Jake Cronenworth’s go-ahead two-run single sparked a nine-run eighth inning as the San Diego Padres held off the host Kansas City Royals 11–8 on Friday.
Batting with the bases loaded in the eighth, Cronenworth hit a two-run single to give the Padres a 4–3 lead. He also delivered an RBI double as San Diego set a club record with 11 hits in the inning.
Royals relievers John Schreiber (3–1) and James McArthur combined to give up seven runs while recording no outs in the inning.
Luis Arraez had four singles—two in the eighth inning—and scored three runs. It was his fifth four-hit game of the year, and his 82 hits lead the majors.
Yuki Matsui (3–0) recorded three outs for the win. Robert Suarez got the final out for his 17th save. Padres starter Dylan Cease gave up three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 5 1/3 innings.
In the sixth, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s one-out, RBI double off the wall in center field drove in the first run of the game. Jurickson Profar followed with an RBI single, ending Royals starter Michael Wacha’s outing. He threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Kansas City collected leadoff doubles in the second and third innings, but neither runner advanced past second.
In the sixth, Maikel Garcia hit a sharp single into center field, putting runners at the corners. Bobby Witt Jr., who finished with three hits, followed with an RBI single and Vinnie Pasquantino’s ground-rule double tied the score at 2–2, ending Cease’s outing.
Riding a streak of 13 consecutive strikeouts, Jeremiah Estrada entered the game and—after a pitch clock violation for ball one—intentionally walked Salvador Perez to load the bases. Nelson Velazquez’s sacrifice fly to center gave the Royals a 3–2 lead.
Velazquez hit a solo homer in a five-run ninth for the Royals, who have lost five of six.
