Fernando Tatis Jr. launched a tiebreaking, three-run home run and newcomer Austin Hays hit a two-run shot in his San Diego debut, lifting the Padres to a 7-2 victory over the American League West-leading Houston Astros, according to the Associated Press. With the win, San Diego secured two of three games in the series and remained one game out of a National League playoff spot.
Pitching Performance and Early Scoring
San Diego starting pitcher Randy Vásquez delivered five solid innings, combining with three relievers to hold Houston to just two hits, as reported by the Associated Press. Vásquez earned his eighth win against six losses after retiring his final 10 batters. His only major blemish came in the second inning when Daulton Varsho hit a two-out, two-run home run—his eighth of the season and his first since being acquired from Toronto prior to the trade deadline, according to the Associated Press.
The Padres answered immediately in the bottom of the second frame. Jackson Merrill hit a solo home run to center field off Cristian Javier, marking Merrill’s 18th homer of the year, per the Associated Press reporting.
Tatis and Hays Power Padres Ahead
The game turned in the fourth inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. connected for a 421-foot drive that reached the third level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in left field. According to the Associated Press, the two-out, three-run blast gave San Diego a 4-2 advantage and stood as Tatis’s 11th home run of the season.
San Diego extended its lead in the sixth inning when Gavin Sheets greeted reliever AJ Blubaugh with a solo shot to right field for his 15th home run, according to the Associated Press. Later in the eighth inning, newly signed Austin Hays stepped up as a pinch-hitter for Sheets and launched a two-run homer to left field off reliever Bryan King in his first plate appearance with the club, bringing his season total to two home runs, as documented by the Associated Press.
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