Padres put forth a solid starting effort, hurling 91 pitches over four innings and allowing two runs on three hits with three walks. Reliever Jeremiah Estrada (1-1) struck out the side in the seventh inning to earn the win. Mitch Keller, on the other hand, allowed five runs—four of which were earned—over his five-inning stint, surrendering eight hits in the process.
For the Pirates, this marks a troubling trend as they have now lost three of their last four games at home, a frustrating start to their six-game homestand.
A pivotal turning point occurred as the Pirates tried to close the gap by scoring in four consecutive innings to make it 5-4 heading into the eighth. Nonetheless, the Padres asserted dominance with a string of four hits and three runs against Pittsburgh’s left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson.
Of note is the Padres’ standout pitching performance this season, with a team ERA trailing only the Mets at 2.86 and the top-performing bullpen at 1.77.
Looking ahead to Saturday, the Padres will have right-hander Randy Vásquez (1-3, 4.28 ERA) on the mound facing the Pirates’ lefty Bailey Falter (1-3, 5.93 ERA).