What a wild afternoon it was at Petco Park as the San Diego Padres held off a furious comeback by the Colorado Rockies to clinch a 9-6 victory on Sunday, September 14, 2025. The win secured a crucial series triumph for the Padres, who took three out of four games from their struggling National League West rivals and kept their playoff hopes burning brightly.
San Diego wasted no time asserting dominance, jumping out to a commanding 7-0 lead after just three innings. The offensive fireworks began in the opening frame, with the Padres stringing together four singles and a walk. Jake Cronenworth laid down a bases-loaded bunt single to drive in the first run, and Jose Iglesias followed with a two-run base hit up the middle. "Just taking care of business," Fernando Tatis Jr. said after the game. "That’s what we should be doing. Happy that we are accomplishing what we’re aiming for right now."
The highlight of the early surge came in the second inning. After Mason McCoy reached on an error and Tatis singled, rookie Jackson Merrill stepped to the plate. Merrill, who had already notched a bunt single in the first, launched a three-run homer to left off Rockies starter Germán Márquez, giving the Padres a 6-0 cushion. It was a moment that electrified the home crowd and seemed to signal an easy afternoon for San Diego.
By the end of the third, singles from Cronenworth, Iglesias, and Freddy Fermin pushed the lead to 7-0. Yu Darvish, the Padres’ starter, appeared to be in cruise control with the hefty advantage. But as any baseball fan knows, no lead is ever truly safe—especially with a player like Mickey Moniak in the opposing dugout.
Moniak, a local product who starred at La Costa Canyon High in Carlsbad before being selected first overall in the 2016 amateur draft, put on a show for his hometown fans. Trailing 7-0, Moniak led off the fourth inning with a solo home run off Darvish, putting the Rockies on the board. It was just the beginning of a career day for the outfielder.
In the sixth, after Darvish allowed two runners to reach base, Padres manager Mike Shildt called upon reliever Jeremiah Estrada. On Estrada’s very first pitch, Moniak smashed his second homer of the game—a three-run blast that suddenly made it a 7-4 contest. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, reflecting on Moniak’s day, told reporters, "It was a great day by 'Mick.' There’s been a lot of great days for 'Mick' this year. He’s a really good baseball player. He got us—not single-handedly, but pretty close—back into that ballgame. He carried the load today. A fantastic day for him, especially in front of his hometown crowd."
The Rockies’ rally didn’t stop there. In the seventh, Braxton Fulford led off with a single, Ryan Ritter laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Ezequiel Tovar lined a two-out RBI double. Moniak, still red-hot, followed with an RBI single to bring the Rockies within a run at 7-6. Suddenly, what looked like a Padres blowout was a nail-biter.
Meanwhile, Márquez’s struggles continued. The veteran right-hander, possibly making one of his final starts as a Rockie with free agency looming, was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in just 2 1/3 innings. For only the second time in his career, Márquez failed to record a strikeout. "I don’t think today was as bad as it looks," Schaeffer said. "Seven of their nine hits were on the ground… But Germán was behind, some, and had a tough time putting guys away." Márquez’s record fell to 3-14 with a 6.65 ERA in 24 starts this season—grim numbers in a tough campaign for Colorado.
The Padres’ offense, which had gone quiet after the third inning, reignited in the bottom of the eighth. Mason McCoy doubled, Tatis singled and stole second, and after two quick outs, Gavin Sheets delivered a clutch ground-rule double to right-center, plating both runners and restoring a three-run lead at 9-6. "We bounced back," Sheets said. "We had a tough loss the other night, and I think the offense made a really good statement. We could have let that game linger on and had it next game. But I thought we responded extremely well."
In the ninth, it was time for Robert Suarez to slam the door. Suarez, who leads the National League in saves, came on with a runner on first and the dangerous Moniak lurking on deck. Suarez struck out Ezequiel Tovar to notch his 38th save and secure the Padres’ win. Despite a late error by Iglesias, Suarez fanned three batters in the inning, showing his mettle as one of baseball’s top closers.
The game wasn’t without controversy. Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer was ejected by plate umpire James Jean in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes, marking his second ejection of the season. It was a frustrating capstone to a tough road trip for Colorado, who finished 1-6 on the West Coast swing and have now lost 15 of their last 18 games. The Rockies’ record stands at a league-worst 41-109, putting them on pace for one of the most dismal seasons in modern MLB history.
For the Padres, the victory was more than just another tick in the win column. It solidified their grip on a National League wild card spot—they now hold the fifth of six playoff positions, five games ahead of the Mets, whom they’ll face in New York starting Tuesday. San Diego remains within striking distance of the division-leading Dodgers, sitting 2.5 games back, and just behind the Cubs for the fourth seed. "We’re in a sprint right now," Sheets remarked. "It’s what September baseball is all about."
Looking ahead, the Rockies will return home for a series against the Marlins, with Kyle Freeland (4-15, 4.97 ERA) set to start Tuesday. The Padres, meanwhile, get a day off Monday before sending Michael King (4-2, 2.87 ERA) to the mound against the Mets. With their magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to six, every game carries massive implications.
As the dust settled at Petco Park, the Padres could breathe a little easier—at least for now. They took care of business against a struggling opponent, and thanks to some timely hitting, resilient pitching, and a little drama, they’re inching closer to October baseball. Stay tuned, San Diego: the stretch run is just heating up.
