Padres Dismantle Nationals 12-3: A Show of Force in Washington
The San Diego Padres, with a record of 54-50, showcased their offensive might against the Washington Nationals, who now stand at 47-55, in a commanding 12-3 victory. The Padres' bats were alive and well, amassing a total of 20 hits throughout the game without committing a single error. On the other hand, the Nationals managed to secure just six hits and also kept their error count at zero.
The Padres set the tone early on by scoring four runs in the second inning followed by two in the third and an impressive five-run burst in the fourth inning. Their relentless attack saw them score once more in the fifth inning to solidify their lead. The Nationals attempted to respond early with three runs in the first inning but were subsequently silenced by San Diego's pitchers for the remainder of the game.
Key performances for the Padres included Jackson Merrill who had an outstanding batting average of .800 including slugging at 1.4 which contributed significantly to his OPS of 2.2 from five at-bats. Kyle Higashioka also made notable contributions with an average of .600 and managing three hits from five at-bats which played a crucial role in maintaining momentum for San Diego.
On pitching duties, Matt Waldron started for San Diego recording an ERA of 4.5 across six innings pitched while striking out four batters indicating effective control over his pitches despite allowing three earned runs. Enyel De Los Santos and Yuki Matsui both maintained perfect ERAs coming out from bullpen support showcasing depth in pitching resources for San Diego.
For Washington, despite their efforts to mount a comeback after their initial three runs scored during their first opportunity at bat proved futile as they struggled against San Diego's pitchers who collectively held them to a .194 batting average across nine innings.
Looking ahead, fans can catch The Padres as they continue their series against The Nationals scheduled on July 25th at Nationals Park located in Washington DC starting from 12:05 PM EDT broadcasted on MASN2 where they aim to build upon this dominant performance.