The Padres got a much needed win on a day when their two top relievers were unavailable, and beat the Pirates 3-0 to wrap up their homestand. Randy Vasquez cruised through five shutout innings on just 68 pitches, and departed with a 2-0 lead. With the top of the lineup featuring two left-handed hitters at the top, Craig Stammen aggressively turned to his bullpen, bringing in southpaw Kyle Hart. Despite allowing a hit and a walk, Hart escaped the jam unscathed. Jackson Merrill broke out of his recent slump, scoring a run in the 2nd inning after hitting a double, and then driving in Manny Machado in the 4th inning with a triple down the right field line. Jake Cronenworth drove in an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th. As mentioned earlier, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller were both unavailable due to recent use, but Bradgley Rodgriguez picked up the slack, pitching two scoreless innings to close out the game and earn his second save of the season. The Padres now head east and will face the Rays in Tampa on Friday following a day off on Thursday.
You can watch the Jamul Casino Resort Padres Postgame Show below, with full highlights from the game and Craig Stammen's postgame press conference.
