Hedges caps Padres’ rally in 5-4 win vs Nationals
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Austin Hedges‘ RBI single with two outs in the ninth capped a two-run rally off Sean Doolittle and gave the San Diego Padres a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.
Hedges’ single brought in rookie Josh Naylor, who hit an RBI single and then stole second base. Naylor’s single brought in Eric Hosmer, who tripled off Doolittle (4-2) with one out.
The comeback eased the sting of the bullpen blowing a 3-0 lead provided by rookie Fernando Tatis Jr., who hit a two-run homer and finished with a career-high three hits in his second game back from missing 34 games with a strained left hamstring.
The Nationals had taken a 4-3 lead against the Padres’ bullpen.
Trea Turner hit a tying, two-run bloop double in the seventh inning and Brian Dozier scored the go-ahead run on Adam Warren’s wild pitch in the ninth.
Tatis’ moonshot homer into the Padres’ bullpen beyond the fence in left-center with no outs in the sixth gave the Padres a 3-0 lead. It was Tatis’ first since coming back from the injured list on Thursday and his seventh overall. Greg Garcia was aboard on a leadoff single.
But Padres reliever Matt Wisler gave up the lead in the seventh on three singles, a wild pitch and a double. Yan Gomes hit a one-out single to bring in the first run and Turner hit a bloop, two-run double that caromed off the glove of center fielder Wil Myers to bring in two runs and tie it.
Turner was the Padres’ first-round pick in the 2014 amateur draft and was sent to Washington as part of a three-way trade that December that brought Myers to San Diego.
Dozier doubled off Warren (4-1) leading off the ninth, was sacrificed by Victor Robles before scoring on a wild pitch.
Tatis scored San Diego’s first run by leading off the first with a single to right, advancing on Myers’ groundout, stealing third and coming home on Manny Machado’s groundout.
Padres rookie left-hander Nick Margevicius was working on a three-hit shutout when manager Andy Green pulled him after he allowed Howie Kendrick’s two-out single in the fourth. Miguel Diaz came on and got Dozier to hit into a force.
Washington starter Erick Fedde allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, struck out five and walked none.
UP NEXT
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (3-5, 3.06) is scheduled to start Saturday night. This will be his fifth start this season on five days rest (1-2, 4.10 ERA, 42 strikeouts, five walks).
Padres: LHP Eric Lauer (5-4, 4.18) will try for his fourth victory in as many starts.
