Padres avoid sweep with 5-2 win at Philadelphia

Field Level Media|published: Wed 19th June, 16:17 2024

MLB: San Diego Padres at Philadelphia Phillies

Jun 19, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka (20) runs the bases after hitting a three RBI triple during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Higashioka had a three-run triple as the visiting San Diego Padres defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon to take the series finale.

The Padres broke a five-game losing streak and avoided being swept in six games this season by Philadelphia. They also denied the Phillies, who lost for the fifth time in eight games, their National League-best 50th win.

Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez and San Diego right-hander Matt Waldron started off by allowing only a solo homer each for six innings.

San Diego's rookie Jackson Merrill put the Padres on top in the first inning, golfing a low 0-1 sinker from Suarez 401 feet into the right-center field seats for his eighth homer of the season.

The Phillies' Bryce Harper tied things up at 1-1 in the third with an opposite-field blast off Waldron's sinker. Harper's lofted drive sailed 392 feet.

The Padres took a 2-1 lead in the seventh when Philadelphia's Orion Kerkering hit Merrill, gave up a single to Tyler Wade, and Luis Arraez's single scored Merrill from third.

San Diego broke the game open with two out in the eighth when Higashioka's soft liner off Gregory Soto with the bases loaded dropped in front of diving Philadelphia center fielder Brandon Marsh.

The ball rolled past Marsh to the wall for a three-run triple and a 5-1 Padres lead.

Harper smashed his second homer of the game in the bottom of the eighth, hooking his 17th of the season inside the right-field foul pole to cut the San Diego lead to 5-2.

Waldron (5-6), got the win, throwing his knuckleball 46 percent of the game. He tossed seven innings, allowing a run on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 104 pitches.

Robert Suarez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save.

Kerkering (2-1) took the loss for Philadelphia.

Ranger Suarez allowed just Merrill's homer among six hits. He struck out four without a walk over a 94-pitch outing.

The Phillies took Monday's opener 9-2 and had a 4-3 walkoff win Tuesday on Nick Castellanos' ground-rule double.

--Field Level Media