Padres Rally Late to Beat Diamondbacks 3-2 in Phoenix

PHOENIX, Arizona — The San Diego Padres staged a thrilling late-game comeback to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Wednesday night. After losing two runs in the first inning, the Padres rallied to score in the ninth, thanks to key contributions from Ryan O'Hearn and Jose Iglesias.

O’Hearn started the ninth with a game-tying home run off Arizona pitcher Kyle Backus, marking his first homer against a left-hander this season. Xander Bogaerts, who hit a solo homer earlier in the game, followed O’Hearn with a double. Then, Iglesias lined a single to right field, allowing Bogaerts to score the winning run.

The Padres had more late-game magic after scoring five runs in the 11th inning just the night before. Following the win on Wednesday, San Diego improved their record to 66-49, claiming victory in nine of their last eleven games.

Arizona led 2-1 heading into the ninth inning, after Corbin Carroll hit his 23rd home run in the first and Alek Thomas added a sacrifice fly in the second to give them an early advantage. However, the Diamondbacks could not maintain their lead.

Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes faced a rocky outing in his first game since being traded to the Padres, allowing two runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings.

A key moment in the game occurred in the eighth inning when Arizona’s Blaze Alexander made a crucial defensive play. He snared a grounder to get a double play and end the Padres’ threat, demonstrating the tight competition between the teams.

With Arizona’s starter Anthony DeSclafani allowing only three hits and striking out four in 4 1/3 scoreless innings, the Diamondbacks seemed poised for a win until the late-game heroics from San Diego.

The Padres will be heading into their next game without a named starting pitcher for Friday’s three-game series against the Boston Red Sox, while the Diamondbacks enjoy a day off before facing the Athletics.