September 27, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Alaes (4) hits a double during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field . Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Luis Arraez went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, a run and an RBI to help the San Diego Padres beat Arizona 5-3 on Friday night Diamondbacks, this is the opener of a critical three-game series.
Jackson Merrill and David Peralta each had two hits and an RBI to help San Diego lock up the No. 1 wild-card spot and the No. 4 seed in the National League playoffs. The Padres (92-68) will begin play Tuesday against an opponent that has yet to be determined.
Arizona (88-72) lost for the fourth time in five games and is in a three-way virtual tie with the Atlanta Braves (87-71) and New York Mets (87-71) for the other two wild-card spots. part).
Alas raised his batting average to .314 in an attempt to hold off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani for the NL batting title. Ohtani has a .309 batting average and leads the league in home runs (54) and RBIs (130).
The Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll homered and Eugenio Suarez had two hits.
San Diego's Yu Darvish (7-3) allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Roberto Suarez made his 36th save with one out in the ninth inning.
Arizona's Merrill Kelly (5-1) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He fanned eight times and left one.
Kelly had a 9-3 career record in 15 games against the Padres, but was quickly hit by four runs and four hits in the first inning.
Manny Machado and Merrill had RBI singles, then Xander Bogaerts hit a grounder and Merrill was forced out at second base, but second baseman Cote Ketel Marte's wild pitch to first base allowed Machado to score.
Two batters later, Peralta had an RBI single to end the outburst.
In the bottom of the first quarter, Carroll hit his first home run. Later in the inning, Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s sacrifice fly pulled Arizona within 4-2.
San Diego added a run in the fourth inning when Kyle Higashioka singled with two outs and scored on Arraez's triple.
Arizona State pulled off a comeback victory in the sixth inning on Eugenio Suarez's two-out RBI single.
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