Jackson Merrill went 4-for-5, homered twice, tripled and drove in six runs to lead the host San Diego Padres to a 9-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
The Padres (78-68) won their fourth straight and completed a three-game sweep. Kyle Hart (1-3) earned the win after 2 1/3 perfect innings of relief.
Keibert Ruiz homered for the Nationals (67-81), who have now lost seven in a row. Starter Jackson Kent (1-4) surrendered five runs and eight hits in 3-plus innings.
The Padres went up 3-2 with three in the third. Ty France singled home Fernando Tatis Jr. and Merrill gave his team the lead with a two-run triple.
Washington manager Blake Butera was ejected by first base umpire Emil Jimenez after France’s single.
San Diego added two in the fourth on Kent’s throwing error and Tatis’ RBI single to make it 5-2.
Merrill’s two-run homer in the fifth extended the lead to 7-2. The opposite-field drive landed in the left field stands.
His second blast came leading off the seventh and was Merrill’s 24th. He added an RBI single in the eighth.
San Diego starter Walker Buehler struck out the first four Nationals batters and retired the first six of the game but didn’t make it out of the third inning.
Ruiz led off the third with his 10th home run of the season.
Washington then loaded the bases with none out and pitching coach Ruben Niebla visited the mound. Dylan Crews followed with a fly ball to right field that Jase Bowen appeared to have a play on, but Bowen fell and the ball dropped for an RBI single.
After Andres Chapparo popped out, Padres manager Craig Stammen came to the mound. After a brief conversation with Buehler, Stammen headed back to the dugout. But crew chief and third base umpire Doug Eddings informed Stammen that he had to remove Buehler because it was the second visit of the inning.
Hart took over, recorded the final two outs, and retired all seven batters he faced.
Buehler allowed two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks.
