SAN DIEGO (AP) – The San Diego Padres defeated the Houston Astros, who are currently leading the AL West, 4-0 on Wednesday thanks to stellar pitching from Dylan Cease until the ninth inning and successive home runs from Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Donovan Solano in the eighth.
The Padres defeated the Astros two games to one and maintained a two-game lead over Arizona for the first NL wild card, thanks to two home runs from Machado. The Astros led Seattle by five games going into the game.
Cease (14-11), who threw his first no-hitter of the season on July 25th against Washington, led a one-hitter into the ninth inning before shortstop Mauricio Dubón grounded out to infield single. Cease got rid of Jake Meyers with a strikeout, but after 103 pitches, shortstop Xander Bogaerts booted Jose Altuve’s grounder, causing an error that let Dubón advance to third. Before giving up a single to Jason Heyward in right field to start the sixth inning, Cease retired the first 15 Astros hitters. Then Cease pulled the side away. Cease did not walk any and struck out five. Tanner Scott recorded his 21st save with two outs. 29-home run hitter Machado opened the sixth inning with a blast to left-center off Framber Valdez.
Tatis, who struck out in his first three at-bats, hit reliever Kaleb Ort’s first pitch into the first row in left-center leading off the eighth. It was his 19th. Machado followed with a shot deep into the seats in left and Solano hit a liner to left, his seventh. That was it for Ort, who threw just nine pitches.
Valdez (14-7) went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out six and walking two.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: 1B/DH Luis Arraez got the day off to rest his sore left knee, which he jammed into home plate while being thrown out on Monday night. Arraez started at DH on Tuesday night.
UP NEXT
Astros: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-9, 4.29 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday night in the opener of a four-game home series against the Los Angeles Angels, who will go with LHP José Suarez (1-2, 6.80).
Padres: Hadn’t announced their starter for Friday night’s home series opener against the Chicago White Sox.
