Wade’s RBI single in 9th lifts Giants over Padres 6-5
SAN DIEGO — LaMonte Wade Jr. singled over leaping All-Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth inning to bring in the go-ahead run and the San Francisco Giants beat the staggering San Diego Padres 6-5 Tuesday night to keep a one-game lead in the NL West.
Wade’s hit was the third straight one-out single off Mark Melancon (4-3) and brought in Brandon Belt. Melancon, who leads baseball with 37 saves, started the ninth with the score tied at 5.
The Padres blew a 4-1 lead and wasted a two-homer performance by Manny Machado three nights after his dugout dustup with Tatis. Machado came up with runners on first and second and one out in the ninth and grounded into a double play.
The Padres lost for the ninth time in 11 games, a skid that has dropped them from a one-game lead for the second wild-card spot to five games
behind St. Louis, with Cincinnati a game ahead of them and Philadelphia a half-game ahead.
Padres right fielder Wil Myers made a great leaping catch to rob pinch-hitter Steven Duggar of a two-run homer to end the eighth and keep the game tied at 5.
Tatis added an RBI single for the Padres, whose chances at the second wild card were seriously damaged when they went 2-8 on a trip through Los Angeles, San Francisco and St. Louis.
It was in St. Louis on Saturday night that Machado shouted and cursed at Tatis during a face-to-face confrontation between the All-Stars. The dustup came after Tatis struck out looking and then argued the call by umpire Phil Cuzzi. Padres manager Jayce Tingler was ejected when he came out to argue on Tatis’ behalf.
Machado and Tatis stood next to each other after batting practice Tuesday and said all is well between them. Machado called Tatis “my little brother,” adding that the dugout blowup was unfortunate and happened due to the pressure of trying to win.
Tony Watson (6-4) got the win Tuesday, and Tyler Rogers got his 13th save.
San Francisco rallied from a 4-1 deficit to take a 5-4 lead in the sixth against Joe Musgrove. Brandon Crawford doubled in Kris Bryant with the tying run and then scored the goahead run on Mike Yastrzemski’s sacrifice fly.
San Diego’s Austin Nola tied it with a homer off Zack Littell leading off the sixth.
The Giants started their comeback in the fifth when pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores had an RBI single and Buster Posey a sacrifice fly.
Tommy La Stella homered on Musgrove’s fifth pitch.
Both of Machado’s homers were off All-Star Kevin Gausman, who lasted only four innings. Machado homered with two outs in the first and leading off the third. He has 26 homers this year.
Tommy Pham homered two batters later, his 15th, for a 4-1 lead. Tatis’ RBI single came in the second.