Dom Cotroneo breaks down the Brewers third consecutive loss in San Diego as the Padres clinch the four-game series thanks to three home runs.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Jackson Merrill hit a 440-foot, three-run homer to the base of the batter’s eye in center field and had a bat flip to match as the San Diego Padres beat the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 Saturday for their fourth straight win.
Ha-Seong Kim and Kyle Higashioka also homered for the Padres, who popped back above .500 and will go for a four-game sweep on Sunday.
The Padres were cruising toward a shutout when Jhony Brito loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth on two singles and a walk, and then allowed Brice Turang’s grand slam to left.
Robert Suarez came on to get the final out for his 19th save.
The 21-year-old Merrill has 10 homers overall and seven in his last 10 games. That stretch started with two homers, including a walk-off shot, in a 5-4 home win against Oakland on June 12.
His blast Saturday was the longest of his career, surpassing the 411-foot shot he hit off Jose Quintana at the New York Mets on June 15.
Merrill carried his bat with him for the first few steps of his trot while watching the ball fly out of the park and then flipped it aside. He finished with three hits.
Kim homered to left-center two batters later, his 10th.
Both were off rookie Carlos Rodriguez (0-3). He allowed four runs and six hits in four innings, struck out two and walked none.
Randy Vásquez (2-4) got his first win in five starts by holding the Brewers to five hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and three walks.
Higashioka hit a two-run homer with one out in the seventh, his sixth. He also twice threw out Turang trying to steal second base.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: RF Fernando Tatis Jr. and LF Jurickson Profar were out of the lineup with injuries and C Luis Campusano was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Friday, with a bruised left thumb. Tatis has a bruised left triceps after being hit by a pitch just above his elbow on Friday night. Profar left that game as well with ongoing patellar tendinitis in his left knee.
UP NEXT
Brewers RHP Tobias Myers (4-2, 3.26 ERA) and Padres RHP Michael King (5-4, 3.49) are scheduled to start the series finale Sunday.
