SAN DIEGO — In a nail-biting game, the San Diego Padres managed a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, highlighted by Martín Maldonado’s pivotal home run. Maldonado connected with a pitch from San Diego native Trevor Williams in the fifth inning, tying the game.
The Padres capitalized further in the sixth inning when Jose Iglesias hit a ground ball with the bases loaded, scoring the decisive run. Contributions came from the lower half of the Padres’ lineup, with each batter securing an RBI, underscoring a team effort.
However, the game took a dramatic turn in the fourth inning when Padres rookie pitcher Ryan Bergert was struck on the pitching elbow by a blazing 103-mph line drive from Jacob Young. Despite the painful impact, Bergert showed resilience by retrieving the ball and attempting an out at first. Unfortunately, Young reached base safely with an infield hit. After a brief examination by medical staff, Bergert exited the game, and Adrian Morejon stepped in to pitch. Young capitalized on the situation by eventually scoring from third.
Earlier in the game, the Nationals built a 3-0 lead, with James Wood proving instrumental by hitting a grounder that allowed Young to score and taking a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. Wood, once part of the Padres’ farm system, showcased his potential against his former organization.
The momentum shifted in the fourth inning when the Padres began staging their comeback. Xander Bogaerts brought in a run with a groundout, and Jake Cronenworth narrowed the gap further with a double that drove in another player. It was Maldonado’s fourth home run of the season that leveled the score.
Williams, who started for Washington, struggled in the sixth inning, issuing consecutive walks before being replaced by Cole Henry, who also had command issues. The Padres managed to bring in a run through Iglesias’ groundout following another walk, marking Williams’ ninth loss of the season. His final line included four earned runs over seven innings, giving up four hits and registering just one strikeout.
The game concluded with Jason Adam on the mound getting the win, while Robert Suarez secured his 22nd save by striking out James Wood, who had been a significant offensive force for Washington the previous night. This save ties Suarez for the most saves in the league.
Adrian Morejon impressed in a relief role, maintaining an impressive 1.15 career ERA when pitching six-plus outs in relief appearances. He is currently on an 18-inning scoreless streak across such outings since early October 2022.
Looking ahead, the series finale between these two teams is scheduled with a promising pitching matchup. The Nationals will send left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who was part of the significant trade for Juan Soto, to the mound against Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta. Gore enters the game with a season record of 3-7 and a 3.19 ERA, while Pivetta stands at 7-2 with a 3.64 ERA.