Xander Bogaerts knocked in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and five San Diego pitchers teamed up for a win as the Padres edged the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Monday.
Jeremiah Estrada (4-2), the third Padres pitcher, worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the top of the seventh for the win. Tanner Scott struck out three in a row after Oneil Cruz’s leadoff double in the eighth, and Robert Suarez allowed a run the ninth but still logged his 26th save in 29 chances.
Pirates starter Jake Woodford (0-4) lasted six-plus innings, the longest outing of his 86 major league games, but absorbed a tough-luck loss. The right-hander allowed just three hits and a run with no walks and two strikeouts.
Woodford entered the seventh having retired 11 consecutive hitters before Jurickson Profar lined a leadoff double to right. Reliever Kyle Nicolas fanned Jake Cronenworth but tossed a wild pitch during Bogaerts’ at-bat that advanced Profar to third. Two pitches later, Bogaerts laced a 3-1 breaking ball to right field to break the scoring seal.
Kyle Higashioka added insurance in the bottom of the eighth when he lofted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left. The fly plated Bryce Johnson, who had reached on an pinch-hit infield single with one out and made it to third on Ha-Seong Kim’s single.
That became vital when Andrew McCutchen slashed a two-out RBI single to right that scored Bryan De La Cruz in the ninth to draw Pittsburgh within a run. Bryan Reynolds then ripped a liner to right-center, but reigning National League Player of the Week Jackson Merrill made a diving catch to seal the Pirates’ eighth straight loss.
It was the 17th win in 20 games for San Diego, which stayed within 3 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The Padres also remained in a tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first NL wild-card spot.
San Diego’s Joe Musgrove made his first start since May 26 and lasted 4 1/3 scoreless innings, permitting two hits and walking none while striking out two. Musgrove, who has spent two stints on the injured list this year with right elbow inflammation, threw 43 of his 63 pitches for strikes.