SAN DIEGO—Jurickson Profar’s two-run, bases-loaded single with two outs in the 10th inning Monday night lifted the San Diego Padres to a wild 7–6 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Profar’s hit into the right-center field gap bounced over the fence, but Profar missed out on a ground-rule double when he did not advance to second base. He rounded first, swerved toward the infield celebration, pulled off his helmet, and raised his arms in the air.
The Nationals intentionally walked major-league hits leader Luis Arraez to get to Profar, and then Hunter Harvey (2–3) threw a knockdown pitch. Profar’s winning hit came five batters after rookie Jackson Merrill hit a two-run single to center field.
“I felt disrespected,” Profar said about the intentional walk.
“I was just trying to hit a line drive. That’s it. You just keep it short, hit a line drive, and I make sure I bring [in] those two runs. I had to do it.”
Asked about his emotions, he said: “It was two things. The walk, and then this pitch up and in, up to my face. So that pumped me up a lot.”
Said Padres Manager Mike Shildt: “It’s a pick your poison. Either way it’s poison, between Arraez and Pro. It’s completely understandable from a baseball standpoint.”
Profar has been bothered for several weeks with patellar tendinitis in his left knee.
“He’s a winner,” Shildt said. “The guy’s a warrior. He has the heart of a lion. He’s a big part of our club.”
The Padres hadn’t had a baserunner since the third inning. Wandy Peralta (2–1) got the win.
The Nationals had taken a 6–3 lead in the top of the 10th when Keibert Ruiz doubled in a run and Nick Senzel followed with a two-run home run to left field.
Joey Meneses had three hits and drove in the Nationals’ first three runs, and former Padres player C.J. Abrams had three hits and scored twice.
Earlier Monday, the Padres put star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a stress reaction in his right thigh bone. The injury has bothered the reigning National League Gold Glove and Platinum Glove winner for several weeks.
Tatis said there’s no real timetable for his return.
“It’s going to be some time,” he said.
Winning after hearing the news about Tatis “was very important,” Profar said. “We still have a really good team, and obviously he makes us great, but we still have a lot of good players in here that play really good baseball and know how to how to win like we did tonight.”
Padres knuckleballer Matt Waldron was looking to beat Washington exactly a year after losing to the Nationals in his major-league debut.
He left with a 3–2 lead after six innings, but reliever Adrian Morejon gave up the tying run in the seventh. Abrams singled with one out, stole second base, advanced on Jesse Winker’s single, and scored on Meneses’ single.
Abrams, sent to the Nationals in the blockbuster trade for Juan Soto on Aug. 2, 2022, doubled with one out in the third and scored on Meneses’ ground-rule double to center.
In the fifth, Meneses’ dribbler down the third-base line brought in Jacob Young. Young reached when he was hit by a pitch opening the inning. He advanced on Abrams’ single and took third as part of a double steal.
Waldron allowed two runs and five hits in six innings while striking out eight and walking two.
He was given an early 3–0 lead with just one out in the second when the Padres had four hits off Patrick Corbin. Ha-Seong Kim’s bunt single brought in Jake Cronenworth, and Kyle Higashioka followed with a double to the gap in right-center to bring in Donovan Solano and Kim.
