Field Level Media
Jul 2, 2021
Kyle Farmer belted a game-tying solo homer in the ninth and rookie Tyler Stephenson hit a walk-off single later in the inning as the Cincinnati Reds earned a 5-4 win over the visiting San Diego Padres on Thursday.
Cincinnati salvaged the finale of a three-game series, handing San Diego just its second loss in 11 games.
Before the ninth-inning collapse, Padres closer Mark Melancon (1-1) had converted 25 of 28 save chances this season and San Diego had won its past 88 games when entering the ninth inning with the lead, including a 42-0 mark this season.
With one out in the ninth, Farmer went deep to left for his sixth homer of the season, leveling the score at 4-4.
Pinch hitter Tucker Barnhart walked and was replaced by pinch runner Mike Freeman, who advanced to third when Jurickson Profar dropped Jonathan India's line drive double to deep left field.
Freeman was thrown out at the plate on Jesse Winker's grounder to second, with India taking third. Nick Castellanos was handed an intentional walk to load the bases before Stephenson's single to right ended the game.
Art Warren (1-0) struck out three in a scoreless top of the ninth to record his second major league win and first with Cincinnati.
San Diego took a 4-3 lead in the eighth when Reds rookie third baseman Alejo Lopez, who went 4-for-5 in his second major league start, made an errant throw to first, allowing Manny Machado to score.
The Padres had won the teams' first six meetings this season.
San Diego starter Ryan Weathers pitched in the city where his father, David Weathers, was a reliever for six years over two stints. His father and mother were in attendance in the Padres' family section behind the visitors' dugout.
The younger Weathers allowed two runs on five hits and four walks in four innings. He struck out five.
Reds starter Luis Castillo did not allow a hit over the first four innings; but, as was the case in the first two games of the series, rain interrupted play prior to the top of the fifth, with the hosts on top 2-0. Following a 52-minute delay, Castillo walked Machado and then gave up an infield single to Eric Hosmer.
Profar doubled home Machado to cut the deficit in half.
Aristides Aquino doubled home Lopez in the fifth to give the Reds a 3-1 cushion, but Castillo ran out of steam in the seventh when the Padres loaded the bases with one out. Pinch hitter Tommy Pham singled home Machado and Hosmer to tie the game at 3.
Castillo ended up allowing three runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. He fanned six.
--Field Level Media