SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jurickson Profar homered and reliever Jeremiah Estrada extended his club-record strikeout streak to 13 straight batters, the most in the expansion era, for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Miami Marlins 4-0 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.
Estrada achieved his milestone by striking out the side in the ninth. He celebrated by pounding his chest and glove and blowing a kiss to the sky. A few minutes later, he got a Gatorade shower from his teammates.
All 13 strikeouts in the streak have been swinging.
“It's kind of hard to believe,” said Estrada, 25, who was picked up off waivers from the Cubs in November. “I feel like I just got done playing a video game and I finally accomplished a mission that I’ve been trying to go after for so long.”
Estrada, who is from the Palm Springs area, said he knew Robert Suarez was unavailable after getting consecutive saves.
“It's hard for it sink in right now. I just feel like I did my job and we got the win," said Estrada, who was recalled from Triple-A on April 26.
Knuckleballer Matt Waldron pitched seven impressive innings — his longest stint in the majors — for the win.
Waldron said watching Estrada is “incredible. He looks like he’s having a lot of fun out there and his confidence ... he was in Triple-A like a month ago, so it’s awesome to see him dominate at this level.”
Manager Mike Shildt said Estrada has “an elite fastball, and then tonight he was throwing some splitters that were filthy. ... He has a special arm and special stuff."
Estrada said his primary off-speed pitch is a split-circle-change that he calls a “chitter."
The Padres' win streak follows five straight home losses, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies, who have the NL's second-worst record, and two games in which they were overpowered by the New York Yankees, who have the AL's best record. The Marlins have the NL's worst record. The Padres are just 13-18 at home.
Profar continues to have a great season after signing a $1 million, one-year deal to return to the Padres.
He went deep against Jesús Luzardo with one out in the first and Fernando Tatis Jr. aboard on a single, with the ball sailing over the outstretched glove of leaping center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. It was his eighth homer.
The Padres hit three straight singles with one out in the fifth, with Profar's base hit bringing in Luis Arraez, who was traded from Miami to San Diego on May 4.
Donovan Solano had three hits, including an RBI double in the eighth.
Waldron (3-5) held the Marlins to six hits while striking out eight and walking none.
Luzardo (2-4) allowed seven hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked two.
The Padres held a moment of silence for Bill Walton, the basketball Hall of Famer and San Diego-area native who died of cancer Monday at 71. The big screen showed a picture of a smiling Walton in a Padres jersey with his arms upraised and a baseball in his right hand before he threw a ceremonial first pitch in 2012, with a background of a psychedelic image that was a nod to his love for the Grateful Dead.
