Jake Cronenworth had one of his best nights of the 2026 regular season on Sunday at Petco Park, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI as the San Diego Padres dismantled the Miami Marlins 7-3. Walker Buehler earned the win with 6.2 innings of work, Fernando Tatis Jr. added a solo shot, and Mason Miller closed it out in a clean ninth. San Diego built a lead it would not relinquish, handing Sandy Alcantara the loss in a nine-inning contest that finished 7-3.
Jake Cronenworth Carries the Padres Offense
Let's not bury the lede: Cronenworth was the story on Sunday night. He went 3-for-4, launched two home runs, and drove in five of San Diego's seven runs. That is a monster line by any standard, and it was the engine that made everything else possible. Alcantara held his own through the first couple of frames, but the Padres kept putting pressure on him, and Cronenworth delivered the decisive blows. By the time Alcantara was pulled after six innings, he had surrendered eight hits, four earned runs, and struck out only three — a rough outing against a San Diego lineup that produced eight hits off him alone.
Samad Taylor provided excellent complementary production, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Taylor reached base every time he came to the plate, giving the Padres a genuine second standout performer and forcing Miami's pitching staff to work continuously. When you have two guys combining for six hits and six RBI, you are going to win a lot of baseball games. That is exactly what happened Sunday.
Fernando Tatis Jr. added to the damage with a solo home run, going 1-for-4 on the night. Tatis's blast gave the Petco Park crowd another electric moment and added to a lead Miami was never able to seriously threaten.
Walker Buehler Earns the Win With a Quality Start
Buehler was effective when it counted most. He threw 6.2 innings, allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out six. The three earned runs he surrendered came largely courtesy of Javier Sanoja, who went 1-for-3 for the Marlins but made that one hit count — a home run that drove in all three of Miami's runs. That is the kind of solo explosion that can keep a game closer on paper than it felt in practice. Buehler navigated around it and kept the Padres in command throughout his outing.
The bullpen handled the rest cleanly. Kyle Hart worked 0.1 innings, issuing one walk but allowing no damage. Bradgley Rodriguez came on and got through a full inning, giving up one hit but keeping the scoreboard frozen. Then Mason Miller took the ninth and was unhittable — no hits, no walks, no runs. It was a textbook bullpen game from the Padres, with every arm doing exactly what was asked of them.
Marlins Could Not Solve the Padres' Pitching
Miami's offense outside of Sanoja's three-run home run was largely absent. The Marlins were held in check all night by the San Diego pitching staff. Bradley Blalock came on in relief of Alcantara and struggled badly, allowing three earned runs on two hits across two innings of work while striking out three. That stretch essentially ended any slim hope Miami had of mounting a comeback. San Diego's 7-3 margin ultimately tells you everything you need to know about how thoroughly the Padres dominated this contest.
What's Next for the Padres
San Diego picks up a clean victory as the 2026 regular season continues to wind down. Cronenworth's two-homer, five-RBI performance is the kind of offensive explosion that defines a winning night at Petco Park, and Buehler's quality start gives the rotation something to build on. The Padres took care of business Sunday. Now they need to keep stacking wins and see where the standings shake out.
