Diamondbacks use the long ball to take series finale from Padres

After using 11 pitchers in the previous 2 games and really stretching out the bullpen, the San Diego Padres needed a quality start from Dylan Cease.

For most of Sunday's game Cease gave them more than that, however he was done in by 2 pitches.

Corbin Carroll lead off the game with a solo homer on the 4th pitch from Cease. After that Cease threw 96 pitches, struck out 8 Arizona batters and did not allow a run, until he threw pitch number 101. On that pitch, Cease left a fastball middle-in to Eugenio Suarez and he crushed int into the seats in left for 3-1 Arizona lead in the 7th inning.

Arizona added a run in the 8th and 5 runs in the 9th against the Padres bullpen to make the final score 8-1.

Jurickson Profar continued his super season with his team leading 14th homer of the season (he and Fernnando Tatis Jr. share the lead with 14 HR's each) in the 1st inning to tie the score at 1.

Profar leads the Padres in batting average, hits, runs, RBI, HR, OBP and OPS.

Later this week, Profar will be rewarded for his first-half of the season performance by starting in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

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Profar will be joined at the All-Star Game by teammates, Luis Arraez, Robert Suarez, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. (Tatis will not play in the game due to an injury that is sidelining him for an extended period).

https://x.com/Padres/status/1810048304924721525

Profar's homer was the only run allowed by Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson, who pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just 3 hits.

Next up the Padres welcome the Seattle Mariners to town for a 2-game series starting Tuesday.