The San Diego Padres (13-7) are visiting the Los Angeles Angels (11-10), squaring off in game two of the three-game set.

Taking the bump for San Diego on the road was German Marquez, and for Los Angeles, Yusei Kikuchi. Last night, the Angels broke the Padres eight game win streak and shut out the Padres 8-0, which was the team’s first time being shut out all year.

Starters dominate

This game was a pitcher’s duel between the two starters. For the Padres, German Marquez was generating weak contact early. He walked two batters in the first inning, and that was the only time he put men on base for free. But later on, he was able to get the strikeouts stacked up. Marquez was able to strike out five of the last nine batters he faced. He finished the night throwing five and two-thirds innings, giving up two walks, two hits, no runs, and getting five strikeouts.

For the Angels, Yusei Kikuchi was very good at making the Padres feel very uncomfortable at-bats. Padres color commentator Mark Grant had a very good way of describing one of Kikuchi’s main strengths, being “Effectively wild”. Padres hitters were having a rough time generating hard contact and long, tough at-bats. San Diego had two chances with runners at second but were unable to bring them across in the early part of the game. In what was an effective outing, Yusei Kikuchi finished with six innings pitched, giving up one walk, four hits, no runs, and eight strikeouts.

The Merrill Madness in center continues

If there was a early season gold glove award ceremony, stop the count now. To lead off the bottom of the second, Yoan Moncada, who had a homer the night before, hits a high fly ball to right center. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill both close in on the ball at the wall before both leap up and slightly brush each other before coming down. Tatis, with no ball in sight, looks down at Merrill, who is holding his glove up with the ball in hand. The third robbed homerun on the year for Jackson Merrill.

Just Jackson things ?‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/7cnBq0axln

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 19, 2026

Padres and Angels string a couple across in the eighth

After not scoring a run for the last seventeen innings played, the Padres were able to get the first runs of the game across. Ryan Zeferjahn was in relief for Kikuchi and threw a clean seventh and came back out for the top of the eighth. Zeferjahn walked Freddy Fermin and Jake Cronenworth. Then Ramon Lauerano hit a single up the middle to bring across Fermin for the first run of the game, 1-0 San Diego.

THAT’LL PLAY pic.twitter.com/EWLaDb9bJD

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 19, 2026

Following up Lauerano, Fernando Tatis Jr.hit a dribbler between first and second for another run to come across, advancing Lauerano to third, 2-0 Padres. Nick Sandlin came in for the Angels and struck out Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill and got Xander Bogaerts to line out to center.

The Angels would pose a major threat to the Padres’ lead in the bottom of the eighth. The setup man, Jason Adam, was in, and he started by giving up two singles hit by Logan O’Hoppe and Adam Frazier. Adam managed to strike out Zach Neto and get Mike Trout to pop out to left. Bringing up Noah Schanuel, who was down 1-2 in the count. Adam threw a slider high and away for a called strike three. But Schanuel would challenge the call, which was overturned to a ball, and the count was now 2-2. The very next pitch was a single up the middle, scoring O’Hoppe to cut the Padres’ lead in half, 2-1. Jason Adam then battled with Joe Adell for seven pitches before finally getting a weak grounder to third, where Manny Machado retired the eighth inning.

Closing out win number fourteen

The Padres would add some insurance before the Angels got to their last three outs of the game. Nick Sandlin, still in to start the ninth, gave up a lead-off single to Bryce Johnson. Johnson would then steal second during Gavin Sheets at-bat. Sheets grounded out to second, which was perfect to advance Johnson to third with one out. Freddy Fermin and Jake Cronenworth then worked back-to-back walks again. Bases loaded and the lineup flipped over, Ramon Lauerano hit a sac-fly bringing in Johnson to get the lead back to two runs, 3-1 SD. Fernando Tatis Jr. one-upped the score by hitting a liner to center to bring across another, 4-1 the score. Shaun Anderson would come in for Los Angeles and get Jackson Merrill to fly out to center to finally close out the top of the ninth.

Te queremos mucho, Nando. pic.twitter.com/Sn0dq0HSeN

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 19, 2026

With a three-run cushion, Mason Miller enters the game to try to close things out for the fourteenth win of the year. However, a very rare occurrence happened against leadoff hitter Yoan Moncada, who managed to get a hit off Miller, a single by first and second. Second hit given up on the young year. He would strike out Oswald Peraza. But then Miller walked Vaughn Grissom; this would be the most traffic on the base path Miller has given up all year. He would then strike out Logan O’Hoppe and get a weak grounder from Adam Frazier to close the game out. Seventh save for Mason Miller on the year, and Adrian Morejon got the win with a solid outing in relief of starter German Marquez.

Notable stats on the night and next up for the Padres

Adrian Morejón pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings, allowed no hits, struck out 2, and walked 1, picking up the win. Ramon Laureano went 1-for-4 and drove in 2 runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a good outing, going 2-for-4, driving in 2 runs, added a walk. Freddy Fermín reached base 3 times, 1 hit and 2 walks, scored 2 runs, and contributed defensively by cutting down a baserunner. Jake Cronenworth finally got something going offensively—reaching base all 3 times, two walks and a hit, and scored a run.

For the San Diego Padres (14-7), they will close out the series tomorrow vs the Los Angeles Angels (11-11) in the rubber match game three at Angel Stadium. The Padres will have Michael King on the mound to square off vs the Angels’ pitcher Reid Detmers. Padres vs Angels at 1:07 PM PT, Sunday, April 18.

Wyatt Dearen

Hi Padres fans, I’m Wyatt Dearen. I am from Farmington, New Mexico, which is home to one of the most prestigious high school baseball tournaments in America, the Connie Mack World Series. When it comes around, I do color and statistics for the radio. I am currently pursuing a degree in Sports Administration at the University of Houston #GoCoogs. I have been a sports fan my whole life, following all the major sports leagues since I could walk, and it has been my dream my whole life to work in sports. Thankful to write about the team and for the East VillageTimes.