Nick Castellanos Won't Stop Crushing It, and the Cardinals Had No Answer in the 10th

The San Diego Padres are absolutely refusing to go away. Down to their final strike in the ninth inning, Nick Castellanos stepped up on a 3-2 pitch and sent a two-run bomb to left-center off Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien that forced extra innings and kept San Diego alive. The Padres then finished the job in the 10th when Manny Machado's sacrifice fly scored the walk-off run for a 3-2 win Sunday at Petco Park.

Castellanos' blast was no accident. He singled to start the ninth, moved to second on defensive indifference, and reached third on a wild pitch before delivering the dagger. It's the second homer of the year for the right fielder and it came at exactly the right moment. The two-run shot also saddled Riley O'Brien with his third blown save in 14 chances this season. The Cardinals came in with a 2-0 lead thanks to Jordan Walker's estimated 425-foot bomb off Padres starter Walker Buehler in the fourth, which landed in the third deck of the Western Metal Supply building behind the left field wall.

The Setup in the 10th Was Chaos

Ramon Laureano started the bottom of the tenth on second base. Jackson Merrill got an intentional walk. Then Cardinals reliever Gordon Graceffo (2-1) unintentionally walked Fernando Tatis Jr. to load the bases, which set the stage for Machado to be the hero. Adrian Morejon (3-1) got the win after throwing just one pitch in the tenth, retiring pinch hitter Jose Fermin on a popup to first.

Both Starters Pitched Well But Got No Decision

This wasn't a slugfest. St. Louis' Kyle Leahy was absolutely dialed in through five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and walking four while striking out five. Buehler matched that intensity for San Diego, allowing three hits and two runs across six innings with no walks and two strikeouts. He actually retired the first 11 hitters he faced before Walker's fourth-inning blast broke through.

The Padres split the four-game series but left way too many runners out there. San Diego managed just 14 hits across the entire series and couldn't capitalize on early chances. With the split in the books, the Padres showed they won't quit no matter how tight the game gets.

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