Xander Bogaerts drove in a run with a single in the seventh inning, Jackson Merrell made a game-saving diving catch in the ninth inning, and Joe Musgrove made a strong return from the 60-day injured list as the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Monday night.
The Padres won their 17th game out of their last 20 since July 20, while the struggling Pirates suffered their 10th loss in 11 games.
“The guys have been playing with a lot of emotion and intent, but when you get Joe Musgrove back, it takes it to another level. He is a cornerstone in the clubhouse,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He was fantastic (tonight). His change-up was good, his heater was good – it had life to it.”
Musgrove, who had been out since May 26 with right elbow inflammation, allowed two hits and walked one while striking out one in 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He mixed his sliders, changeups, and four-seam fastballs effectively.
This was Musgrove’s first scoreless outing since July 28, 2023, when he pitched six innings against Texas in his last start of the season.
“It felt incredible to be back out there. … Physically, I felt great. There is a lot of room for improvement there. I think I flashed signs of my good stuff at times,” Musgrove said. “A lot of good things trending in the right direction.”
When Musgrove left the game in the fifth inning, he received a standing ovation from the 38th sold-out crowd of the season at Petco Park. He patted his heart and waved to the crowd as he walked to the dugout.
“It was a good feeling walking off to that,” Musgrove said of the standing ovation. “This city has treated me so well since I came back here. I love pitching in this stadium, and I love representing this city.”
Jeremiah Estrada (4-2) earned the win for the Padres after pitching one inning in relief, and closer Robert Suarez got his 26th save despite allowing two singles and a run in the ninth inning.
With San Diego ahead 2-1 and the Pirates’ tying run on first with two outs, Merrell made a spectacular diving catch after running far to his left to rob Bryan Reynolds of extra bases and end the game.
