Fernando Tatis Jr. homered as the Padres crushed the Reds 15-4 on June 27, 2025. Dylan Cease earned the win in a massive offensive outburst. Recap inside.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Just when you thought you'd seen it all, the San Diego Padres decided to put on an offensive clinic in Cincinnati. The Friars absolutely dismantled the Reds on Friday night, cruising to a massive 15-4 victory at Great American Ball Park. It was a statement win that showed the depth and firepower of this lineup, even with some key players on the mend.
The Padres scored 7 runs in the fifth inning to break the game open.
The bats were simply on another level tonight. Fernando Tatis Jr. looked like an MVP candidate, going 3-for-5 with a towering home run and 4 RBIs. Not to be outdone, Manny Machado drove in 3 runs with a 2-run double, and Jake Cronenworth added a homer of his own. The game was truly blown wide open in a wild seven-run fifth inning that saw the Padres send wave after wave of hitters to the plate. On the mound, Dylan Cease was the beneficiary of the run support, but he pitched a solid game himself. Cease went 6 innings, striking out 8 and allowing just 3 runs to pick up the win and move to 4-6 on the season. It was a complete team effort that pushed the Padres to 45-36, tightening their grip on second place in the NL West.
What makes this blowout win even more impressive is that the Padres did it without shortstop Xander Bogaerts. He remains day-to-day with that nagging left shoulder soreness from a slide earlier in the week. While fans are anxious for an update, the team has shown it can still pile on the runs without him in the lineup. It's a testament to the club's depth and the 'next man up' mentality that's keeping them in the thick of the playoff race.
The good news doesn't stop with tonight's win. Help is on the way for the pitching staff. Ace Yu Darvish is getting closer to a return from elbow inflammation after a successful 51-pitch simulated game earlier this week. All signs point to an early July return, which would be a massive boost for the rotation. Meanwhile, reliever Ryan Bergert is also progressing well from the forearm contusion he suffered from a comebacker. With X-rays coming back negative, he's also expected to be back on the mound sometime in July. Getting these arms back will be crucial for the second-half push.
Tonight's offensive explosion was a fantastic reminder of what this team is capable of. With the Padres firing on all cylinders and key players like Darvish and Bogaerts nearing their returns, the future looks incredibly bright. Let's see if they can carry this momentum through the rest of the series in Cincinnati and continue to solidify their position as a true contender in the National League.
