If you're trailing by four runs and down to your last out, your odds of winning a baseball game are not very good. Unless, apparently, you're the 2020 San Diego Padres.
The Friars started the first half of their doubleheader against Seattle with a thriller, scoring seven runs with two outs in the final inning to beat the Mariners 10-7. When asked what this kind of win means to his ball club Padres manager Jayce Tingler said simply:
"Everything."
The Padres had to overcome a 3-0 deficit earlier in the game. Manny Machado hit a pair of solo home runs and Fernando Tatis Jr. smashed a 448-foot missile for his league-leading 13th dinger of the year to help the Friars tie it 3-3. In the top of the 7th and final inning (MLB rules in 2020 say doubleheaders will be 7-inning games) Seattle scored four times on a bunch of softly-hit singles, a sacrifice fly, and a throwing error by catcher Austin Hedges.
In the bottom of the 7th the first two Padres were retired then Hedges was hit by a pitch, which turned out to be the rally igniter. Trent Grisham and Tatis Jr. drew walks on 3-2 pitches and Machado singled to bring in two runs. A passed ball and a wild pitch cut the lead to 7-6 and put Machado at 3rd.
Eric Hosmer lined a single to right field to score Manny and tie it at 7-7. Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jake Cronenworth singled, setting the stage for Wil Myers to rip a 3-run, walkoff homer to give San Diego the win.
“It’s a group of men just pulling for one another," says Tingler. "When you have that spirit it gets contagious and it’s something special. I don’t know what to say. There are some down moments in the game when things don’t look well ... but there are magical moments in the game. That’s what this group is all about.”
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The Padres didn't have too much time to savor it, though. Game 2 of the double dip started just 30 minutes after Myers crossed home plate.
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