ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, and the San Diego Padres beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Sunday after squandering a three-run lead.
“We don’t like to give up leads,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. "It’s not very common for us. (But when) we do get in a position where we need to fight back, we do.”
Jackson Merrill had a two-run homer for the Padres, who are in a close race with Arizona for the first NL wild card. He has 79 RBIs, tying Benito Santiago’s team record for rookies set in 1987.
Merrill also made a diving catch in center field on Ben Rortvedt’s leadoff liner in the third.
“It makes you say, ‘Wow,’” Shildt said. “It’s clearly a highlight-type play. And of course the swing was big, too.”
Jake Cronenworth drew San Diego's 10th walk leading off the ninth against Manuel Rodríguez (3-4) and went to third on Manny Machado’s single. Bogaerts made it 4-3 on his drive to deep center.
Tampa Bay issued its most free passes since Aug. 29, 2019, against Houston.
“The walks set the tone,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “You’re dealing with some veteran hitters to take the walks, but between Machado and Bogaerts, they just have a good idea of what they’re doing.”
Tanner Scott (9-5) worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth before Robert Suarez did the same in the ninth to get his 21st save in 23 chances.
Tampa Bay had just two baserunners through five innings against Dylan Cease before loading the bases with no outs in the sixth on two walks and a base hit.
Jason Adam, acquired from Tampa Bay in July, entered and hit Junior Caminero with a pitch to force in a run. After another run scored on Josh Lowe’s double-play grounder, the Rays tied it at 3 on Adam’s wild pitch.
Cease gave up three runs, two hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five-plus innings. The right-hander reached 200 strikeouts for the fourth straight season.
Merrill hit his 21st homer off Ryan Pepiot during a three-run fourth. Jurickson Profar's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
The Padres went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base through six innings. They drew eight walks during that stretch.
Pepiot gave up three runs, four hits and four walks in three-plus innings. He struck out four.
Fred McGriff was inducted into the Rays’ Hall of Fame before the game. The slugger was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last year.
“It’s pretty cool,” McGriff said.
San Diego added infield depth by signing Nick Ahmed to a minor league contract. Right-hander Randy Vásquez was optioned to Triple-A El Paso after allowing nine runs on Saturday.
