SAN DIEGO (AP) — Xander Bogaerts had an RBI single in the seventh inning, Jackson Merrill made a game-saving pike catch in the ninth inning and Joe Musgrove made a solid return from the 60-day injured list as the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Monday night.
The Padres won for the 17th time in 20 games since July 20 and handed the struggling Pirates their 10th loss in 11 games.
“The guys played with a lot of feeling and determination, but when Joe Musgrove comes back, it goes to a new level. He’s a cornerstone in the locker room,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He was fantastic (tonight). His change-up was good, his heater was good – it was full of life.”
Musgrove, who has been out since May 26 with right elbow inflammation, allowed two hits, a walk and a strikeout in 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He pitched effectively, combining his sliders, changeups and four-seam fastballs. It was Musgrove’s first scoreless outing since July 28, 2023, when he pitched six innings against Texas in his final start of the season.
“It was an incredible feeling to be back out there. … Physically, I felt great. There’s still a lot of room for improvement. I think I showed signs of my good side at times,” Musgrove said. “A lot of good things are going in the right direction.”
When Musgrove came out of the game in the fifth inning, he received a standing ovation from the 38th sellout crowd of the season at Petco Park. He patted his heart and waved to the crowd as he walked to the dugout.
“It was a great feeling to see that,” Musgrove said of the standing ovation. “This city has treated me so well since I came back here. I love pitching in this stadium and I love representing this city.”
Jeremiah Estrada (4-2) got the win for the Padres after playing one inning as a relief pitcher and closer Robert Suarez made his 26th save after allowing two singles and a run in the ninth inning.
San Diego led 2-1, and the Pirates tied the game at first base with two outs when Merrill made a spectacular pike catch on a run wide left, stealing extra bases from Bryan Reynolds and ending the game.
“In that situation, it was either ‘give up or nothing,'” Merrill said of his catch. “It was just one of those blackout and adrenaline moments that happen.”
Pirates starter Jake Woodford (0-4) pitched well in the loss, allowing one run and three hits in six-plus innings. He allowed a double by Jurickson Profar to start the seventh inning, and Profar finally scored when Bogaerts hit a single through the Pirates’ drawn-in infield against reliever Kyle Nicolas.
“I don’t want to take Bogaerts’ batting for granted. It was phenomenal,” Shildt said. “He was behind.”
San Diego’s Kyle Higashioka came off the bench and scored another run from third base on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, extending the Padres’ lead to 2-0.
The evening ended positively for the Padres and for Musgrove in his long-awaited return.
“I’m going to give it everything I’ve got as long as they allow me to keep the ball out there,” Musgrove said. “Me being healthy down the stretch is an important part of this team.”
