Profar’s Grand Slam Carries Padres Past Nationals

Profar’s Grand Slam Carries Padres Past Nationals
Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres slides into third base during a game against the Washington Nationals in San Diego on June 25, 2024. (Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY via Field Level Media)
Field Level Media
6/26/2024
Updated:
6/26/2024
0:00

SAN DIEGO—Jurickson Profar blasted a sixth-inning grand slam Tuesday night as the San Diego Padres defeated the Washington Nationals 9–7.

Profar’s 11th home run of the year, a line drive that hooked just inside the right-field foul pole, enabled San Diego to turn a one-run game into a 9–4 lead.

San Diego’s Adam Mazur (1–2) picked up his first major-league win, allowing four runs on six hits over five innings, with a walk and no strikeouts. Washington’s MacKenzie Gore (6–7) absorbed the loss, yielding five runs on five hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out one.

Profar, whose two-run single in the bottom of the 10th inning Monday night gave the Padres a 7–6 victory, was in the middle of a wild bottom of the first inning Tuesday. Before his at-bat, the benches cleared after Washington catcher Keibert Ruiz confronted him at the plate, upset over his postgame celebration the night before.

When the game resumed, Gore drilled Profar in the leg with a 98 mph fastball. Adam Hamari, crew chief of the umpires, opted not to act on warnings that were issued, and San Diego Manager Mike Shildt was ejected for arguing.

On the next pitch, Manny Machado hit a two-run homer to left, his eighth long ball of the year.

That lead lasted until the Nationals tallied four runs in the third inning. Jacob Young delivered an RBI single, Lane Thomas tied it with a two-out triple, and Jesse Winker cracked a two-run homer to right.

Gore carried the 4–2 lead to the fifth but couldn’t close out the inning as the Padres took the lead for good with three two-out runs. Jake Cronenworth cashed in Luis Arraez’s triple with an RBI single, and Donovan Solano followed with a two-run single that squirted off the glove of second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. for a 5–4 edge.

Following Profar’s slam, Washington tallied twice in the eighth, via Joey Meneses’ sacrifice fly and an RBI double from Harold Ramirez.

San Diego’s Robert Suarez pitched the ninth to lock down his 20th save despite allowing a two-out RBI single to CJ Abrams.