The San Diego Padres rallied from behind to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-7 at Petco Park on Saturday, September 26, in a nine-inning division battle that required every bit of the offense San Diego could muster. Manny Machado led the charge with a home run and three RBI, Xander Bogaerts added a solo shot, and a battered bullpen held on just long enough to secure the win. With the comeback complete, Yuki Matsui earned the victory while Arizona's Jose Cabrera took the loss after surrendering five earned runs in 1.1 innings.
Machado, Bogaerts Power San Diego's Offense in Division Win
Machado was the centerpiece of this one. He went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, doing exactly what San Diego needs from its veteran corner infielder when a division game is on the line. Bogaerts contributed efficiently — 1-for-2 with a homer and an RBI — making the most of his plate appearances. Jake Cronenworth added two hits and two RBI in four at-bats, providing crucial run support in what became a high-scoring afternoon. Jackson Merrill was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Ethan Salas and Dustin Harris each collected two hits to keep the lineup churning.
Arizona's Jose Cabrera had no answer for the Padres' bats in his 1.1 innings of work, giving up five hits and five earned runs. That performance cracked the game open and gave San Diego the separation it needed after falling behind earlier in the contest.
Walker Buehler Struggles Early, Bullpen Stabilizes
Walker Buehler did not have his best stuff Saturday. He lasted only 3.2 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs, and one walk while striking out three. The short outing put immediate pressure on San Diego's relief corps, which responded with a series of quality innings to keep the Padres in contention and then protect the lead.
Bradgley Rodriguez was a standout out of the pen, throwing two scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. David Morgan matched that efficiency with a clean inning — two strikeouts, one hit, one walk, zero runs. Adrian Morejon posted a perfect inning in his own right, punching out two batters without allowing a baserunner.
The ninth inning got complicated. Mason Miller entered to close it out but ran into trouble, giving up three hits, two walks, and three earned runs. Arizona made it a 10-7 game before Miller could secure the final outs, turning what might have been a comfortable finish into a white-knuckle ending. The Padres held on, but it was not the clean close San Diego's fans were hoping to see from their closer.
Turning Point: Cabrera's Meltdown Flips the Game
The pivotal sequence came when Arizona turned to Cabrera with the Padres mounting a threat. He could not stop the damage. Five hits and five earned runs in 1.1 innings swung the game decisively in San Diego's favor and made Cabrera the losing pitcher. That stretch of offense — with Machado, Cronenworth, and company putting together back-to-back hits — turned a close game into one the Padres controlled heading into the final innings.
Tim Tawa went 3-for-4 for Arizona, and James McCann homered with two RBI to give the Diamondbacks some punch. But the middle innings unraveled too quickly for Arizona to recover despite the late rally against Miller.
Key Performances at a Glance
- Manny Machado: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI
- Jake Cronenworth: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
- Jackson Merrill: 2-for-4, 1 RBI
- Xander Bogaerts: 1-for-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Ethan Salas: 2-for-4
- Dustin Harris: 2-for-5
- Bradgley Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 K
- Adrian Morejon: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 K
What's Next for the Padres
San Diego improves in the division standings with this result, a meaningful win with the calendar deep into September of the 2026 regular season. The Padres will look to carry this offensive momentum forward as the regular season winds down. Buehler's abbreviated outing is worth monitoring — keeping him available and effective will matter as San Diego pushes through these final days. The bullpen, outside of Miller's rocky ninth, showed it can bridge innings when called upon.
