Jake Cronenworth played a big role in the Padres’ victory over the Kansas City Royals, driving in three runs during a nine-run eighth inning. Luis Arraez also had a strong game with four hits.
Cronenworth’s two-run single in the eighth gave the Padres the lead, and he later added an RBI double to extend their advantage. He leads the team with 38 RBIs this season.
San Diego took control of the game in the eighth inning, stringing together seven consecutive singles before the Royals could record an out. The Padres ended up with a total of 18 hits in the game, including 10 singles and 11 hits in the eighth inning alone, setting a club record.
Manager Mike Shildt praised his team’s approach at the plate, noting their professional at-bats throughout the game. Yuki Matsui earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning.
On the pitching side, Dylan Cease started for the Royals, giving up three runs over 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. Cease has faced the Royals more than any other team in his career and surpassed 104 strikeouts against them, the most against any opponent.
Michael Wacha pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Padres, allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts. John Schreiber took the loss, giving up three runs in the eighth inning.
