Padres fall to Cardinals 9-7 on July 25 despite homers from Tatis Jr. & Machado. See how a seven-homer slugfest and bullpen woes cost San Diego the win.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night of fireworks at Busch Stadium, but unfortunately for the Friar Faithful, the St. Louis Cardinals had the final, decisive explosion. Despite home runs from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, the San Diego Padres fell 9-7 in a wild, back-and-forth series opener that saw the lead change hands multiple times.
Seven total home runs were hit in the game, but the Cardinals' two three-run shots in the second inning proved to be a deficit the Padres couldn't quite overcome.
The Padres came out swinging, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to timely hits from Luis Arraez and Jackson Merrill. The optimism was short-lived. The Cardinals roared back in the second with a pair of three-run homers off the bats of Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras, quickly turning a 2-0 lead into a 6-2 hole. San Diego didn't quit, though. Tatis Jr. launched a solo shot and Machado followed with a two-run blast in the third to pull the team within striking distance. After clawing all the way back to tie the game 7-7 in the fifth, the bullpen woes that have haunted the team reappeared. Ivan Herrera's solo home run in the sixth inning put St. Louis ahead for good, sealing a frustrating loss where the offense did more than enough to win.
While the big league club was engaged in a shootout, the front office was busy shoring up the organization's future. The team announced the signing of five players to minor league contracts: LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, C Ty Harvey, OF Ryan Wideman, C Truitt Madonna, and RHP Michael Salina. These moves provide valuable depth throughout the farm system, particularly at catcher and in the pitching ranks. While there were no major roster moves or injury updates for the active roster on Friday, these signings indicate the team is constantly evaluating its depth and preparing for any needs that may arise down the stretch.
The offense showed its firepower, which is a massive positive. But one game doesn't win a series. The Padres need their pitching to step up and silence the Cardinals' bats over the next three games. With the bats awake, a couple of strong starts could easily turn this series around. All eyes will be on the mound tomorrow night.
