Inside The Padres

Padres' Jurickson Profar Gets Free Base on Blown Call, Gets Upset

Maren Angus-Coombs

Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
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Tuesday night's game between the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros was in an instant classic. It had everything needed to make it one of the best games played across the entire league this season.

In a wild game that had it all — a shoeless Jose Altuve, relentless boos for Josh Hader, several run-scoring wild pitches, and a controversial non-hit-by-pitch — the Astros pulled off a thrilling 4-3 win in 10 innings.

The controversial non-hit-by-pitch came in the bottom of the 10th inning when Jurickson Profar had the game-tying and winning runs on board with two outs.

Astros righty Héctor Neris brushed Profar back with his first pitch, but Profar maintained that the ball never made contact with him but the home plate umpire Brennan Miller disagreed. He awarded Profar first base.

“I was mad that they called a hit by pitch,” Profar said. “That ball never hit me. I was ready to come back to hit, and then Manny told me they called hit by pitch.”

Profar didn't win his argument and took his base bringing up Manny Machado with the bases loaded.

Machado rocketed a 103.3-mph line drive right at second baseman Grae Kessinger to end the game.

"It kind of feels like a playoff game,” Astros manager Joe Espada said afterward. “It's a playoff atmosphere out there.”

Said Padres third baseman Machado: “That's what October is. It was a nice little taste.”

Machado joined the excitement earlier in the night with the Padres trailing by two in the sixth.

The third baseman worked the count to 3-0 and thought he had earned a walk on what looked like ball four off the plate. However, Miller called it strike one, and Machado was not happy. He also disagreed with strike two, which was at the top of the zone.

There was no chance for a called strike three. With the count full, Machado blasted a game-tying homer off Astros starter Hunter Brown, and Petco Park erupted in excitement.

“I said thanks to the umpire for giving me the opportunity,” Machado said. “... I'll take it all day.”

With postseason implications riding on the game, the night's drama gave Petco Park an October feeling.

However, the Padres missed the opportunity to cut their deficit to 2.5 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West after L.A.’s loss in Miami. Meanwhile, the Astros extended their lead over the Mariners in the American League West to five games with just 10 games remaining.

“This is what postseason baseball’s all about,” Machado said. “You saw it tonight.”

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.

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