BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 28: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres, left, and Jurickson Profar #10 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after Merrill hit a three-run home run during the fifth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 28, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
The Padres opened a 3-game series at Fenway Park against the Red Sox on Friday night. They only scored in one inning. But it was one EPIC inning.
In the 5th inning San Diego scored nine times before recording a single out in a 9-2 win over the Red Sox for their 4th straight win, sending them four games over .500 for the first time all season and keeping them solidly in possession of the 2nd National League Wild Card spot. The rally started like so many rallies do: inconspicuously.
Ha-Seong Kim led off with a single. Then Kyle Higashioka launched his 8th home run of June over the big green wall in left field to put the Friars on top 2-1. Then they just kept hitting. Bryce Johnson doubled, Luis Arraez singled, Jurickson Profar walked, Jake Cronenworth singled home two runs, Manny Machado hustled down the line to beat out an infield single, and Donovan Solano singled up the middle to plate two more runs.
Jackson Merrill put one heck of an exclamation point on the trip through the batting order. The rookie unloaded on his 11th homer of the year, a 3-run blast. Nine men up. Nine men in. The last time any Major League team did that was the Blue Jays in 2015. It was just the third time in Padres franchise history that they've pulled it off.
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Unfortunately the bottom half of the inning put a damper on the fun. Starting pitcher Randy Vasquez was putting together a nice start when he was hit in the right forearm by a 97 MPH line drive off the bat of Boston rookie Ceddanne Rafaela. He was in considerable pain when he left the field but the team says X-rays did not reveal a break and Vasquez told reporters he hopes he can make his next start. He's in the starting rotation because Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are on the Injured List so losing Vasquez, who has thrown the ball well the last few outings, could mean big trouble for the San Diego pitching staff.
The Padres can win the series in Beantown on Saturday afternoon when Michael King takes the mound against Tanner Houck.
