Nolan Arenado Homers as Diamondbacks Beat Padres

Diamondbacks Secure Crucial Victory

Nolan Arenado launched a left‑field home run off Yuki Matsui in the sixth inning, giving Arizona a 3‑1 win over San Diego. The blast was his 11th of the season and boosted his career total to 364 homers in 14 years. Arenado is just six hits shy of becoming the sixth active player to reach the 2,000‑hit mark. He arrived in Arizona after five seasons with St. Louis and eight with Colorado. At Petco Park, Arenado has hit 17 homers—the most ever by a visiting player.

Arizona’s offense also flashed early. A wild pitch by Padres starter Griffin Canning in the fourth inning gave the Diamondbacks their first run. In the fifth, Geraldo Perdomo delivered an RBI single with two outs, driving in the go‑ahead run and forcing Canning from the game. The Diamondbacks eventually took three of four games in the series.

Key Pitching Performances

Merrill Kelly steadied Arizona after a rough loss, allowing just one run on three hits over seven innings. He struck out six batters and walked three, improving to a 7‑8 record. Kevin Ginkel added a perfect eighth inning, and Paul Sewald closed with a flawless ninth for his 21st save. The trio helped Arizona rebound from a 10‑4 defeat earlier in the week.

San Diego’s Manny Machado returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game due to a toe injury. He opened the second inning with a solo homer to right, his 19th of the season and fifth in his last 11 games. Despite the early blast, the Padres could not sustain the momentum against Arizona’s depth.

Padres Strive for Second Place

The Padres entered the game locked in a tight battle with the Diamondbacks for second place in the NL West. Both clubs sit 14½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who remain idle. San Diego’s loss leaves the two teams tied in the division scramble. The next few weeks will be critical as each side looks to close the gap on the dominant Dodgers.

Looking Ahead

Arizona will host Los Angeles on Friday, with left‑hander Eduardo Rodriguez scheduled to face Dodgers ace Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles. Rodriguez is 7‑3 with a 2.25 ERA, while Ohtani stands at 8‑2 and 1.79. Meanwhile, the Padres will open a home series against Toronto, with right‑hander JP Sears slated to start. Sears is 2‑1 and has a 4.70 ERA on the season.