Field Level Media
Apr 26, 2019
Defensive replacement Hunter Renfroe hit a 1-2 pitch for a home run off closer Sean Doolittle with one out in the top of the ninth, as the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 on Friday.
Washington shortstop Carter Kieboom, in his third MLB at-bat, hit a solo homer in the eighth off Craig Stammen to tie the game at 3-3.
Padres closer Kirby Yates retired Kieboom on strikes for the last out with the bases loaded in the ninth.
Austin Hedges had walked and scored the go-ahead unearned run -- on a passed ball by Yan Gomes off a pitch from reliever Wander Suero -- in the eighth inning as the Padres took a 3-2 lead. The Nationals entered the game with a bullpen ERA of 7.07 -- worst in the league.
Washington starter Max Scherzer allowed two runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings, before Matt Adams pinch hit for him with two outs and none on in the last of the seventh with the game tied at 2.
Scherzer retired the first 13 batters before Eric Hosmer hit a solo homer to right in the fifth to trim the Washington lead to 2-1.
In the sixth inning, Scherzer struck out the side. The second strikeout of that inning, against Matt Strahm, gave the Washington right-hander the 2,500th strikeout of his career.
Strahm gave up two runs on four hits in six innings and did not figure in the decision. He fanned a career-high eight batters with no walks.
San Diego tied the game in the seventh at 2-2, as Wil Myers doubled to left and then scored on a single up the middle by Manny Machado.
The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the last of the fourth, as Gomes hit a homer just over the fence in left.
The winning pitcher was former National Stammen (3-1), who gave up a run in the eighth, while Doolittle fell to 3-1 after allowing the solo shot. Yates got his 13th save with a scoreless ninth for the Padres, despite allowing a single to Gomes and two walks.
Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon made his first start since he was hit by a pitch last weekend in Miami.
--Field Level Media