Padres vs Phillies Recap: Big Padres Comeback Falls Short

The Padres came to Philadelphia looking to bounce back. They'd lost five straight and needed a win badly. But the Phillies had other plans. In the fourth inning, Bryson Stott stepped up and drove a single to left field. Bryce Harper raced home from second base. The Phillies led 1-0. One inning later, the Padres' bullpen fell apart. Adolis Garcia crushed a curve ball over the left-center wall. The ball soared 429 feet into the night sky. That two-run shot made it 3-0 Phillies. Then things got weird. A pickoff error by Yuki Matsui let Justin Crawford score on the bases. Philadelphia now led 3-0, and San Diego's pitchers were in serious trouble.

Lucas Giolito couldn't keep the Padres close. The starter gave up three runs in just four innings. The Phillies' bats had figured him out early. San Diego's defense couldn't help either. Simple mistakes added up fast.

San Diego was down 3-0 and needed something big. Fast. Manny Machado stepped into the batter's box in the seventh inning. Zack Wheeler was dealing with his fastball. But Machado wasn't afraid. He looked for a fastball and found one. A 95-mile-per-hour heater came right down the middle. Machado didn't miss. The ball exploded off his bat and flew deep to left-center field. The crowd held its breath. It cleared the wall at 435 feet! Gavin Sheets scored ahead of him. Suddenly it was 3-2. The Padres had life again. But the Phillies answered right back. Trea Turner singled to right, scoring Crawford. Brandon Marsh drove in another run on a fielder's choice. Alec Bohm singled to center, scoring Bryce Harper. Philadelphia now led 6-2. The Phillies had the answer every time San Diego threatened.

Wheeler pitched a complete game masterpiece. His eight strikeouts showed why he's the ace.

Jackson Merrill came up in the ninth inning with the Padres still trailing 6-2. San Diego needed a miracle to get back into this game. The young star was looking for something he could hit. Jose Alvarado fired a 98-mile-per-hour sinker. Merrill connected hard and drove it over the right-center field wall. The ball flew 416 feet into the night. Ty France scored ahead of him. The Padres cut it to 6-4. For a moment, hope returned to San Diego's dugout. But it wasn't enough. The Phillies closed out the game and won 6-4. Philadelphia improved to 33-29 and won their third straight. The Padres fell to 32-29 and lost their fifth consecutive game. San Diego left Citizens Bank Park empty-handed once again. The Phillies' pitching depth and their ability to answer every run proved too much. Zack Wheeler's mastery gave Philadelphia the win.

The series continues Friday.