Luis Campusano delivered a walk-off single in the 11th inning to lift the San Diego Padres over the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Wednesday at Petco Park, completing a three-game sweep and capping a brilliant five-game homestand that moves San Diego into the National League Wild Card race.
Luis Campusano Heroics Cap Extra-Inning Sweep at Petco Park
The San Diego Padres turned a dramatic 11th-inning finish into a series sweep against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, sealing a 4-3 walk-off victory on Wednesday afternoon. Luis Campusano punched an opposite-field single to right field with two outs and two strikes, bringing home Sung-Mun Song from second base to settle a tense extra-inning battle.
Pinch-runner Sung-Mun Song then stole second base ahead of Campusano’s decisive hit, sliding in headfirst past a high throw from outfielder Luis Lara to spark wild celebrations on the field.
“His confidence has grown throughout the season… Him being able to throw that guy out at third in extra innings was huge. And then the walk-off hit. He kind of showed his complete game today.”
Manager or official via MLB
The victory capped an exceptional five-game homestand for the Padres, who have now won five straight games and 15 of their last 19 contests. The surge lifts San Diego into the National League’s second wild-card spot, edging ahead of both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the postseason standings.
Eighth-Inning Rally Sets the Stage for Extra Frames
Before reaching the 11th-inning heroics, San Diego had to climb out of a deficit late in regulation. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and nobody on base, the team put together an unlikely two-out rally without hitting the ball out of the infield.
Pinch-hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. worked a four-pitch walk off Brewers reliever Chad Patrick. Luis Rengifo followed with a grueling nine-pitch walk, prompting Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy to summon left-hander Aaron Ashby. Jake Cronenworth then worked another nine-legged battle, bouncing an infield chopper toward first base. Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers flipped to Ashby covering the bag, but the pitcher arrived a split second late, allowing Cronenworth an RBI infield single while Tatis raced home from second to tie the game at 2-2.
“Perfect guy to have on second there.”
Jake Cronenworth, Padres infielder
“Just being aggressive. Obviously, that was going to be a close play at first. … I saw the play was going to unfold at first base, and I just went for it.”
Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres player
Bullpen Depth Keeps San Diego Alive Through 11 Innings
The pitching staffs shouldered heavy workloads as the game pushed into extra innings. San Diego starting pitcher Robbie Ray surrendered two runs on four hits across four frames while burning 84 pitches. Milwaukee starter Dustin May was similarly dominant, throwing seven strong innings while allowing just one run and four hits with six strikeouts.
The game turned into a battle of bullpens after Xander Bogaerts launched a 415-foot solo home run into the upper deck off May in the third inning. San Diego turned to relievers Bradgley Rodriguez, Jeremiah Estrada, Kyle Hart, Mason Miller, and Adrian Morejon to navigate late-inning threats. Morejon earned the win, pitching through the 10th and 11th frames, striking out four batters while surrendering a single unearned run in the 11th after stranding the bases loaded.
“The way the bullpen pitched was pretty amazing. We’ve been talking about how good they’ve been all year. But we’ve been using them a lot. So it’s not like they’re the freshest guys in the world right now. But they’re digging deep and making a ton of great pitches.”
Padres manager
Milwaukee briefly seized a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th when Gary Sánchez doubled off Morejon to drive in automatic runner Jihwan Bae. Sánchez also homered off Ray in the second inning, finishing his afternoon with two hits. However, the Brewers went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and wasted 10 walks drawn over the course of the 11-inning contest.
Upcoming Schedules as San Diego Hits the Road
Following a much-needed off-day on Thursday, the Padres hit the road to open a three-game series in Cleveland. Right-hander Michael King is scheduled to take the mound on Friday against Guardians righty Gavin Williams.
Meanwhile, the Brewers travel to Los Angeles to open a four-game series against the Dodgers on Thursday, with left-hander Shane Drohan scheduled to pitch opposite Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki.
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