MEXICO CITY (AP) — Ildemaro Vargas extended his hitting streak with a home run and four RBI’s, Tim Tawa hit a grand-slam in six-run seventh inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied on Sunday to defeat the San Diego Padres 12-7 to split the two-game series played in Mexico City.
In the seventh inning and down 7-2, Tawa’s shot to the left field sent home José Fernández, Nolan Arenado and Alek Thomas while Lourdes Gourriel Jr hit a two-run double for the winning run.
Vargas, who went 3-for-5 in the game, hit his solo homer in the sixth inning against Michael King to extend his hitting streak to 24 games. Vargas’s streak is tied with four others for the longest in the Majors since 2024 behind Bryan Reynolds’ 25-gamer from June 1-29, 2024.
Manny Machado blasted two homers for the Padres.
Ryan Thompson (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to get the win.
Bradgley Rodríguez (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The teams combined for six home runs on Sunday, short of the 11 that were hit in Mexico City when the Padres played San Francisco in 2023.
Mexico City is in the Valley of Mexico on a high central plateau at an elevation of 2,240 meters (7,350 feet) above sea level. The Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, which hosts MLB Mexico City Series games, is higher than Coors Field in Denver (the highest stadium in MLB at about 5,200 feet).
The game was the last of a three-game series in Mexico City, but MLB’s commissioner Rob Manfred said that there are plans to return.
“I can’t say enough good things about it. We’re excited about doing more and more in Mexico,” Manfred said before the game. “We’re going to develop an international play plan with the MLBPA as part of the collective bargaining process, and Mexico is going to be a big part of that”.
Up Next
Padres RHP Randy Vázquez (2-0, 1.89) starts the first game of the series against the Cubs. The Diamondbacks will send Merril Kelly to the mound on Tuesday against the Brewers.
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