SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres completed a four-game sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 9-2 victory in the series finale Wednesday, riding Jackson Merrill's two-homer performance to a fourth straight win. Merrill finished a double shy of the cycle with a single, a triple and two home runs to power the offense as San Diego heads into a crucial road trip with postseason positioning against the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot on the line.
The lineup produced throughout the afternoon. Apart from Merrill, the Padres went a combined 12-for-33, with Ty France, Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. each recording three hits and five players posting multi-hit games. After Walker Buehler was pulled early, Kyle Hart escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third and added 1 2/3 more innings before David Morgan, Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Griffin Canning covered the final 4 1/3 innings to lock down the 9-2 result.
San Diego now embarks on a road trip against divisional opponents San Francisco and Colorado, two clubs already eliminated from playoff contention. The Padres lead the season series against the Giants 6-4. San Francisco has turned to Molina, who owns a 1.88 ERA through 14 1/3 innings in three appearances and two starts since joining the Giants after pitching just five innings in relief for the Atlanta Braves before being traded for starting pitcher Tyler Mahle. Molina previously spent two seasons with the Rockies with an ERA over 6.00 in both years, working primarily out of the bullpen before moving into a starting role with San Francisco where he has surrendered three runs in his last three starts.
The series opener will be a homecoming for veteran lefty Ray since being traded by the Giants at the trade deadline. Ray has pitched well this season but has struggled with the Friars, coming off a start in which he gave up five runs in just 2 1/3 innings versus the New York Yankees. San Francisco enters on a three-game win streak after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals but has struggled to produce runs this season. With an off day Thursday, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez will be available out of the bullpen, with Vásquez likely to pitch only if Ray cannot work deep. Cronenworth, who had Wednesday off and has spent most of the second half batting behind Tatis, is expected back in the lineup, though Craig Stammen could tinker after Merrill's hot streak.