The Padres keep winning, and suddenly their trade-deadline conversation feels a lot more complicated. San Diego held off the Giants, 5-4, on August 2 at Petco Park, taking eight of its last nine games and finishing a statement weekend series against San Francisco.
Jackson Merrill delivered the early jolt with a two-run homer to deep center, a birthday present for his mother that landed near the Ballast Point Deck. San Diego added breathing room when Jake Cronenworth drove in two more runs on a sharp single after the Padres loaded the bases with help from a costly Giants miscue.
San Francisco kept punching back. Rafael Devers launched a solo shot, and the Giants repeatedly forced San Diego to work through traffic late. The Padres’ bullpen survived the pressure, with Adrian Morejon recording the final outs and securing the save as Luis Arraez settled under the last fly ball.
- 🔥 San Diego has won eight of its last nine games.
- ⚾ Merrill’s two-run blast set the tone in the opening inning.
- 🧤 Cronenworth’s two-run single became the difference in a game decided by one run.
That momentum matters because the Padres now head into August with a real question hanging over the roster: should a team playing this well be adding around its core, or should it still listen on premium pieces? Mason Miller remains the name fans will keep circling, but this winning streak makes any deadline decision far less comfortable. For now, San Diego looks like a club that refuses to act like a seller.