After a brutal stretch where the San Diego Padres went 21 consecutive innings without scoring a single run, the Friars finally found their footing—and it came at the perfect time. Ty France's fifth-inning home run broke the drought and sparked a much-needed 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, snapping a losing streak and putting the team back in the win column.
It wasn't just the offense that came through, though. Starter Randy Vásquez delivered five solid innings, allowing just one run, while the bullpen trio of Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, and Mason Miller locked things down. Adrian Morejón did surrender a run in the eighth, but the damage was minimal.
Miller, in particular, was electric. He notched his 12th save of the season, reclaiming the MLB lead from Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien and Cleveland's Cade Smith. But it wasn't easy—Miller worked a four-out save for just the second time this year, issuing back-to-back walks to open the ninth before striking out four batters (yes, you read that right) to slam the door.
Now, the Padres have a chance to split the series if they can take the finale after dropping the first two games. To do that, they'll need more offensive production and a strong outing from their starter.
On the mound for St. Louis is young right-hander Kyle Leahy, who has yet to find consistent success in the big leagues. After spending most of his career in the bullpen, Leahy was stretched out this season to bolster the Cardinals' rotation depth. He's been serviceable, posting a 4.93 ERA over his first seven starts, and is coming off one of his best outings—5 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Countering for the Padres is Walker Buehler, who has struggled with consistency in his first season with San Diego. His ERA sits at 5.64 across 30 1/3 innings, and there's added pressure on him to deliver. With the recently-signed Lucas Giolito waiting in the wings, Buehler is essentially pitching to keep his spot in the rotation.
The stage is set for a pivotal series finale. Can the Padres build on this momentum and get back on track? All eyes will be on Petco Park.