Clutch late hits by Tatis, Laureano push Padres past Red Sox in grinding effort
Eric Evelhoch
Host · Writer
After seeing a lead they’d held for much of the day disappear in the eighth inning, the San Diego Padres got timely two-out hitting to bounce back and beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Saturday at Fenway Park.
Despite starting the game as chilly as the conditions and striking out a career-high four times, Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed a 2-2 count, 99 MPH Aroldis Chapman sinker over the head of Ceddanne Rafaela in center field for a two out double in the ninth. Then Ramón Laureano followed by ripping a liner to left field to score the eventual game-winning run.
The Padres battled all game, grinding through a pair of runs in the first three innings while Randy Vásquez stacked a second-straight strong start in six efficient innings of work. Freddy Fermin delivered an RBI double in the third inning in addition to scoring a run and throwing out a runner, while Miguel Andujar collected three of San Diego’s seven hits with a double and a run scored.
Boston had equalized in the eighth inning, as Adrian Morejon allowed back-to-back singles to Rafaela and Roman Anthony. After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Andruw Monasterio hit a short chopper back to Morejon, whose throw to second was a low and forced Jake Cronenworth to regather the ball and scuttling the double-play opportunity as the run scored.
After blowing just four saves all of last season, Morejon has two in his first three appearances but ultimately earned his first win. The 29-pitch outing with a pair of strikeouts was on the order of the workload in his first two appearances, but both of those were multi-inning efforts.
Mason Miller made it stand up by striking out the side in order in the ninth for his third save.
Fermin opened the scoring for the Padres in the second, leading off the inning with a walk — the third drawn by San Diego their first time through the lineup. Ty France followed by solidly lining a fastball down the pike high off the Green Monster, then Fermin scored on a ground out by Bryce Johnson.
The Padres loaded the lineup with right-handed batters against rookie lefty Connelly Early, with Laureano and Andujar slotting second and third in the lineup. France also drew in a first base, while Johnson patrolled center field in place of Jackson Merrill.
The lead was short-lived, as Willson Contreras led off the home half with a single through the left side. Manny Machado made a nice backhand pick on a hot-shot down the line by Caleb Durbin after Wilyer Abreu walked, getting the man at second, then Marcelo Mayer made it three RBI in the games against the Padres as he hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
Plate patience paid off again in the third, as Andujar worked a 10-pitch at bat before doubling. After a Machado walk, Fermin roped an up-and-in fastball down the third base line for the first RISP hit of the game with a double that plated Andujar. Through the first three innings Early threw 80 pitches and got lifted after four innings with the pair of runs allowed on three hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
Meanwhile Vásquez scattered six hits with three strikeouts and a walk while throwing 83 pitches. He only faced three RISP situations despite allowing three lead off hits, including inducing a double play in the fourth and leaving Roman Anthony stranded after a two-out triple in the fifth.
Tatis also made an important defensive play in the sixth, running down a 368-foot tailing Contreras liner in right-center field. Winds whipped in from right at 10 MPH or more for most of the game, impacting everything hit that way on a chilly, mid-to-low 40 degree day.
Jeremiah Estrada followed up with a one-two-three inning in the seventh.
Machado matched his high from last season by working three walks and has earned a free pass in six of the eight games. The nine walks he’s worked so far are second-most in the NL — it took until his 22nd game in 2025 to draw that many.
Walker Buehler will get the nod for the Padres in the rubber game, matched against lefty free agent signee Ranger Suarez. After spending his first eight seasons in the Majors with Philadelphia, Suarez inked a five-year, $130 million deal with Boston in January. The 10:35 a.m. PT first pitch on Sunday, April 5 at Fenway Park will wrap up the series, then it’s off to Pittsburgh for a three-game set against the Pirates.
