Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a two-run single in the second inning and added a two-run homer in the eighth as the San Diego Padres pulled away for a 10-2 victory over the visiting Houston Astros on Saturday night.
San Diego (72-64) won for only the sixth time in 21 games and remained a half-game behind the Cincinnati Reds in the race for the National League’s second wild card.
Tatis also reached base four times. He drew a pair of walks before hitting his league-leading 37th homer. His second free pass allowed San Diego to bust the game open on two-run shots by Manny Machado and Wil Myers in the seventh.
Machado hit a 453-foot drive to the second deck in left-center field off Cristian Javier and three batters later, Myers lifted a 1-0 fastball into the left field seats.
Tatis gave the Padres a 10-2 cushion when he hit a 444-foot drive off Josh James into the second deck in left-center.
Austin Nola hit an RBI single for the first run of the second inning and Jurickson Profar scored the final run of the frame on a balk.
Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single and Kyle Tucker homered for the Astros (79-56), who also lost slugger Yordan Alvarez to a left knee contusion in the fifth. Alvarez was injured when he fouled a pitch from Joe Musgrove off his left leg. The club said he is day-to-day.
Musgrove (10-8) settled down after putting the Padres in a 2-0 deficit, allowing two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four to win for the fifth time in six decisions.
Framber Valdez (9-5) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out four, walked two and got 11 outs on the ground.
Houston held a 2-0 lead after Tucker hit his 24th homer in the second. But the Padres sent nine to the plate in the bottom half and never trailed after Tatis hit a single to right field that eluded Gurriel’s dive at first base.
The Padres used five relievers. Tim Hill got a double play to end the sixth and Dinelson Lamet issued two walks in the seventh before Pierce Johnson retired Alex Bregman to end the frame. Daniel Hudson and Austin Adams finished up with a scoreless inning apiece.
–Field Level Media