Profar hurt, Manny and Alfaro provide offense in win

Joe Musgrove knew that the San Diego Padres scuffling offense needed his absolute best. He gave them exactly what they needed.

The San Francisco Giants came into the game having lost six of their previous seven games, needing a win just as much as the Padres. 

Musgrove worked seven fantastic innings, allowing just one hit and no runs. Musgrove did not have pinpoint control, walking a season-high four batters. He found a way to get outs, inducing soft contact when he needed to. 

San Francisco did not even threaten Musgrove until the sixth when Lamonte Wade Jr. broke up Musgrove’s no-hit bid with a lead-off double. However, Musgrove worked his way out of trouble, ending the threat with a strikeout of Mike Yastrzemski. It was a critical start for Musgrove, who allowed at least three earned runs in his last two starts. In Musgrove’s first 12 starts, he had not allowed more than two earned runs, so Musgrove had begun to struggle. It also was the first time in four starts that Musgrove did not surrender a home run. The Padres needed a special start to end their dreadful run of play. They got it from their local hero, whose price for 2023 continues to rise. 

After scoring just 12 times in their last six games, the Padres’ offense continued to struggle. Manny Machado laced a 107.1 mile per hour line drive, but Yastrzemski made the catch with his back to the center-field wall. The Padres put runners on corners with one out in the third but blew the opportunity to open the scoring. CJ Abrams was picked off before Jurickson Profar flew out to right field to end the threat. 

In the fourth, Machado launched a home run into the second deck in left field. It was his first home run since he’d returned from his injury, and it was absolutely walloped. Giants starter Logan Webb seemed to have a handle on every other Padre, but Machado was crushing the baseball. 

The Padres put a runner in scoring position in the seventh after Austin Nola’s walk moved Luke Voit to second. However, Trent Grisham’s fly ball settled into Joc Pederson’s glove, as the Padres could not obtain any insurance. 

In the fifth inning, Jurickson Profar suffered a scary head injury. His head collided with C.J. Abrams’ knee as both chased a pop fly. Abrams made the catch, but Profar stayed down on the ground. Team trainers came out to help him exit, with Profar beginning to walk under his power. He scarily collapsed just seconds after starting to walk before he was eventually carted off. As he was carted off, Profar raised a fist into the air. The Padres announced he had been transferred to UCSD Medical Center but did not provide further updates. Esteury Ruiz would be a prime candidate if Profar needed an IL stint.

Luis Garcia relieved Musgrove in the eighth, working his way around a passed ball on a third strike. With the Padres clinging to their one-run lead, closer Taylor Rogers entered the game. Rogers got Austin Slater to an 0-2 count, but his third pitch just nicked Slater’s foot. The Padres challenged, but the pitch was deemed to have hit him. Slater then swiped second, but Rogers got two outs from the next two batters. Brandon Crawford lined a ground ball past the diving Jake Cronenworth, tying the game at one. After not allowing an earned run in his first 12 appearances, Rogers has posted a 5.47 ERA since. 

Machado struck out to start the ninth before Nomar Mazara was called out on strikes. Mazara was punched out on a full count on a pitch that appeared to be below the zone. Voit won an eight-pitch battle to earn a walk, but Ha-Seong Kim struck out, sending the game to extra innings.

Nabil Crismatt came into the game in the tenth. Crismatt, whose 1.85 ERA should put him in consideration for the All-Star game, struck out the side. It was a crucial three outs for the Padres, setting them up to win in the bottom of the tenth,

With the Padres needing just one run to win the game, Giants manager Gabe Kapler elected to intentionally walk Austin Nola to set up the force-out. Trent Grisham dropped a bunt down, and Giants pitcher Jarlin Garcia looked to nab Kim at third. The hesitation cost the Giants, as Garcia did not have enough time to get Grisham at first. Jorge Alfaro entered as a pinch-hitter, lofting a game-winning walk-off single.

It was Alfaro’s second walk-off of the season, and in his post-game interview, he finished with his now trademark, “Let’s {expletive} go San Diego!”. 

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Alfaro also discussed the Padres fans, telling Sammy Levitt, “I appreciate everything they {the fans} do for me. They made me feel at home.”. It was the 13th sell-out of the season for the Padres fans.

It was a much-needed victory for the Padres, who had lost five of their last six. 

Blake Snell will take the mound on Friday as the Padres debut their “City Connect” uniforms. 

Sam Evans

Sam is a Senior in High School. He has been writing for three years, and started at EVT in June of 2021. He’s headed to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications in the fall of 2023.