What a night it was at Petco Park as the San Diego Padres, after racing out to a commanding 7-0 lead, found themselves in a nail-biter against the Colorado Rockies before ultimately securing a 9-6 victory. The Sunday evening clash on September 14, 2025, had all the makings of a routine win for the Padres, but baseball has a way of keeping everyone on their toes—and this one was no exception.
San Diego’s offense came out swinging, blending crafty small ball with some serious power. The first inning saw Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth lay down bunt singles, igniting a rally that put three runs on the board before Rockies starter Kyle Freeland could catch his breath. It was a textbook example of manufacturing runs, and it set the tone for what looked to be a stress-free night for the home crowd.
But the fireworks were far from over. In the bottom of the second, Merrill stepped to the plate again and launched a three-run homer to left-center, sending the fans into a frenzy and stretching the Padres’ lead to a hefty 6-0. The rookie’s performance is quickly becoming a storyline of its own this season, and his ability to contribute both with the bat and with his legs has been a revelation. "Jackson’s been huge for us," Padres manager Bob Melvin said after the game. "He’s not just getting on base—he’s making things happen."
The Padres kept their foot on the gas in the third. Three straight singles to start the inning, capped by Freddy Fermin’s RBI knock, made it 7-0. With such a cushion, San Diego seemed poised to cruise to the finish line. Yu Darvish, the Padres’ veteran right-hander, certainly looked comfortable early, mowing down Rockies hitters with ease through three innings.
But as any baseball fan knows, no lead is truly safe—especially against a Rockies lineup that can erupt at any moment. The first sign of trouble came in the top of the fourth, when Mickey Moniak took Darvish deep for a solo homer, putting Colorado on the board at 7-1. Darvish settled in after that, but the sixth inning would turn the game on its head.
Darvish surrendered back-to-back singles to open the sixth, prompting Melvin to make a call to the bullpen for Jeremiah Estrada. Estrada’s first pitch, however, was promptly deposited over the fence by Moniak for a three-run shot, suddenly slicing the Padres’ lead to just three runs at 7-4. The momentum in the ballpark shifted almost instantly—what had been a party atmosphere turned tense as the Rockies showed they weren’t going quietly.
Adrian Morejon was next out of the pen, and things didn’t get easier for San Diego. With two outs, Ezequiel Tovar ripped an RBI double, and Moniak followed with his second RBI single of the night, making it a one-run game at 7-6. The Padres’ bullpen, once thought to be getting a night off, was suddenly in the thick of it. Mason Miller entered and managed to halt the Rockies’ surge with a crucial strikeout, keeping San Diego in front by the slimmest of margins.
Miller’s work wasn’t done. He returned for the eighth inning and delivered a shutdown frame, retiring all three batters he faced. The Padres needed that steadiness, and Miller delivered in spades. "We needed someone to step up and Mason did that," Melvin commented. "That eighth inning was huge."
With the game still hanging in the balance, the Padres offense looked to add some insurance in the bottom of the eighth. Mason McCoy led off with a double, and Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with a single before promptly stealing second, putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out. The Rockies’ bullpen managed to strike out Merrill and Ramón Laureano, but Gavin Sheets came through with a clutch ground-rule double, plating both runners and giving San Diego some much-needed breathing room at 9-6.
That set the stage for closer Robert Suarez, who was tasked with shutting the door in the ninth. Things got a bit dicey after an error by Jose Iglesias, but Suarez was unfazed. He struck out the side, earning the save and sending the Padres faithful home happy. It was a gutsy performance from a bullpen that had been pressed into unexpected service. "You never want to have to use your high-leverage guys in a game like that, but that’s baseball," Melvin said. "I’m proud of the way they responded."
The win capped a dramatic night for a Padres team that has had its share of ups and downs this season. The offense continues to show flashes of brilliance, with young stars like Merrill and established names like Tatis Jr. and Cronenworth leading the charge. The bullpen, while tested, proved it can handle adversity when called upon.
For the Rockies, the loss was a tough pill to swallow after such a spirited comeback. Mickey Moniak was a one-man wrecking crew, finishing with two home runs and a clutch RBI single. Ezequiel Tovar’s bat also kept Colorado in the game, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Looking ahead, the Padres will enjoy a well-deserved day off on Monday before hitting the road for a series against the New York Mets in Queens. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16. With the momentum from this hard-fought win, San Diego will look to keep climbing in a competitive National League West race.
As for the fans at Petco Park, they got their money’s worth and then some. What started as a blowout turned into a tense, edge-of-your-seat affair—a reminder that in baseball, it’s never over until the final out. The Padres will take the win, the lessons learned, and the confidence into their next challenge, hoping to build on a night where every facet of the team was put to the test—and came through when it mattered most.
