(Photo credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images)
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a game-ending home run with two outs in the ninth inning as the San Diego Padres rallied for a 5-4 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon.
Tatis hit a line drive just over the left field wall against Reds right-hander Chase Petty for his second home run of the season -- both coming in the past 11 games.
Gavin Sheets and Samad Taylor each drove in runs in the eighth to tie the score 4-4 as the Padres won a series for the first time since May 22-24 against the Athletics. It was just the fourth victory in the past 16 games for San Diego.
Right-hander Michael King pitched into the seventh inning and Wandy Peralta (1-0) delivered a scoreless ninth to pick up the win.
JJ Bleday, Eugenio Suarez and Spencer Steer hit home runs for the Reds, who lost their fourth consecutive series. Right-hander Brady Singer gave up two runs over six innings to get into position for a win, but left-hander Caleb Ferguson was charged with two runs in the eighth and Petty (0-1) gave up the final run in the ninth.
The Padres got off to a fast start when Jackson Merrill singled with one out in the first inning and scored when Machado followed with a double. Machado was thrown out at the plate by Bleday in left after a single from Will Wagner.
The Reds took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning when Bleday led off with a walk and Steer hit a two-run home run to left field.
The Padres got even in the fifth inning when Rodolfo Duran doubled with one out and Tatis delivered an RBI single to right.
Bleday's home run in the seventh inning, his 11th, gave the Reds a 3-2 lead and Cincinnati made it 4-2 in the eighth when Suarez hit a home run to right against right-hander Ron Marinaccio.
The Padres tied it in their half of the eighth by winning same-sided battles at the plate. Merrill scored on a double from lefty Gavin Sheets against Ferguson, then Taylor singled against right-hander Tony Santillian to score pinch runner Jase Bowen.
--Field Level Media
