Padres Heat Up Wild Card Race | San Diego Padres News

The Padres just swept the Nationals with a 9-2 blowout, capping a five-game homestand and tying the Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot with just 16 games left. Jackson Merrill lit up the scoreboard with a go-ahead triple and two opposite-field homers — becoming only the third Padre in history to hit two homers and a triple in one game. Manager Craig Stammen pulled Walker Buehler after just 2⅓ innings amid heated mound visits, trusting Kyle Hart to shut down the inning and the bullpen to keep the Nationals scoreless. Samad Taylor, back from an oblique injury, delivered with a bunt single and double, stepping up as a key spark plug with outfielders sidelined. And with temperatures hitting 95 degrees — the hottest ever at Petco Park — the Padres are turning up the heat both on and off the field as they race toward the playoffs. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7263c68170bfcc38