Jackson Merrill and Ty France combined for four hits and a pair of RBIs and the San Diego Padres earned a key four-game series split with a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday in Phoenix.
Luis Rengifo had three hits, Fernando Tatis doubled and scored twice and the San Diego bullpen threw five scoreless innings behind starter Walker Buehler.
The Padres have won five of seven and 10 of 13 to move within one game of Arizona for the final NL wild-card spot.
Gabriel Moreno had three hits and an RBI for the Diamondbacks, who left the bases loaded after Moreno’s run-scoring single in the third and had only two singles in the final five innings.
Bradgley Rodriguez (3-2) retired all six batters he faced after replacing Buehler in the fifth. Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller finished up, limiting Arizona to two hits over four innings.
The Diamondbacks had won six of eight and are 16-8 since July 9, one game behind Atlanta for the best record in the NL in that span.
Buehler went four innings, giving up one run and six hits before the Padres turned to their relief corps. He struck out three and walked one.
Arizona rookie left-hander Kohl Drake (0-1) gave up six hits and three runs in 3 2/3 innings in his fourth career start. He walked one and struck out one.
Tatis doubled to open the game, took third on the first of Rengifo’s two bunt singles and scored when Manny Machado hit into a double play.
San Diego loaded the bases in the third when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, Tatis walked and Rengifo beat out another bunt.
Machado hit what appeared to be another double play grounder, but shortstop Geraldo Perdomo could not get the ball out of his glove cleanly and had to settle for the out at first as Cronenworth scored. France’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Freddy Fermin singled in a run off Philip Abner for a 4-1 lead in the sixth and Jackson Merrill singled in a run in the seventh. Fermin has hit safely in his last 12 starts.
