Fernando Tatis Jr. homered twice and knocked in four runs Sunday, while Jackson Merrill added a homer as the San Diego Padres finished off a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins by exploding late for an 8-1 win.
Walker Buehler (8-6) earned the victory, allowing only four hits and a run in six innings while walking none and fanning four. The win was San Diego’s 21st in 28 games and boosted it to 11 games over .500 for the first time since May 23.
The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth when the Padres pounced on the Minnesota bullpen. With one out, Kody Funderburk (3-2) walked Luis Campusano and pinch-hitter Austin Hays.
Jeff Hoffman relieved and walked Xander Bogaerts to load the bases. Luis Rengifo cashed in Campusano and Hays by grounding a two-run double down the right field line, followed by Tatis’ two-run single for a 5-1 lead. It marked San Diego’s third four-run inning in as many games.
Merrill cracked his 21st homer with one out in the seventh, a blast that was estimated at 414 feet, and Bogaerts delivered an RBI double to make it 7-1. Tatis laced a 390-foot blast off Taylor Rogers in the eighth for his 17th homer of the year and second of the day.
Twins starter Bailey Ober worked around traffic for most of his five innings but kept the Padre offense in check, except for Tatis’ 396-foot rifle shot into the second deck of the Western Metal Supply building behind the left field fence in the third that opened the scoring.
Ober left after 87 pitches, having allowed four hits and three walks while striking out three. San Diego stranded six runners in his time on the mound.
Buehler faced the minimum through four innings but gave up his only run in the fifth. Brooks Lee drilled the 10th pitch of his at-bat into the right field seats for his 20th homer of the year.
Tatis finished with four hits and his 15th multi-homer game of his career.
