Padres score game's only run in 10th to win series opener against Giants

Kevin Acee, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jun 3, 2025

Published in Baseball

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SAN FRANCISCO — What unfolded Monday night at Oracle Park between the Padres and Giants was either a pitchers’ duel or a battle of the wills to see which struggling offense would somehow get a runner home.

Eventually, after nine innings had been played, the Padres scored on a sacrifice fly by Jose Iglesias in the top of the 10th inning.

And that was it.

Robert Suarez, who held the Giants scoreless in the ninth inning, did so again in the 10th to close out the 1-0 victory.

Iglesias’ fourth excellent defensive play of the game, fielding a hard ground ball and throwing to first base for the second out of the inning, helped save Suarez’s win.

The Padres got more hits off Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (six) than the Giants got off Padres starter Stephen Kolek (three). But Kolek was gone after 5⅔ innings, and Webb finished the eighth inning.

The Giants failed to score against the four relievers they saw. The Padres did not reach base against Randy Rodriguez in the ninth inning, but automatic runner Jake Cronenworth moved from second to third on Tyler Wade’s sacrifice bunt and jogged home on Iglesias’ fly ball in the 10th.

With the victory, the Padres (34-24) moved two games in front of the Giants (33-27) for second place in the National League West and the second of three NL wild-card spots.

The game between a couple of the major leagues’ best teams this season showcased the reality that both have been among the major leagues’ worst offenses for going on three weeks.

The Giants entered Monday’s game averaging an MLB-low 2.1 runs in 14 games since May 17, which made them one of the four teams scoring less often than the Padres (3.1 runs a game) in the span.

The Padres’ .205 batting average in their 14 games since May 17 was worst in the majors and one of three lower than the Giants (.212). And the Padres’ .607 OPS in since May 17 was one spot ahead of the Giants’ .604, which was better than only the Rangers (.601).

There were a handful of scoring threats between the teams. The Padres had one hit in five at-bats with runners in scoring position. The Giants were 1–for-12 with runners in scoring position.

But the real excitement early came after a temper flared following the third hit batter in an inning-and-a-half.

Wilmer Flores reacted angrily when a 94 mph fastball from Kolek rode in and hit him on the left hand in the third inning.

As Flores yelled from behind catcher Elias Díaz, who moved out from behind the plate, Kolek held up his hand and then patted his chest and nodded while explaining the pitch was accidental.

As Flores shouted and walked slowly toward first base, several Padres players rushed out to stand on the dirt in front of their dugout.

After Flores reached first base, the umpires conferred on the infield and issued warnings to both teams.

Flores was the third batter to be hit, though none seemed to be intentional.

However, LaMonte Wade Jr. had to leave the game after being hit on the back of the right hand by a 95 mph fastball from Kolek. And Flores appeared to indicate he was unhappy about multiple pitches Kolek had thrown in off the plate.

Díaz was hit on the right forearm in the previous half inning, and Wade had been struck in the bottom of the second.

That came between a walk to Willy Adames and one to Patrick Bailey that loaded the bases for the Giants with no outs.

Kolek escaped that danger by getting two ground balls and a fine play by Jose Iglesias, who started at third base while Manny Machado served as designated hitter.

First, Iglesias fielded a grounder by Tyler Fitzgerald and threw home for the first out. Then he fielded a hard grounder by Heliot Ramos and began a double play to end the inning.

Iglesias, who had prevented a run in the first inning by diving to keep a ball in the infield, also began an inning-ending double play in the third after Flores reached with one out.

The Giants would not get another baserunner against Kolek until Jung Hoo Lee led off the sixth inning with a single.

Lee stole second base on Kolek’s second-to-last pitch of the night, which ended a strikeout of Matt Chapman for the second out of the inning.

Padres manager Mike Shildt went to left-hander Adrián Morejón, who got pinch-hitter Jerar Encarnacion to ground out to shortstop.

Morejón walked a batter in between two strikeouts in the seventh before being replaced by Jeremiah Estrada, who walked Fitzgerald, the No.9 batter, and then Ramos to load the bases before striking out Lee.

The Padres threatened against Webb in the second and third innings.

In the second, Xander Bogaerts placed a one-out double down the right field line and Jake Cronenworth singled on a grounder off Webb’s foot. But on a pitch that struck out Tyler Wade, Cronenworth was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.

And after Diaz was hit with one out in the third, Luis Arraez’s two-out double moved him to third base before Machado popped out.

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