SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ryan Pepiot allowed just three hits in six innings and Brandon Lowe homered for the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the San Diego Padres 4-1 on Saturday night for their season-best fourth straight win.
Pepiot (2-3) extended the Padres’ scoreless streak to 30 innings before Tyler Wade tripled to center leading off the sixth and scored on Fernando Tatis Jr.’s one-out single to center. Wade’s fly ball fell just in front of the glove of diving center fielder Chandler Simpson and rolled almost to the warning track. Gavin Sheets then grounded into a double play.
Pepiot struck out three and walked two. Four of the five runners he put on were erased on the basepaths. He and three relievers combined on a five-hitter, with Pete Fairbanks pitching the ninth for his fifth save.
The Padres avoided a third straight shutout. They hadn’t scored since the second inning of on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday and on Friday night in the series opener.
San Diego’s longest scoreless innings streak was 37 from July 21-24, 1973. Their 2024 season ended with a 24-inning scoreless streak as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to win the National League Division Series en route to winning the World series.
Lowe hit an opposite-field homer to left with one out in the third off Dylan Cease (1-2). It was his fourth. Junior Caminero reached on shortstop Xander Bogaerts’ fielding error, stole second and scored on Christopher Morel’s double with two outs.
Cease allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.
Simpson leaped at the fence to rob Manny Machado of a home run leading off the seventh and pumped his right fist several times in celebration.
Bogaerts has committed an error in two straight games.
Rays RHP Zack Littell (0-5, 5.28 ERA) and Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (1-2, 3.97) are scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale.
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