Jurickson Profar hit a home run and relief pitcher Jeremiah Estrada broke a club record by striking out 13 batters in a row, the most era. The San Diego Padres won 4-0 against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night, marking their third consecutive victory.
Estrada made history by striking out all three batters in the ninth inning. He celebrated by showing his excitement and was later showered with Gatorade by his teammates.
All 13 strikeouts during his streak were swinging strikeouts. “It’s kind of unbelievable,” said Estrada, 25, who joined the Padres from the Cubs in November. “It feels like I completed a challenging mission, like in a video game.”
Estrada, originally from Palm Springs, knew he had to step up after Robert Suarez, who had been saving games, wasn’t available.
“It hasn’t fully sunk in yet. I feel like I did my job and helped us win,” said Estrada, who was called up from Triple-A on April 26.
Pitcher Matt Waldron pitched seven strong innings, his longest outing in the majors, to earn the win. Waldron praised Estrada’s performance, saying it was incredible to watch him dominate at this level.
Manager Mike Shildt commended Estrada’s exceptional fastball and noted his impressive pitching arsenal. Estrada revealed that his main off-speed pitch is a split-circle-change that he calls a “chitter.”
The Padres’ winning streak came after five consecutive losses at home, including being swept by the Colorado Rockies and losing two games to the New York Yankees. Despite their struggles at home, the Padres managed to defeat the Marlins, who have the worst record in the NL.
