Late Rally Secures Victory
The San Diego Padres held a lead late in the game, but the Tampa Bay Rays answered with a decisive offensive burst in the seventh inning to claim a 7-6 victory at Tropicana Field on Saturday, August 29, 2026. The home team improved its record to 81-54, while the visiting Padres fell to 72-64. Attendance at the venue was 25,621.
Scoring Sequence
San Diego took an early lead in the first inning when Hicks singled to center, allowing Díaz to score. In the third, Cronenworth doubled to center to drive in Harris, and Aranda added a solo home run to center.
The Rays tied the game in the sixth inning with two home runs: France hit a two-run shot to right, and Caminero followed with a solo homer to center.
The decisive action occurred in the seventh. Machado singled to right, scoring Harris and Rengifo. Tatis Jr. then stole home to extend the lead.
However, Díaz singled to center, and subsequent errors allowed Palacios, Walls, and Mullins to score, giving Tampa Bay a 6-3 lead. Simpson singled to left, scoring Mateo, to make it 7-3. San Diego managed to score three more runs in the final at-bats, but Tampa Bay held on to win.
Pitching Performance
Nick Martinez pitched six innings for the Rays, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out four. He issued no walks. Kevin Kelly earned the win, pitching one and two-thirds innings with one hit, no earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. Bryan Baker recorded the save, pitching one inning with no hits, no earned runs, one walk, and one strikeout.
For San Diego, Walker Buehler started, pitching five innings with seven hits, three earned runs, no walks, and three strikeouts. Yuki Matsui pitched one inning, allowing no hits, no earned runs, one walk, and one strikeout. Bradgley Rodriguez took the loss, pitching one-third of an inning with three hits, one earned run, one walk, and no strikeouts.
Sources
https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816723
