Luis Campusano’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night capped a four-run rally that lifted the San Diego Padres to a 5-4 win over the visiting Washington Nationals.
Campusano blooped his go-ahead hit in right-center to score Manny Machado, whose two-run single off Erik Tolman (0-1) tied the game at 4. Machado reached second on Ty France’s single and after Jackson Merrill popped out, Campusano delivered his second go-ahead hit of the homestand.
Reliever Jared Simpson teed up San Diego’s rally by walking Xander Bogaerts, Freddy Fermin and Fernando Tatis Jr. to start the inning. Pinch-hitter Austin Hays lofted a sacrifice fly to score Bogaerts prior to Machado’s bouncer up the middle.
David Morgan (3-1) threw one pitch to retire the only man he faced in the eighth and got the win. Adrian Morejon, pitching for the third straight game because closer Mason Miller wasn’t available, garnered his third save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
San Diego (77-68) stayed within a half-game of Arizona, a 5-3 winner in 11 innings at Kansas City, for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Washington (67-80) lost its sixth consecutive game.
The Nationals initiated scoring in the second when Yohandy Morales launched his second homer off starter Casey Mize. He drilled a fastball off the inside corner an estimated 406 feet to left field.
Washington made it 3-0 in the sixth when Brady House drilled a two-out, two-run double to right-center off reliever Randy Vasquez. He entered after Mize issued a walk to CJ Abrams. Mize was charged with three runs on four hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings, fanning seven.
Meanwhile, the Nationals’ normally shaky bullpen shut San Diego down on one hit through six innings. Riley Cornelio opened with three perfect innings, striking out four, while Zak Kent added two scoreless innings and Yovanny Cruz pitched a scoreless sixth.
Merrill’s sacrifice fly in the seventh got the Padres on the board but Andres Chaparro made it 4-1 Washington in the top of the eighth with a solo homer, his 10th of the year.
