The Washington Nationals opened their season with a disappointing loss, falling 9-2 to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The visiting squad was outmatched early, as the Padres capitalized on offensive errors and multi-hit performances to build a decisive lead. The final score reflected the disparity in execution, with San Diego scoring nine runs while Washington managed only two.
The game began to slip away from the Nationals in the third inning. The home team struck first, with Ruiz hitting a 402-foot home run to right field to take a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, a single by Crews allowed Nuñez to score, extending the lead to 2-0.
The Nationals responded with a single by France, which scored Tatis Jr. to make it 2-1. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Merrill tripled to right field, driving in two runs to give the Padres a 3-2 lead. The fourth inning saw the gap widen further.
Taylor reached on a bunt single, and Hays scored on a throwing error by pitcher Kent, making it 4-2. Tatis Jr. then singled to left field, scoring Taylor and pushing the score to 5-2. In the fifth inning, Merrill homered to left field, driving in France to extend the lead to 7-2.
The pitching staffs struggled to contain the damage. Jackson Kent took the loss, pitching three innings and allowing eight hits and five earned runs while walking one and striking out two. Brad Lord followed, pitching two innings and allowing four hits and two earned runs.
Luis Perales pitched two innings, allowing one hit and one earned run while walking two and striking out four. Eddy Yean finished the outing, pitching one inning and allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out one. For the Padres, Walker Buehler pitched two and one-third innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs.