Padres upend Giants on Jake Cronenworth's late heroics

Field Level Media|published: Sat 1st August, 23:57 2026

Aug 1, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) celebrates after hitting a walk-off single during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Jake Cronenworth's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the San Diego Padres to a 6-5 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.

Xander Bogaerts started the winning rally by lining a double off Dylan Smith (0-3). After Freddy Fermin sacrificed Bogaerts to third, pinch hitter Gavin Sheets grounded out to third. San Francisco manager Tony Vitello ordered an intentional walk to Fernando Tatis Jr.

Cronenworth got behind Smith 0-2 and fouled off four pitches before lining a fastball into center field for his sixth career walk-off hit. It was San Diego's eighth walk-off win of the season.

Mason Miller (4-1) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, although he blew his first save in 29 chances this season. The Giants' Osleivis Basabe rifled a two-run double to the left field wall in the eighth to erase a 5-3 deficit.

Neither starter was involved in the decision. San Francisco's Tyler Mahle allowed five runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings with two walks and a season-high nine strikeouts. San Diego's Walker Buehler left after 4 1/3 innings, eight hits and three runs, walking two and fanning one.

Jackson Merrill gave the Padres a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, lining a two-out double to the wall in left-center that scored Manny Machado and Ty France.

The Giants responded with three runs in the third. Basabe, who got the start after Luis Arraez was scratched due to cramping, walloped a two-run homer -- his first of 2026 -- to left that traveled an estimated 402 feet. Three straight two-out singles led to Willy Adames' bases-loaded walk that put San Francisco ahead.

The lead didn't last long. Fermin put San Diego back in front in the fourth, lining a first-pitch fastball an estimated 383 feet to the left field seats with Luis Rengifo aboard. It was Fermin's fourth homer.

Fermin upped the Padres' advantage to 5-3 in the sixth when he drilled a two-out single to left that scored Bogaerts, who singled and advanced to second on a balk.

--Field Level Media

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