ECM PADRES REPORT: PADRES KEEP PLAYOFF DREAMS ALIVE WITH MASSIVE COMEBACK IN GAME TWO

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By Liz Alper

 

Photo: Fernando Tatis Jr. became the youngest player to homer in a Padres postseason game and the third-youngest MLB player with a multi-home run postseason game at 21 years and 273 days. Via @padres on Twitter

 

October 1, 2020 (San Diego) - The Padres needed to win game two of the wild card today to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Adam Wainwright started for St. Louis against Zach Davies.

The Cardinals struck first again in the first with Yadier Molina’s RBI ground ball single to right that scored Tommy Edman and St. Louis led 1-0 after one.

Harrison Bader added more in the second with a ground ball double to center that scored Matt Carpenter and Kolton Wong put the icing on the cake with a towering two-run home run to right and the Cardinals led 4-0 after two.

 

The Padres rallied a little bit in the fourth with the bases loaded on Wil Myers’ single that scored Eric Hosmer.  New pitcher Austin Gomber walked Jake Cronenworth to score Mitch Moreland and the lead was cut in half.  But that’s where the rally stopped and the Cardinals kept their 4-2 lead after four.

 

The Cardinals pulled further away in the sixth with Dexter Fowler’s RBI double that scored Paul DeJong.  Wong hit a sac groundout that scored Matt Carpenter.  This kicked Matt Strahm out of the game to be replaced by Garrett Richards, who was able to finish the inning, but the Cardinals now led 6-2.

 

Suddenly, in the home half of the sixth, Fernando Tatis Jr. catapulted the Padres to within one with a three-run blast to left field.  And Manny Machado hit a solo shot to the same place immediately afterwards and just like that, we were knotted up at six after six. 

 

The Padres took the lead for the first time in the series in the seventh wil Wil Myers’ solo home run to left.  Tatis Jr. did it again later on with another two-run blast to right and the Padres were suddenly up by three, 9-6, after seven.

 

The Cardinals threatened in the eighth with Bader’s sac fly to center to score Carpenter.  Wong did the same to score Fowler and the Cards were within one, 9-8.

 

In the home half of the eighth, however, Myers put the icing on the cake with another two-run shot to center and the Padres led 11-8 after eight.

 

The Cardinals wouldn’t go away.  In the ninth, Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run to right, but the Padres held on and kept their playoff hopes alive with an 11-9 win.

 

UP NEXT

 

Since the series is tied, a game three is necessary and will be played tomorrow night at 7:08 p.m. on ESPN.  Jack Flaherty starts for St. Louis.

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