Jun 6, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Robert Suarez (75) is greeted by catcher Martín Maldonado (15) following the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – Manny Machado’s swing is heating up, and the Padres’ bullpen is locking it down.
Machado homered for the second straight game Friday night, sending a solo shot just inside the left-field foul pole in the eighth inning to give the Padres a cushion in a 2-0 shutout win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. It was his ninth home run of the season and his 351st career blast, coming just a day after he joined the 350-home run club in San Francisco.
San Diego (36-26) took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Luis Arraez knocked in Tyler Wade with a sharp single, and the pitching staff did the rest. Five Padres pitchers combined to hold the Brewers to just four hits, stranding runners in scoring position in five separate innings.
Randy Vásquez worked 4 2/3 innings in a gritty start, escaping damage despite walking four and giving up two hits. He handed the ball to Wandy Peralta (3-0), who immediately faced trouble with runners on second and third. But Peralta froze Christian Yelich with a called third strike to end the inning and snuff out Milwaukee’s best scoring chance.
The Padres’ bullpen slammed the door from there. Adrian Morejon struck out William Contreras to end another Brewers rally in the seventh. Robert Suarez closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his MLB-leading 20th save in 22 chances.
Milwaukee starter Chad Patrick (3-5) was solid, giving up just one run over six innings while lowering his ERA to 2.84. But the Brewers (34-30) couldn’t find the big hit when they needed it most, stranding runners inning after inning.
The Padres, meanwhile, continue to make the most of their offense when it counts. The win improved San Diego’s record to 26-7 when out-hitting opponents and pushed them back to .500 (16-16) on the road. The team also moved one game closer to overtaking the Dodgers in the NL West.
With Machado finding his power stroke and the bullpen silencing opposing bats, the Padres look to take control of the series Saturday in the second of this three-game set. A few more games like this one, and San Diego could be headed into summer as one of the hottest teams in the National League.
