The San Diego Padres trailed by four runs and looked cooked. They weren't. San Diego completed a dramatic comeback at Petco Park on Saturday, August 22, 2026, erasing a four-run deficit to defeat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 in nine innings. Jackson Merrill supplied the big blow with a home run and two RBI, Griffin Canning steadied a shaky bullpen with 3.1 scoreless innings to earn the win, and Mason Miller slammed the door in the ninth for the save. This one had no business ending the way it did — and yet here we are.

Padres Offense Stages Four-Run Comeback Against Twins Bullpen

Minnesota handed San Diego's starter Casey Mize a nightmare early. Mize lasted just 2.2 innings, surrendering four earned runs on four hits. Kyle Hart came on and gave up another run in his inning of work, leaving San Diego in a 5-1 hole that felt considerably deeper given the way the Twins' bats were humming. Brooks Lee went 3-for-4 with a home run and an RBI for Minnesota, and Kaelen Culpepper added a solo shot of his own. Luke Keaschall also homered and drove in two runs. The Twins came ready to hit.

But the Padres kept swinging. Fernando Tatis Jr. went 2-for-5 with an RBI, continuing to put the ball in play. Jake Cronenworth came through with a 2-for-5 night that included two RBI — quietly productive in exactly the spots San Diego needed it. And then there was Merrill: 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, the kind of line that jumps off the page when you're mapping out how a team claws back from four down.

Griffin Canning Turns the Game Around on the Mound

The real turning point wasn't a single swing — it was Canning walking out of the bullpen and shutting Minnesota down. After the Twins hung five runs on San Diego's first two pitchers, Canning worked 3.1 innings, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out one while not permitting a single earned run. That's the kind of relief outing that gives an offense the time it needs to organize a rally. Without it, this game doesn't get close enough to matter.

Adrian Morejon followed with a clean inning — no hits, no runs, one strikeout — before Miller took the ball in the ninth. He was sharp: one strikeout, no hits, no walks. Save secured. Final: 7-5, Padres.

Minnesota's Andrew Morris took the loss after allowing three earned runs on three hits in a single inning of work. The Twins' bullpen couldn't hold a four-run lead, and San Diego made them pay for it.

Key Performers at a Glance

  • Jackson Merrill: 2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
  • Jake Cronenworth: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
  • Fernando Tatis Jr.: 2-for-5, 1 RBI
  • Griffin Canning (W): 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Mason Miller (SV): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K
  • Brooks Lee (MIN): 3-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI

What's Next for the Padres

San Diego will look to carry the momentum from Saturday's comeback into the next game of this series against the Twins at Petco Park. A win like this — digging out of a four-run hole — is the kind of performance that tests a team's character and answers it clearly. The Padres answered. The next question is whether they can back it up.