Luis Rengifo hit a tie-breaking pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning and the visiting San Diego Padres held on for a 4-2 win against the Miami Marlins in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night.
Miami reliever Tyler Zuber (0-1) came back out for the eighth and Ty France greeted him with an opposite-field double into the right-center field gap. After getting a strikeout, Zuber left a sweeper over the plate to Rengifo and he lifted it over the fence in right for a two-run homer and a 4-2 lead.
Manny Machado had two hits, an RBI and run scored and France also delivered a pair of hits for the Padres, who avoided falling a season-low four games under .500.
Padres starter German Marquez was lifted after just 2 1/3 innings and 37 pitches. He gave up one run and three hits, striking out four without a walk.
Five relievers followed with Adrian Morejon (8-2) earning the win and Mason Miller his 26th save.
Joe Mack and Heriberto Hernandez homered and Xavier Edwards contributed two hits for Miami, which has lost 10 in a row.
Marlins starter Ryan Gusto went 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run and two hits, striking out four and walking one.
After the Marlins stranded the bases full in the first inning, Mack came up with two outs in the second and the rookie catcher pulled an inside fastball over the fence in right for his 10th home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Machado and France had back-to-back one-out singles in the fourth to put runners on the corners and end Gusto’s day. Cade Gibson entered and gave up a sacrifice fly to Jackson Merrill that tied the score 1-1.
Xander Bogaerts drew a four-pitch walk off Gibson to start the fifth. After he was bunted over to second, Michael Petersen came out of the bullpen and surrendered a two-out RBI single to left by Machado to score Bogaerts for a 2-1 lead.
Wandy Peralta replaced fellow San Diego left-hander Kyle Hart with one out in the fifth and Hernandez lined his first pitch over the fence in center to tie it 2-2.
