Michael King pitched five-plus scoreless innings and the San Diego Padres held on for a 3-2 win over the host Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
The Padres (85-71) reduced their magic number to 2 to make the playoffs as they won two of three.
The White Sox (58-98) have lost eight of their last nine. It was their final home game of the season.
The White Sox scored both their runs in the seventh.
Both came on bases-loaded walks by reliever Mason Miller, who came in with the bases full and one out. He walked Miguel Vargas to bring in the first run, struck out Edgar Quero and then walked pinch hitter Andrew Benintendi to force in the second run.
Miller then got Lenyn Sosa to ground out.
King (5-3) was the winner, allowing four hits, walking four and striking out four.
Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his 40th save.
The White Sox loaded the bases against King in the sixth.
But Adrian Morijon replaced King and struck out pinch hitter Curtis Mead, got Sosa to pop out and retired Michael A. Taylor on a called third strike.
Chicago starter and loser Sean Burke (4-11) went four innings and gave up three runs, two earned, six hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the second.
The first run scored when, with runners on first and third, Burke threw wildly to first base on a pickoff attempt. Jake Cronenworth’s two-out bloop RBI single made it 2-0.
Tatis Jr.’s home run leading off the third increased the lead to 3-0.
He drove Burke’s first-pitch fastball into the stands in left for Tatis Jr.’s 23rd home run.
The White Sox had runners on first and second with none out in the first and second innings
King struck out Colson Montgomery and got Vargas to hit into a double play to end the first and in the second inning, King struck out Sosa, retired Will Roberson on a pop up and Dominic Fletcher on a fly out.
