Unlikely Padres Hitter Steals Home Plate

Maren Angus-Coombs | Aug 29, 2024

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

This year's San Diego Padres team has been good defensively, out of the bullpen and at the plate, but they haven't shown off any speed.

Until Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Padres got on the board early when three of the first four batters hit sharp ground balls that found their way through the middle of the infield. Hits from Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, and Manny Machado put runners on the corners with just one out.

Xander Bogaerts, the next man up, struck out on a full count while Machado broke for second base. At that moment, Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés threw down to second, and Cronenworth made a dash for home. He was credited with a steal since he likely would have scored even if Pagés' throw hadn't sailed over second baseman Brendan Donovan’s head and into center field.

Jake Cronenworth scores on a double steal

Manny Machado swipes second and Jake Cronenworth hustles home on the play to give the Padres a 2-0 lead

Padres @ Cardinals#LetsGoPadres | August 28, 2024 pic.twitter.com/UF63kjMNX5

— San Diego Strong (@PadresStrong) August 29, 2024

Jackson Merrill lined out to end the inning and the rest of the game for the Padres was uneventful as they went on to lose 4-3 courtesy of a walk-off single from Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

They also had at least one runner in scoring position the next three innings, including one of them with one out, and failed to score.

The Padres had plenty of opportunities to score more, they failed to get a runner home from second base with no outs in the ninth.

“We should have (brought) the run in,” said Jurickson Profar, whose sacrifice moved pinch-runner Tyler Wade to third base in the ninth. “Third with one out. We have to bring him in. That’s it. We lose some, we win some. …  I bet you we win more than we lose.”

The Padres got a burst of life in the eighth inning when Kyle Higashioka homered but the team known for come-from-behind wins didn't come all the way back.

Higashioka's homer was the17th game-tying or go ahead home run this season which is the most in the major leagues. It also set up the possibility for their 29th victory when trailing or tied in the seventh inning or later.

Joe Musgrove got the start and seemed to be on cruise control until the fourth inning. He got the first out of the inning and then gave up hits to five of the next six batters resulting in three runs.

“I don’t feel like I was making terrible pitches (or) any different than I had the first time through the lineup,” Musgrove said. “But I think their approach just changed , and they were willing to take base hits the other way and try to create some traffic, which is kind of what they did.”