Jake Cronenworth smashed a game-changing grand slam in the seventh inning, while Jurickson Profar delivered four hits for the San Diego Padres. They secured a 6-2 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, clinching two victories out of three in the series.
Cronenworth’s grand slam, his third in his career, was a pivotal moment. It occurred after Tyler Wade’s bunt single, Profar’s single, and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s walk loaded the bases. Cronenworth capitalized on the opportunity, driving the ball to right field on the first pitch from reliever Fernando Cruz.
Profar, who re-signed with the Padres in the offseason, continued his impressive hitting streak, stretching it to eight games. His contribution included a two-run single in the fourth inning.
The Padres found their stride with Joe Musgrove pitching six solid innings, bouncing back from previous setbacks. The team concluded a challenging six-game homestand with two wins. After being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies and losing the series opener against the Reds, this victory marked a crucial turnaround for the Padres.
He hit a home run off a 94 mph fastball. “I was aiming for a good swing and to hit it towards the middle,” he explained.
Before Cronenworth’s grand slam, the game’s highlight was Reds center fielder Stuart Fairchild’s incredible catch to prevent Manny Machado from hitting a three-run homer.
After Spencer Steer homered against Musgrove with two outs in the first inning, it seemed like the Padres would take the lead when Machado hit the ball towards right-center off Graham Ashcraft.
However, Fairchild managed to track the ball, leaping to make the catch and crashing into the low fence, losing his cap in the process. He quickly regained his balance and threw the ball to prevent the runners from advancing.
Ashcraft acknowledged Fairchild’s effort by raising his right index finger, while some Padres players watched in amazement from the dugout.
The catch was reminiscent of a similar play made by San Diego native Adam Jones to prevent Machado from hitting a home run during the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Petco Park. At that time, Jones was playing for the United States, while Machado represented the Dominican Republic.
Cronenworth’s grand slam secured a victory for Enyel De Los Santos (1-1).
Steer’s home run was his fourth of the season. Musgrove has now allowed 10 home runs, tying teammate Michael King for the most in the majors. The pitcher from suburban El Cajon gave up four homers in his previous start, a 9-3 loss to Philadelphia on Friday night.
San Diego took the lead when Profar hit a two-run single to left with two outs in the third inning. These runs were considered unearned due to an error by first baseman Jeimer Candelario, who dropped the throw from second baseman Jonathan India on Jackson Merrill’s grounder.
The Reds quickly tied the game at 2 after just two batters. Santiago Espinal doubled to left field to start the fifth inning and later scored on Candelario’s single to right.
Both starting pitchers lasted six innings. Musgrove gave up two runs and four hits while striking out nine and walking none. Ashcraft allowed two unearned runs and five hits, striking out four and walking two.
“It felt good to have my usual performance,” said Musgrove. “I put in a lot of effort this week, maybe even too much at times, but I felt good. I felt like I was able to execute some of the things we were working on. My delivery felt solid.
“The home run in the first inning made it seem like it might be one of those tough outings again, but my pitches felt good.” Musgrove threw 87 pitches and finished his outing with a perfect sixth inning, striking out his final two batters.
Musgrove mentioned, “If I manage to pitch through six innings and end on a high as I did, it’s better than risking coming back out and having to leave midway through. It was probably the right decision for me at this point. I feel like I finished strong and I’ll use it as a foundation for improvement.”
Manager Mike Shildt commented, “Joe seemed to be in control, keeping counts in check, and his pitches looked sharp with a bit more speed. I was pleased with his performance.”
