May 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) reacts after being hit in the arm by a pitch during the tenth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
New York, New York – The San Diego Padres couldn’t hang on late Wednesday night, falling 4-3 in extra innings to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in a back-and-forth showdown that saw late drama, missed opportunities, and another tough-luck loss for the Friars.
After taking a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth, the Padres watched their bullpen falter as Trent Grisham launched a game-tying two-run homer—his 10th of the season—just moments after Oswaldo Cabrera drew a leadoff walk off Jason Adam. It was a tough blow in an otherwise promising game that featured standout moments from San Diego’s young core.
Jackson Merrill, in only his second game back from the injured list, continued to shine. The 21-year-old infielder opened the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth and delivered a clutch RBI single in the eighth to put San Diego ahead 2-1. Xander Bogaerts followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead.
Padres starter Dylan Cease was dominant through 6 2/3 no-hit innings, baffling Yankees hitters before exiting with a cramp in his forearm. He struck out six and walked three in a gritty 92-pitch effort, helping limit the Yankees to just one hit until the seventh. That hit came via Cody Bellinger, who spoiled the no-hit bid with a solo home run to right.
New York tied it up in the eighth and eventually walked it off in the 10th. After Cabrera laid down a textbook bunt to move the automatic runner Jasson Domínguez to third, J.C. Escarra—pinch-hitting and playing in just his fifth big-league game—lifted a deep fly ball to left off Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada (1-2), allowing Domínguez to tag and score easily.
The Padres mounted one last push in the 10th, loading the bases with two outs, but Yankees reliever Devin Williams (1-2) struck out Bogaerts on a full-count changeup to end it, slamming the door and sealing his first win in pinstripes.
Despite the loss, San Diego showed fight and flashed its young talent. Still, the defeat drops the Padres to 1-5 in extra-inning games this season—a stat that continues to haunt them.
After a day off, the Padres head to Colorado, where Randy Vásquez (1-3, 3.90 ERA) will get the start Friday night against the Rockies.
