SAN DIEGO – Kyle Higashioka homered twice, including his first career grand slam, and Dylan Cease pitched seven brilliant innings for the San Diego Padres, who defeated the Washington Nationals 8-5 on Wednesday to win a controversial three-game series.
Higashioka hit a two-run homer off rookie DJ Herz in the second inning and then a grand slam off Tanner Rainey in the eighth that hit the top of the brick warehouse in the left field corner and gave San Diego a lead. 8-0. It was the Padres’ fourth grand slam of the season and their second in two nights. It was his fifth career multihomer game. He has eight homers this year.
Higashioka was obtained in the deal that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees on December 7th. The catcher set a career-high six RBIs and finished with three hits.
The Padres closed with one hit in the ninth before the Nationals scored five runs against two relievers, on four hits, a walk and a batter.
Jurickson Profar, who was at the center of a bench-clearing brawl between the teams on Tuesday night, added an RBI single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and his on-base streak to 18 games. Profar, having a career year at age 31 and a $1 million contract, is leading the voting for NL outfielders for the All-Star Game.
Washington catcher Keibert Ruiz confronted Profar before his first inning at-bat Tuesday night, including touching him on the shoulder and poking his chest. Slugger Manny Machado stepped between them, placing his hand on Ruiz’s shoulder, and the benches emptied.
Both teams were tipped off and MacKenzie Gore hit Profar’s foot with a 90 mph fastball. Gore was not sent off because the referees ruled it was unintentional. Padres manager Mike Shildt entered the field and was immediately ejected. Machado scored on the first pitch he saw and Profar hit a grand slam in the sixth to highlight the 9-6 victory.
The Nationals felt disrespected by Profar’s celebration following his two-run outing in the 10th inning on Monday night, when he ran down the track from the third base side, waving to fans. His route took him past the Nationals’ dugout. The Nationals intentionally walked MLB to hit leader Luis Arraz to get to Profar, who was fouled by a pitch from Hunter Harvey.
Cease (7-6) was brilliant through seven innings when he allowed just one and struck out nine. He held the Nationals hitless until Nick Senzel singled with two outs in the fifth. He walked only two and both corridors were erased. The Nationals did not put a runner in scoring position the entire game.
Yuki Matsui made a perfect eighth. Tom Cosgrove allowed two hits in the ninth, including Lane Thomas’ two-run double.
Higashioka’s first home run was a line drive into the left field corner with two outs in the second, with rookie Jackson Merrill aboard on a single.
The Padres completed the fourth on a wild pitch single by Herz and Profar.
Herz (1-2) allowed four runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings, walked two and struck out one.
NEXT
Nationals: LHP Mitchell Parker (5-3, 3:30 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Tampa Bay, which will start RHP Zach Elfin (3-5, 4.20).
Padres: RHP Randy Vásquez (2-4, 5.10) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series in Boston.
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