Victor Caratini singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning, and the San Diego Padres beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Wednesday night for their 11th victory in 12 games.
Caratini’s leadoff single to right off Brent Suter (3-3) scored automatic runner Wil Myers from second base.
Spot starter Eric Lauer allowed one run over six innings and tied the game with a third-inning homer for the Brewers. San Diego’s Chris Paddack also worked six innings and gave up one hit aside from Lauer’s long ball.
Mark Melancon earned his 17th save in as many opportunities with a major assist from second baseman Jake Cronenworth.
The Brewers had runners at the corners in the 10th after Keston Hiura moved to third on Willy Adames’ single.
With the infield playing in, Cronenworth made a diving play to stop a hard-hit ball from Jackie Bradley Jr., got up and threw out Hiura at the plate. Melancon then struck out Daniel Robertson and retired Kolten Wong on a grounder.
Cronenworth also prevented a run in the second inning when he snared Adames’ two-out liner up the middle with Omar Narváez at second.
The Brewers had a chance to win in the ninth when Lorenzo Cain led off with a single and Christian Yelich walked, but Austin Adams (1-0) worked out of the jam. Center fielder Jurickson Profar caught Travis Shaw’s sinking liner with his right knee on the grass to end the inning.
Milwaukee called up Lauer from Triple-A Nashville before the game to face his former team, for which he went 14-17 with a 4.40 ERA over two seasons. The Brewers acquired Lauer and Luis Urías in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to San Diego.
In the third, Lauer blasted an 0-1 pitch that sailed over the gloves of left fielder Tommy Pham and center fielder Jorge Mateo, who both made leaping attempts at the catch.
Brewers pitchers have hit three homers this season to match the second-highest total in franchise history, behind the 2010 team that had four. The other two came from Adrian Houser, both off Miami’s Daniel Castano.
Padres 3B Manny Machado fouled out as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning. He had missed the previous five games with right shoulder tightness.
