Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted a towering two-run walk-off home run to center field, powering the San Diego Padres to a dramatic 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
Tatis launched a 430-foot shot off a cutter from Angels closer Kenley Jansen (0-2), flipping his bat and admiring the blast as it sailed into the seats to snap a 4-4 tie. Padres reliever Jason Adam (4-0) picked up the win after tossing a scoreless ninth.
Matthew Lugo gave the Angels a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning with a pinch-hit, two-run homer — his second in four days. The blast came immediately after Jo Adell’s RBI double, capping a three-run rally that began with two outs and nobody on base.
Angels starter José Soriano was sharp, allowing just four hits and two unearned runs over seven innings. San Diego’s Dylan Cease struck out 10 and allowed two runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Padres ended a brief two-game skid and snapped a four-game losing streak against the Angels dating back to last season.
Key Moment
With the score at 4 in the ninth, Elias Díaz worked a full-count walk-off Jansen to start the inning. Tatis followed with his game-winning homer — his second of the series.
Key Stat
Padres rookie Jackson Merrill entered the night with six consecutive multi-hit games and hits in 14 of his last 15, but went 0-for-4 with two long flyouts. Meanwhile, Tatis extended his impressive stretch, hitting safely in 23 previous 26 games.
Up Next
In Wednesday’s series finale, the Angels will start RHP Randy Vásquez (2-3, 3.76 ERA), while the Padres send RHP Kyle Hendricks (1-4, 5.30 ERA) to the mound.
