Padres Take the Nationals for a Ride with Stellar 9th Inning! 
What a game, Padres fans! 
Our boys came in strong and delivered a stunning 7-2 victory against the Washington Nationals. The game started off as a tight battle with the Padres getting on the board first with a sacrifice fly by Jake Cronenworth in the 2nd inning, bringing Jackson Merrill home. Our defensive game was on point—big shoutout to our pitchers and defenders for keeping the Nationals scoreless until the bottom of the 8th inning.Tension Builds, Nationals Threaten 
Despite a comfortable lead, things got heated in the 8th inning when CJ Abrams of the Nationals launched a two-run homer to tie it up. The energy was electric! The Nationals showed some fight, but the Padres weren't going to let this game slip away. Luis García Jr. and other Nationals gave us a little scare but couldn't overcome our fierce defense and strategic pitching changes.Manny Machado's Moment of Glory 
As if the game wasn't thrilling enough, the 9th inning brought the fireworks! Cronenworth and Jose Iglesias worked together to give us the go-ahead score. And just when you think you've seen it all, Manny Machado smashes a jaw-dropping grand slam with the bases loaded, securing our lead at 7-2. 
Bryce Johnson came in and made his mark with a double, further solidifying our position. The Nationals were overwhelmed, and Xander Bogaerts helped close it out with steady defense, leading to a grounding double play to end the game.Incredible teamwork and a showcase of talent from our San Diego Padres! Let's keep this momentum going!
Scoreboard for Padres @ Nationals (July 18th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 0 |