Rays Reach 80 Wins as Errors Fuel 9-4 Victory Over Padres

Overview

• Tampa Bay opened the series at Tropicana Field with a 9-4 win over San Diego that pushed the Rays to 80 wins for the season.
• San Diego’s fourth inning featured two fielding miscues after Junior Caminero was hit by a pitch and Jonny DeLuca drew a walk, which led to unearned runs, a wild pitch, a sac fly and consecutive RBI singles that turned the game.
• Padres starter Casey Mize allowed seven runs, five of them unearned, and did not work deep into the game after returning from a recent ankle twist.
• Jackson Merrill supplied a two‑run homer and San Diego scored in the fifth and sixth to cut the deficit, but the offense could not overcome the damage from the fourth inning.
• The loss leaves the Padres clinging to the final National League wild‑card spot and highlights short‑term risks in their rotation and defense that could affect postseason positioning.