Padres mount improbable comeback, storm back to stun Mariners 10-7 in game 1
Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Petco Park- San Diego, California
The Padres were eager to get off on a good foot in Game 1 of the doubleheader Thursday afternoon. This comes on the heels of Wednesday’s game being postponed after the Mariners voted not to play to take a stand regarding social injustice and police brutality. The Padres supported Seattle’s decision, and the doubleheader was scheduled.
Dinelson Lamet took the hill in the opening game, looking to build upon his quietly Cy Young-worthy resume. It was clear from the beginning that he did not have his top-notch stuff as he labored through five innings, tossing 90 pitches, 54 for strikes while striking out six.
Seattle got to Lamet in the top of the fourth with three runs when Jose Marmolejos launched a two-run home run and Shed Long singled a run home after another Mariners rally. Lamet was able to regain composure and pitch a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
Manny Machado responded for the Friars with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the deficit to two.
Lamet handed the ball to Tim Hill in the sixth inning after a walk, and Hill tossed a scoreless frame. This set up an exciting bottom of the sixth that saw Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his 13th home run of the year, which landed on the rooftop of the Western Metal Supply Co. building. The next batter was Machado, who launched a ball into the seats for his second of the day and 10th of the season, tying the game at three.
FERNANDO TATIS JR TO THE ROOOOOOOOOOF 🤯🤯🤯🤯#FriarFaithful | @Padres pic.twitter.com/xeXDWsChbf
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) August 27, 2020
With doubleheaders being just seven innings in 2020, the Padres entered the last inning having just tied the game, and Craig Stammen took the mound to try and keep it tied for the Friars in the bottom of the seventh, which was essentially the ninth.
Unfortunately, things unraveled quickly for the veteran right-hander. The first two runners reached for Seattle before an error by Austin Hedges allowed the runners to advance. This set up a go-ahead single by Sam Haggerty. Kyle Lewis and Kyle Seager also singled home runs before a sacrifice fly by Austin Nola extended Seattle’s lead to 7-3.
All seemed lost after a brutal top of the seventh.
This is the 2020 Padres, who don’t quit. The Friars staged a two-out rally down by four against Taylor Williams thanks to two walks and a hit-by-pitch ahead of a two-run single by Machado, cutting the Mariners lead to 7-5. A wild pitch scored Tatis from third, bringing the Friars to within one. Eric Hosmer singled to right, scoring Machado and completing the unlikely comeback and tying the game.
However, the Friars were not done.
Jake Cronenworth singled, putting Hosmer at third with two outs as the winning run. Wil Myers came to the plate needing just a single to win it. He had other ideas and launched his first career walk-off home run, a three-run shot that sent San Diego into a virtual frenzy.
According to FanGraphs, the Padres had a 0.1 percent chance to win the game when Jurickson Profar made the second out of the seventh. The Padres won 10-7 in one of the most amazing comebacks in franchise history.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.