May 27, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Brandon Lockridge (28), left, Jackson Merrill (3), center, and Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrate after the Padres beat the Miami Marlins 8-6 at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – Down 6-0 before many fans had settled into their seats, it looked like the Padres were in for a long night. But Luis Arraez had other plans — and poetic timing.
Facing one of his former teams, the three-time batting champ delivered a clutch performance Tuesday night, singling in both the tying and go-ahead runs to help the San Diego Padres storm back for a thrilling 8-6 win over the Miami Marlins at Petco Park.
Arraez, acquired from Miami on May 4, continued to prove why San Diego made the deal. His third hit of the night, a two-out RBI single in the fifth, put the Padres on top for good after they had clawed all the way back from a nightmare start.
The Marlins looked in control early, sending 10 batters to the plate in the first inning and jumping out to a 6-0 lead against Stephen Kolek. But the Padres starter recovered to give his team 5 1/3 innings of gritty work and pick up his third win of the season.
San Diego’s comeback began with a spark from Fernando Tatis Jr., who crushed his 13th home run of the year — an opposite-field solo shot off Max Meyer — to lead off the bottom of the first.
From there, the game slowly unraveled for Miami, largely due to a disastrous night for rookie second baseman Ronny Simón. The 24-year-old committed three errors and was originally charged with a fourth before an official scoring change credited Xander Bogaerts with a hit. Simón’s miscues were directly responsible for multiple Padres runs and helped swing the momentum.
In the second, Simón misplayed a Tyler Wade grounder that deflected into foul territory. His wild throw allowed two runs to score, cutting the lead to 6-2. Bogaerts’ RBI single in the third — later ruled a hit after initially being scored an error — and a sacrifice fly by Jake Cronenworth made it 6-5.
Arraez tied it in the fourth after yet another error by Simón, and Cronenworth scored the go-ahead run in the fifth on Arraez’s decisive base hit to center. Jackson Merrill added insurance with a solo shot in the eighth, his fifth homer of the season.
Jeremiah Estrada nailed down the final four outs to earn his first career save, preserving a rare rally. It was only the second time in franchise history the Padres have come back to win after trailing 6-0 in the first inning.
For Padres fans, it wasn’t just a comeback — it was a statement. And for Luis Arraez, it was sweet revenge.
