Petco Park- San Diego, California

After dropping the series opener, the San Diego Padres bounced back with a resilient 4–3 win over the Washington Nationals Tuesday night at Petco Park — their 19th comeback victory of the season — sparked by a clutch home run from Martín Maldonado and an outstanding effort from the bullpen.

The Padres improved to 3–2 over their last five games, continuing a competitive homestand that’s kept them within striking distance in the NL West. At 43–36, they remain six games back of the division-leading Dodgers. The Nationals (33–47) stayed in fourth in the NL East, 14 games behind Philadelphia.

Rookie right-hander Ryan Bergert, making his first start at Petco Park, had his night cut short in the fourth inning after taking a 100 mph line drive off his pitching elbow and forearm. He exited after 3.0 innings and five hits, charged with three runs, and left with the bases loaded and nobody out.

Washington built an early 3–0 lead behind a second-inning sacrifice bunt by Jacob Young, which scored Daylen Lile, followed by a bases-loaded walk to James Wood. In the fourth, Wood added an RBI groundout that plated Young.

San Diego quickly responded in the bottom of the fourth. Xander Bogaerts put the Padres on the board with a run-scoring groundout, then Jake Cronenworth ripped an RBI double to right, scoring Gavin Sheets. A groundout by José Iglesias brought home Cronenworth to tie the game at 3–3.

The Padres’ bullpen took over from there. Adrian Morejon entered in relief of Bergert and threw 16 of 20 pitches for strikes, escaping the jam and logging two clean innings. Jason Adam followed with a scoreless sixth, and Jeremiah Estrada dominated the eighth with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame.

In the bottom of the fifth, Martín Maldonado delivered the game’s turning point. Having already seen three fastballs in his first at-bat, Maldonado didn’t miss when he got another. He crushed a 400-foot solo shot to left field, tying the game with his fourth homer of the season.

Martín Maldonado goes yard and the game is tied! pic.twitter.com/9WiPw3Xnrq

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 25, 2025

After the win, Maldonado told Mike Pomeranz what was going through his mind during the pivotal at-bat:

“Fastball. I missed the first fastball in the first at-bat. I felt like that fastball, I should’ve hit. So in that last at-bat, I was like, I gotta go get it.”

Later, when asked by Mariluz Cook about the team’s mindset when playing from behind, Maldonado praised the group’s consistent effort and the bullpen’s steadying presence:

“We don’t give away at-bats. We’re going to compete. Um, our bullpen always keeps us in the ballgame. That’s the only chance… the only way that we come back.”

The Big 4 tonight

6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K https://t.co/L5VDtHYVBB pic.twitter.com/DCKvvvYLlu

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) June 25, 2025

Moments after Maldonado’s blast tied it, José Iglesias drove in Gavin Sheets with a groundout to give the Padres their first lead at 4–3 — a lead that held the rest of the way.

Morejon earned the win, and Trevor Williams took the loss for Washington after allowing four earned runs over five innings. The Padres went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position but capitalized when it mattered. Washington finished 1-for-9 in those spots and stranded eight baserunners.

With the one-run lead in hand, Robert Suarez entered for the ninth and delivered one of his most efficient outings of the season. Despite a 7.88 ERA in June, Suarez retired Jacob Young on a lineout to center, got CJ Abrams to ground out to short, and struck out James Wood swinging on a perfectly placed 91 mph changeup. Suarez earned his 22nd save of the season, moving into sole possession of the second-most in MLB behind only Carlos Estévez of the Royals.

Up Next: Series Finale on Wednesday

The Padres and Nationals close out the three-game series Wednesday at 1:10 PM PT at Petco Park. Former Padres’ top prospect MacKenzie Gore (3–7, 3.19 ERA) returns to the mound against his old club, while San Diego counters with Nick Pivetta (7–2, 3.64 ERA), who leads the rotation in WHIP (1.08) and has helped steady the staff with consistent outings.

J.J. Rodriguez

J.J. Rodriguez is a passionate sports writer making his debut with East Village Times. Born and raised in Southwest Florida, he is a father of four and an eight-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has lived in Southern California since 1996. A devoted fan of the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Florida Gators, J.J. brings a lifetime of sports enthusiasm to his writing. He’s currently pursuing a degree in elementary education and enjoys life as an empty-nester with his wife of 19 years, Lisa.