The San Diego Padres showcased an unexpected burst of speed during their recent game against the St. Louis Cardinals, highlighted by a rare steal of home plate.
The Padres struck first in the game, with three of their initial four batters hitting sharp ground balls that found gaps in the infield. Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, and Manny Machado set the stage, putting runners on the corners with only one out.
Xander Bogaerts then faced a full count but struck out, prompting Machado to attempt a steal of second base. As Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés threw to second, Cronenworth seized the moment and sprinted home, successfully stealing a run.
Despite this early excitement, the game took a turn for the worse for the Padres. They ultimately lost 4-3, with Nolan Arenado delivering a walk-off single for the Cardinals.
The Padres had multiple opportunities to extend their lead, including a chance to score in the ninth inning with a runner on second and no outs, but they failed to capitalize.
The eighth inning brought a glimmer of hope when Kyle Higashioka hit a home run, marking the 17th time this season he has either tied the game or given the Padres the lead with a homer.
“We should have (brought) the run in,” said Jurickson Profar , whose sacrifice moved pinch-runner Tyler Wade to third base in the ninth. “Third with one out. We have to bring him in. That’s it. We lose some, we win some. … I bet you we win more than we lose.”
This performance also set the stage for the team’s potential 29th win when trailing or tied in the later innings.
Starting pitcher Joe Musgrove had a solid outing until the fourth inning, when he allowed hits to five of the next six batters, leading to three runs for the Cardinals.
Musgrove noted that the Cardinals adjusted their approach, focusing on getting base hits.
“I don’t feel like I was making terrible pitches (or) any different than I had the first time through the lineup,” Musgrove said . “But I think their approach just changed , and they were willing to take base hits the other way and try to create some traffic, which is kind of what they did.”
The Padres will need to regroup quickly as they look to convert their scoring chances into wins in the upcoming games.
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