Padres center-fielder Jackson Merrill is the favorite to win National League rookie of the year, and he showed why yet again Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
Merrill hit 2 home runs including the tying homer in the top of the 9th inning, knotting the game at 6 all. It was the 3rd time this season, Merrill has hit a tying or go-ahead home run in the 9th inning.
Merrill is the first player with multiple multi-homer games that also included a game-tying or go-ahead HR in the 9th or later at age 21 or younger.
For the game Merril went 4-6 with 3 RBI.
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The Padres first run of the game came in the 2nd inning on a solo home run by Jackson Merrill, the 14th HR of his rookie season. 7 innings later, he hit his 15th homer of the season against Pirate closer David Bednar.
Xander Bogaerts led off the 10th with a line drive to left field off, scoring automatic runner Luis Arraez. The Padres tacked on two runs on a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado and an error on catcher Yasmani Grandal.
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The Padres needed those extra runs as the Pirates cut the lead with a bases-loaded walk by Tanner Scitt and wild pitch by Adrian Morejon, but Morejon navigated out of a jam, escaping a second and third with none out situation to earn his first career save.
The Padres are an MLB best 13-3 since the All-Star break and moved within 3.5 games of the first place Dodgers in the NL West.
The Padres and Pirates conclude their 3-game series Thursday morning in Pittsburgh, as Randy Vasquez is scheduled to start for San Diego.
