Padres Sweep Marlins as Machado, Merrill Homer in 8th-Inning Rally

The San Diego Padres entered the eighth inning of Sunday’s series finale in Miami trailing 3-1. By the time the frame ended, they had erased the deficit with two swings and left loanDepot park with a 5-3 victory and a three-game sweep of the Marlins.

Manny Machado, a Miami native, started the rally with a leadoff single from Jake Cronenworth already on base. After a six-pitch battle against Marlins reliever Lake Bachar, Machado drove a fastball at the top of the zone over the center-field wall to tie the game at 3-3. One out later, Jackson Merrill connected on a pitch up and out over the plate and sent it to right field, giving the Padres their first lead of the afternoon.

Por que importa

The Padres added an insurance run later in the inning. Luis Rengifo doubled, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a single by catcher Luis Campusano. The four-run outburst turned a close game into a 5-3 lead that the bullpen protected.

Eighth-inning comeback
The decisive inning marked the second time in the series that San Diego’s offense struck late. After a pair of bullpen games to open the series, the Padres needed a solid start from Walker Buehler to give the lineup a chance. Buehler worked into the sixth inning, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He left with the Padres trailing by two, but the offense rewarded his effort.

Adrian Morejon handled the bottom of the eighth, working a scoreless inning despite not being as sharp as usual. Mason Miller then closed the door in the ninth, striking out two while earning his 27th save of the season.

Key facts
| Stat | Detail |
| — | — |
| Winning pitcher | Adrian Morejon (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K) |
| Save | Mason Miller (27th of season) |
| Home runs | Manny Machado (2-run), Jackson Merrill (solo) |
| Turning point | Top of the 8th inning, Padres rally from 3-1 down |

Offensive contributors
Cronenworth set the table all day, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Machado went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run. France, Merrill, and Rengifo each collected two hits, with Merrill’s solo homer serving as the game-winner. Campusano’s RBI single in the eighth provided the final margin.

The bullpen combination of Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, Morejon, and Miller combined for 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.

What it means for the Padres
The sweep brings San Diego back to .500 for the first time in weeks. The team has an off-day Monday before hosting the Colorado Rockies for two games and the San Francisco Giants for four games. That homestand leads directly into the July 31 trade deadline, and the Padres’ front office will use the next six games to evaluate whether to buy or sell.

Sunday’s victory showed the kind of late-inning power that has been missing for stretches this season. If Machado and Merrill can continue to produce in the middle of the order, the Padres may have enough offensive punch to make a push in the National League wild-card race.

Source: Yahoo Sports – https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/manny-machado-jackson-merrill-power-133017288.html

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