Padres continue push toward postseason berth with win over Marlins

The Padres were held to just two hits against Marlins starter Tyler Phillips , but he was pulled from the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs in the inning. Cade Gibson came on in relief and struck out Jackson Merrill and the score remained 1-0 in favor of Miami. San Diego changed that when the team took its turn at-bat in the bottom of the fifth.

Xander Bogaerts stayed hot and led off with a double. Jake Cronenworth singled, prompting another pitching change by the Marlins. Samad Taylor reached on a bunt single to load the bases but Ethan Salas flied out to shallow center field for the first out of the inning. Fernando Tatis Jr. brought home Bogaerts with a single to right to tie the game at 1-1 before Dustin Harris hit a two-run single to give the Padres a 3-1 lead. Manny Machado lined out for the second out of the inning and it appeared San Diego was going to leave some runners one base. France ensured that did not happen when he hit a three-run home run to left field to put San Diego up, 6-1.

Miami added a run in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 6-2, but the Padres responded immediately in the bottom half of the eighth when Merrill connected on a solo home run to right field, giving him 26 on the year, and giving San Diego a 7-2 lead. Bogaerts, Cronenworth and Taylor followed with three consecutive singles to give the Padres an 8-2 lead as they cruised to the win.