Petco Park – San Diego

The San Diego Padres played the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series at Petco Park.

The Padres dropped their first series since their run-in with the New York Mets. Two devastating games against the Pirates have halted the momentum at the thought-to-be-impenetrable Padres.

The Padres’ only option is to salvage the broken series. Pitching really hasn’t been the issue this go-around; the real issue has been the offense. The Padres’ bats were uncharacteristically quiet; perhaps some habits die hard.

Randy Vazquez opened the match with a 6-pitch first inning. It was a worthy follow-up to Michael King’s master class from the last game.

Bubba Chandler was a little less efficient; a double from Jackson Merrill followed by a single from Luis Rengifo sent him home, putting the Friars on the board first. This is their first run in 14 innings.

On the board. pic.twitter.com/DNMMvml0CI

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 26, 2026

Vazquez, meanwhile, has been on a roll in his last few starts, dealing away start after start. His most recent start was especially quality, going seven innings of two-run ball.

Today, Vazquez put himself on track to recreate his success; however, by the fourth inning things got dicey. With two men on and no outs, he had his work cut out for him. A balk moved the runners over significantly, upping the pressure. Vazquez got a pop-up to get the first out. Then, a strikeout evened the inning.

Vazquez pitched around Oneil Cruz, maybe a good idea given what happened in the last game. With bases loaded, Vazquez struck out third baseman Nick Gonzalez on an overturned strike call.

Chandler struggled a bit more. Some two-out baseball from the Padres sent Manny Machado home off a triple to right field from Merrill.

All out hustle. pic.twitter.com/mYg7nDsEM8

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 26, 2026

The Padres sat Vazquez in the sixth inning. By the numbers, Vazquez threw 68 pitches in his scoreless start and struck out two men.

The mostly rested Padres bullpen handled the Bucs well.

The Pirates bullpen did the same against the Padres. That is until the eighth inning. A Freddy Fermin single got things started. Fernando Tatis Jr. struck out, but amidst the chaos, Fermin stole second base for the fourth time in his career. Jake Cronenworth took the rare opportunity to knock him in with a double. Manny Machado hit a single, but Croney couldn’t score, tagged out by catcher Rafael Flores Jr.

The Padres would load the bases, ending Kirby Yates’ day on the mound. The Padres didn’t score, so a save was in order.

Bradgley Rodriguez, who had just pitched in the eighth, had plenty of time to rest between innings. He recorded his second career save, completed over six outs.

The Padres handed the Pirates back nine goose eggs after getting handed nine of their own last game. Ultimately, a good note to end the homestand on.

The Padres hit the road after this series finale. They play two three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, followed by the Cincinnati Reds.

Fabian Garcia