Campusano Walk-Off Lifts Padres Over Yankees

Luis Campusano hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th and the San Diego Padres beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on Friday night at Petco Park, moving back into the third National League wild-card spot, per the Associated Press. The blast to left off Paul Blackburn (7-3) was Campusano's sixth of the year and flipped a game New York had just taken half an inning earlier.

San Diego won for just the second time in seven games and leapfrogged Arizona back into playoff position. The Yankees dropped four games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.

Jones' hometown lead, then the flip

Rookie Spencer Jones, who played at La Costa Canyon High in northern San Diego County, was in a big-league uniform at Petco for the first time. After going 0 for 3, he singled to center off All-Star closer Mason Miller (5-2) to bring in automatic runner Luis García Jr. for a 2-1 Yankees lead in the top of the 10th. Jones advanced to second on the throw and was thrown out trying to steal third as Heliot Ramos struck out.

Campusano answered in the bottom half. One swing off Blackburn, two runs, and Petco had its walk-off. Miller had entered a 1-all game in the ninth and retired the side. The Padres then got a runner to third with two outs before David Bednar struck out Austin Hays to keep it tied into extras.

Rice ties it, Bogaerts starts it

Ben Rice homered to the base of the batter's eye in straightaway center off Walker Buehler with two outs in the third to tie the game at 1. It was the All-Star's 36th. San Diego had gone up 1-0 when Ty France led off the second with a double against former Padres farmhand Max Fried, advanced on Jackson Merrill's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Xander Bogaerts' single to center.

For a club grinding through a seven-game stretch with only two wins, the wild-card jump mattered as much as the walk-off. Arizona had nudged them out of the third NL wild-card spot; Campusano put them back in with one swing. The Yankees had the hometown kid's RBI single and still left Petco with another September bruise.

Saturday's series game lists Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (4-3, 3.20 ERA) against Padres LHP Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.14). For more September baseball already on Smacktok, see Arozarena's Mariners win and Acuña's 200-200 club stamp. Campusano's night was shorter and louder: one Petco swing, a wild-card jump, and a Yankees lead that lasted about half an inning.