Gavin Sheets Did What Nobody Thought Possible: 3-Run Bomb With Two Outs, Game Over

Down to their final strike in Milwaukee, the San Diego Padres did the unthinkable. With two outs, nobody on base, and zero runs on the board, Gavin Sheets launched a go-ahead three-run home run off Brewers closer Abner Uribe in the ninth inning. Final score: Padres 3, Brewers 1. This wasn't some early-season fluke, either. It marked the second time in three games that San Diego got held scoreless through 26 outs, only to flip a switch with a dramatic ninth-inning homer. Nick Castellanos did it against the Cardinals on Sunday.

The Rally That Shouldn't Have Happened

Jacob Misiorowski had been filthy through seven innings. The Padres' offense looked dead. Then came the ninth. Miguel Andujar started the magic with a two-out single just over second baseman Brice Turang's glove. Xander Bogaerts followed with a walk to set up Sheets. After falling behind 0-1 in the count, Sheets got a slider from Uribe that hung out over the plate. He didn't miss.

"Just good at-bats there in the ninth," said manager Craig Stammen. "Sheets got one that he liked, and took it out of the ballpark."

Andujar summed up the mindset perfectly: "At the end of the day, we compete to 27 outs." That belief is the difference. The Padres aren't playing their best baseball overall right now, but they're showing up when it matters most. As Sheets put it, "As an offense, we're not at our peak right now. But we're having unbelievable at-bats at the most important parts of the game."

Sheets Has Become the Guy You Want Up

This is Sheets' third go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later this season. He's the first Padre since B.J. Upton in 2016 to do that, and it's only May. He also has a walk-off shot at Petco Park already this year, plus a go-ahead ninth-inning bomb in Colorado.

Stammen sees something special: "I see just a calmness about him. He feels confident in himself whether he gets the job done or not. So he's playing with a little bit of freedom, taking an at-bat with freedom."

Sheets says the secret is simple: he craves these moments. "The biggest thing, when Bogey was up, is just telling myself I wanted that at-bat," Sheets said. "Just continue to say, 'I want this at-bat, I want this at-bat.' I want the moment."

Sheets' shot landed just left of the San Diego bullpen. Mason Miller, who had been loose for exactly this occasion, came in to nail down his 13th save.

King Keeps the Padres in It

Michael King pitched 5 2/3 innings, struck out five, and didn't allow much hard contact. He lowered his ERA to 2.63. It wasn't his dominant best, but King has become a steadying presence in a rotation battered by injuries. The Brewers scraped together one run in the fifth on smart baseball, hitting ground balls that put pressure on the Padres' defense, but King shut them down after that.

San Diego is now 25-17 and in first place in the National League West. They're winning games they shouldn't win. That's championship baseball.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.