The Padres spent seven innings collecting one run and two hits. Then Washington's bullpen lost the strike zone, San Diego found two holes and a three-run deficit disappeared. Four runs in the bottom of the eighth carried the Padres to a 5-4 win over the Nationals on Tuesday night at Petco Park.
The rally started without contact. Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Freddy Fermin drew walks from Riley Pint and Erik Tolman, loading the bases with no outs. Austin Hays lifted a sacrifice fly to center, cutting Washington's lead to 4-2 while moving the tying runs into scoring position.
Manny Machado followed with the plate appearance the inning required. He worked eight pitches before sending a two-run single through the left side, scoring Tatis and Bogaerts. The hit tied the game and gave Machado 1,137 as a Padre, moving him past Garry Templeton for second on the franchise list. Tony Gwynn remains far ahead at 3,141.
Two batters later, Luis Campusano supplied the lead. His broken-bat flare fell between defenders in shallow right-center, and Fermin scored from second. Campusano finished 2-for-4 and delivered the only Padres hit of the inning that put the club in front rather than level.
Adrian Morejon made the one-run margin hold. With closer Mason Miller unavailable, the left-hander retired Washington in order on seven pitches, all strikes, for his third save. David Morgan earned the win after recording the final out of the eighth on one pitch. The bullpen's efficiency after the rally contrasted with a night when Washington used multiple relievers in a planned bullpen game.
Casey Mize kept San Diego close before the late turn. He struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings, his highest total since joining the Padres, and allowed three earned runs on four hits and one walk. Yohandy Morales homered in the second. Mize returned for the sixth, allowed two runners and left; both scored on Brady House's double against Randy Vásquez.
Jackson Merrill's sacrifice fly produced San Diego's first run in the seventh. Andrés Chaparro answered with a solo homer in the top of the eighth, restoring Washington's three-run cushion. That extra run made the Padres' response more demanding: a tie required two productive outs or a multi-run hit after the walks. Machado furnished the hit, and Campusano finished the sequence.
The Padres improved to 77-68 and secured at least a series win after taking Monday's opener 3-2. Arizona's extra-inning win in Kansas City kept the Diamondbacks a half-game ahead for the final National League Wild Card place, with the clubs tied in the loss column. Tuesday did not create separation, but a loss would have surrendered ground with 17 San Diego games remaining.
The series closes Wednesday afternoon with Walker Buehler scheduled for San Diego against Washington left-hander Jackson Kent. The larger race remains compressed in the final month. For one night, the Padres converted the part they could control: three patient walks, one veteran's tying swing and a bat that broke without ending the rally.