San Diego Padres fans relieved as team hangs on to narrowly defeat Atlanta Braves: "I need a drink" "I am exhausted – but we got the W"
The San Diego Padres came out on the happy side of another one-run decision against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night. A day after succumbing to a late Braves' rally in a walk-off loss, this time the bullpen held the Padres' slim advantage for a 5-4 victory.
FINAL: #Padres 5, Braves 4
#PadresWin | #BringTheGold https://t.co/U3BRZ9c0b1
Nelson Cruz, the 42-year-old hitting machine, drove San Diego to the win by going 3-for-5 with three RBIs. The Padres never trailed in the MLB contest, taking a 3-0 lead into the third and holding up as the Braves twice tied the game in the third and fifth innings.
Xander Bogaerts drove home what would be the game-winning tally on an RBI single in the sixth that plated Trent Grisham.
From there, it was up to the bullpen trio of Brent Honeywell, Luis Garcia, and Josh Hader to keep the hosts at bay with 4-1/3 innings of scoreless relief of starting pitcher Nick Martinez. Honeywell earned the win, Garcia the hold, and Hader the save.
@Padres Thanks. I need a drink. https://t.co/sZPhflYd5V
@Padres I, for one, was completely relaxed and never doubted y’all for second.
Also… someone stole my phone and no tweets the last couple of hours were mine.
@Padres I am EXHAUSTED - but we got the W.
You know what that means…
https://t.co/9GV27xpLkB
San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin was highly complimentary of his relief corps, doting on Honeywell's efforts in squelching a Braves uprising in the fifth inning in a postgame interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“There are big outs during the course of a game. Usually they come towards the end, but that last out in the fifth was huge.”
@Padres Nice work, Padres!
Manny with two hits & two runs.
Cruz with three hits & two RBI.
Honeywell, Garcia, and Hader put up zeros.
Hader with the save on his birthday!
Let’s win the last game of the season!
#BringTheGold
https://t.co/FNuhZsgqXv
@Padres https://t.co/vhF3yQrxfF
@Padres It’s certainly a good Friday. https://t.co/Su5BZzc7vJ
Bogaerts, like many wearing Padres' brown and gold, was relieved to get the victory, telling the Union-Tribune:
“It was really intense. Especially since it’s so close — we have the lead, they have the lead, we get the lead."
@Padres https://t.co/D9FbADmjdF
@Padres Good job boys, proud of you. still sweating the bullpen but good shit
The early-season Padres/Braves matchup could be a precursor to a prospective National League playoff matchup, as both teams have strong World Series aspirations. The gravity of Friday's victory was not lost on Bogaerts as he spoke with the Union-Tribune:
"You have two games that are really, really close. And that’s what kind of gets adrenaline going, especially when you’re early in the season knowing that this is one of the best teams in National League."
@Padres WE BACK BABY https://t.co/JpE3Bcmgop
@Padres We may never lose again. https://t.co/wKGFWprnDy
Win evens San Diego Padres record at 4-4 on the season
The victory not only evened the San Diego Padres' record at 4-4, but it also leveled the series with the Braves at a game apiece with two games still to be played this weekend. The two teams are back at it Saturday afternoon, with Michael Wacha scheduled to take the mound for the Padres and Charlie Morton expected to start for the Braves.