Jurickson Profar’s three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the San Diego Padres to a 7-5 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.
San Diego trailed 5-3 after pinch hitter Christian Vazquez lined a two-run single in the top of the eighth against Tanner Scott (8-5).
The Padres quickly rallied against Steven Okert (3-2). Pinch hitter Donovan Solano and Luis Arraez singled ahead of Profar’s 353-foot liner into the first row of seats in left, his 20th homer of the year.
The Padres added insurance later in the inning when Xander Bogaerts laced an RBI double to right-center field, scoring Jake Cronenworth.
Robert Suarez retired the side in the ninth for his 29th save in 33 chances and second in as many night as the Padres stayed a game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s top wild-card spot.
San Diego initiated the scoring in the second with two-out hits against Bailey Ober. Jackson Merrill doubled and rode home on David Peralta’s single up the middle, the last hit the Padres got off Ober until the seventh.
Ober mowed down 13 straight hitters while his teammates built a 3-1 lead off Padres starter Martin Perez. Carlos Santana led off the fourth with a single and trotted home when Ryan Jeffers cracked a two-run homer to left, his 20th.
Royce Lewis doubled the lead in the fifth with an unusual sacrifice fly. Hitting with the bases loaded and no outs, he lined out to Profar in left to score a run. A wild throw to third rolled behind the plate, but Perez backed up and threw home, catching Austin Martin in a rundown for a double play.
Ober protected the lead until the seventh. Cronenworth led off with a bloop double to left and Manny Machado cashed him in with a game-tying, two-run homer, his 20th.
That blast ended the night for Ober, who allowed three runs on four hits in six-plus innings with no walks and five strikeouts. It was his 11th straight quality start.
Perez lasted 4 2/3 innings, permitting seven hits and three runs with a walk and two strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
