It looked like the San Diego Padres were gonna drop the middle game and three-game series to the Milwaukee Brewers until a familiar hero stepped up.
The San Diego Padres looked like it was down and out against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday night despite only being down a run through eight innings, but a familiar hero stepped up in the ninth to put the Padres on top 3-1.
Padres left fielder Gavin Sheets may be the most clutch player in San Diego history. I’m only joking, but Holy Sheets! Down to its final out, Sheets came to the plate in the ninth to face Milwaukee’s hard-throwing right-hander Abner Uribe with two men on base.
Sheets drove the second pitch he saw 389 feet to right center just out of the reach of Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick to put the Padres ahead 3-1 after trailing all game. Front-runner for National League Reliever of the Year and righty closer Mason Miller struck out two and scattered a hit to earn his 13th save of the season.
It looked bleak for San Diego as right-hander Jacob Misiorowski shoved over seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out 10. Lefty reliever Aaron Ashby pitched a clean eighth inning with two punchouts but the Padres broke through against Uribe, who surrendered the three runs on two hits and a walk.
Padres right-hander Michael King did his thing, tossing 5.2 one-run innings on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts, while the bullpen took care of business. Milwaukee had won five straight coming into the game, and now the two are playing a rubber match in a matinee finale.
Padres right-hander Griffin Canning will make his third start of the season against Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison.
Canning was roughed up against the St. Louis Cardinals his last time out, giving up six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings of work. All of the damage came in the fifth inning and the big blow was on a misplay from right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., whose error led to a Little League grand slam for JJ Wetherholt. Canning will face the following Brewers lineup:
1. Jackson Chourio (LF)
2. Brice Turang (2B)
3. William Contreras (DH)
4. Gary Sanchez (C)
5. Andrew Vaughn (1B)
6. Luis Rengifo (3B)
7. Garrett Mitchell (CF)
8. Frelick (RF)
9. David Hamilton (SS)
Harrison has been a gem for the Brewers after being acquired via trade from the Boston Red Sox. He is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 41 strikeouts through seven starts (33.2 innings), but he struggled with command in his last outing.
Harrison allowed two runs on four hits and four walks while fanning six in four innings against the New York Yankees. He will take on the following Padres lineup:
1. Xander Bogaerts (SS)
2. Tatis Jr. (2B)
3. Manny Machado (3B)
4. Miguel Andujar (DH)
5. Sheets (1B)
6. Ramon Laureano (LF)
7. Nick Castellanos (RF)
8. Freddy Fermin (C)
9. Bryce Johnson (CF)
A win for the Padres keeps the Los Angeles Dodgers at bay in the NL West – Los Angeles is a half-game behind San Diego.
First pitch is at 10:40 a.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.