Padres rally for 4 runs in the 6th inning to beat Yankees 5-2 and avoid another home sweep

Updated May. 26, 2024 8:25 p.m. ET

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Luis Arraez and Fernando Tatis Jr. had consecutive RBI singles in the four-run sixth inning and the San Diego Padres beat the New York Yankees 5-2 on Sunday to avoid being swept in consecutive home series.

Joe Musgrove pitched well for the Padres in his second start back from the injured list and Jeremiah Estrada (2-0) struck out five straight for the win.

Alex Verdugo homered in the ninth off Robert Suarez, the Yankees' sixth long ball this series. Suarez was summoned in the eighth after Wandy Peralta walked two with two outs, and punched out Aaron Judge. Suarez allowed his first run since March 28, but remained perfect in 15 save chances.

The Yankees struck out 12 times. The Padres raved about the performance of Estrada, who relieved Musgrove after he allowed Juan Soto's RBI double with one out in the sixth and then struck out Judge — who homered both Friday and Saturday nights — and Verdugo. After the Padres rallied to take the lead, Estrada then struck out the side in the seventh, starting with Giancarlo Stanton, who homered Friday night.

“He’s nasty," Tatis said of Estrada, who was claimed by the Padres in November after being waived by the Chicago Cubs. "He’s locked in right now, he’s pounding the zone, he’s not afraid of who’s coming to the plate and the guy’s believing in himself right now. I’m really happy for him where he’s at right now.”

Estrada has struck out 15 of the last 18 batters he has faced since May 17 at Atlanta. He is the first Padres pitcher to strike out 10 consecutive batters, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The previous high was nine by Jake Peavy on April 25, 2007, the season he won the NL Cy Young Award.

“There's not really much to think about,” Estrada said about his mindset Sunday. “I think when you get ready before the game there's a lot to think about, but once I have that baseball, man, it's just more of knowing that me and the catcher are ready to go to war.

“Joe did a great job today and seeing how Joe was just shutting them down, that builds confidence in a team and that gets you thinking, like, ‘We’ve got this game,'" Estrada said.

The Padres trailed 1-0 entering the sixth and scored four runs on three singles, an error and two walks. It was their first lead at home since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on May 12. They never had the lead in being swept by the Colorado Rockies — who have the NL's worst record — from May 13-15 before losing to the Yankees 8-0 and 4-1.

The Padres' sixth-inning rally began with an error when second baseman Gleyber Torres let Jake Cronenworth's grounder go between his legs. Starter Clarke Schmidt (5-3) walked Manny Machado and made way for Victor González, who loaded the bases with a walk to pinch-hitter Donovan Solano. Jackson Merrill hit into a forceout that brought in Cronenworth, and Ha-Seong Kim's bunt single scored Machado for the lead.

With two outs, Arraez hit an RBI single to center and Tatis greeted Dennis Santana with a swinging bunt for an RBI single.

“Just keep putting the ball in play. That's how we're going to win ballgames over here,” Tatis said.

Cronenworth and Machado hit consecutive doubles in the seventh.

Musgrove went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run and six hits, while striking out five and walking none.

Musgrove was chased when Anthony Volpe singled with one out in the sixth, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games, and scored on Soto's double to right-center.

Schmidt allowed two runs, one earned, and three hits in five innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.

Yankees starting pitchers have allowed two runs or fewer and thrown five-plus innings in 14 consecutive games, tying a major league record since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893,

Volpe's hitting streak is the longest for the Yankees since Derek Jeter's 19-game streak from Sept. 4-25, 2012.

The sellout crowd of 45,731 helped the Padres set the record for a three-game series at 134,081. The old record was set just two weekends ago with 133,970 against the Dodgers.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone said reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole will probably throw another batting practice sometime midweek in Tampa. The ace threw two 15-pitch innings in a simulated game on Saturday as he works to come back from a right elbow injury. “It seems like everything went according to plan yesterday, so we keep moving,” Boone said.

UP NEXT

Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (3-4, 3.29 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels.

Padres: RHP Michael King (4-4, 4.28) is scheduled to start Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins and LHP Trevor Rogers (1-6, 6.11).

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