SerpApi.Org
It was a grind all night for the San Diego Padres, battling back to tie, only to see the bullpen come unglued in the eighth inning before pushing across five runs in the ninth to come just short in a 7-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night at Truist Park.
Michael King provided one of his grittiest starts of the season, and the Padres (50-52) got key home runs from Jackson Merrill and Luis Rengifo. But three straight hits off Wandy Peralta saw the Braves (59-42) retake the lead as part of the six-run, seven-hit decisive inning.
San Diego’s ninth inning rally began when a one-out walk by Xander Bogaerts and double by Jake Cronenworth set up Gavin Sheets for an RBI single. Then Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a sinking liner to center that got under the glove of sliding Michael Harris II and rolled to the wall for a two-RBI triple.
It forced the Braves to bring in closer Raisel Iglesias, who served up an inside fastball to Rengifo that he cleaned out for a two-run home run, his first of the season and pull the Padres back within one. But back to back strike outs by Manny Machado and Ty France ended the comeback.
Merrill continued his hot hitting, leading off the seventh inning with a crushed solo home run off reliever Didier Fuentes into the water in center field for his 14th of the year. His 449-foot shot was the third-longest by a Padre and fourth round-tripper since returning from the All-Star break.
The Padres were able to generate a bases loaded situation as Bogaerts and Cronenworth hit back-to-back singles, then Tatis was intentionally walked after Sheets flew out as a pinch-hitter for Jase Bowen. But Rengifo popped up the first pitch he saw to force San Diego to settle for a 1-1 game.
But Peralta allowed a one-out single to Mauricio Dubón in the eighth, and Jim Jarvis ripped an RBI double down the right field line that put Atlanta back in front. Brewer Hickeln followed up by doubling to the opposite field to double the lead. Peralta then walked Drake Baldwin to end his night.
The Braves continued to add on against Randy Vásquez, who made his second appearance from the bullpen since the All-Star break and allowed an RBI single to Ozzie Albies, then Mattt Olson blooped a pop fly down the left field line that was just out of the reach of Machado and Sheets for another RBI. The Braves would get two more RBI singles as rain briefly began to fall before San Diego could get out of the inning.
King gutted his way to a 104-pitch outing, overcoming early control issues. Both starters had to deal with traffic in pretty much every inning, as King and Atlanta’s Martín Pérez were overly charitable in handing out free passes.
The first two pitches went for strikes by King, then he missed the zone with his next nine and 12 of 14 to walk the bases full. Harris II grounded out to first to drive in a run, then King dialed in to strike out Austin Riley on three pitches and froze Mike Yastrzemski with an outside corner fastball.
Despite throwing just 13 of his 29 pitches in the inning for strikes, the San Diego starter limited the damage to just a run. An inning later King would get out of a two-out, runners on the corners situation by striking out Albies. Then over the following two innings he held the Braves scoreless despite allowing a runner in scoring position with one down.
In total, King allowed just one successful at bat on 10 RISP situations, and finished by retiring eight of the last nine batters he faced. By going six innings and allowing five hits and one run with seven strikeouts and four walks he notched his ninth quality start — he has half of the Padres’ total for the season.
The difference early on was that the Padres were unable to do much with the four walks Pérez yielded, generating just four RISP at bats and never had a runner advance beyond second base. In his first start since July 5, the former Padre Pérez finished with four innings pitched and allowed a lone hit to Merrill that Atlanta erased with a double play, and had three Ks.
Adrian Morejon allowed hits to two of the first batters he faced in the seventh, then with men on first and third froze Riley with an inside changeup to escape. Peralta allowed three hits and four runs and a walk in 1/3 of an inning to take his second loss, then Vásquez was charged with four hits and two runs with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning.
For the series finale it will be Griffin Canning (1-8, 6.67 ERA) taking the hill for the Padres, with the righty looking to snap a three-game losing streak. He followed opener Peralta against the Braves on June 23, 2026 and was chased after just 2/3 an inning, having given up four runs on four hits, one walk and two strikeouts — a game San Diego rallied to win 7-6 in 10 innings.
Canning will face the Braves’ ace left-hander Chris Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA), who has not allowed a run in his last two starts, and ranks sixth in the NL with a 1.06 WHIP while also standing ninth with 123 strikeouts among qualified pitchers. First pitch from Truist Park is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. PT.
