San Diego Padres Close Out Cardinals for 5th Series Sweep of 2023

Kim's 10th-inning Single Propels Padres

The San Diego Padres completed their fifth series sweep of the 2023 season on Wednesday, taking the rubber match against the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 in extra innings.

Trailing 3-1 in the eighth inning, the Padres rallied to tie the game on a two-run single by Trent Grisham. After both teams were held scoreless in the ninth, the Padres won it in the 10th on a single by Ha-Seong Kim that scored automatic runner Jurickson Profar.

The Padres' bullpen was outstanding, allowing just one run on four hits over the final 6 1/3 innings. Nick Martinez started for San Diego and allowed three runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals took an early lead on a two-run homer by Nolan Gorman in the first inning. The Padres got one back in the second on a solo homer by Manny Machado, but the Cardinals extended their lead to 3-1 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Lars Nootbaar.

The Padres' comeback started in the eighth inning when Grisham singled in two runs to tie the game. After both teams were held scoreless in the ninth, the Padres won it in the 10th on a single by Kim that scored automatic runner Jurickson Profar.

SHILDT SAYS: Discussing “Scoreboard Watching,” Late-Inning Relief, Donovan Solano, Yu Darvish and Ha-Seong Kim

In his postgame press conference, Padres manager Bob Melvin discussed several topics, including "scoreboard watching," late-inning relief, Donovan Solano, Yu Darvish, and Ha-Seong Kim.

On "scoreboard watching," Melvin said that he doesn't mind his players paying attention to the standings, but he doesn't want them to get too caught up in it.

"I think it's good for them to know where we are, but I don't want them to get too focused on it," Melvin said. "We still have a lot of baseball to play, and we need to focus on one game at a time."

On late-inning relief, Melvin said that he is still trying to figure out who his best options are.

"We have a lot of good arms in the bullpen, but we're still trying to figure out who is best suited for which role," Melvin said. "I'm confident that we will eventually find our groove, but it may take some time."

On Donovan Solano, Melvin said that he is happy with the way the veteran infielder has been playing.

"Donovan is a great player and a great teammate," Melvin said. "He's a guy who can do a lot of different things on the field, and he's always willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win."

On Yu Darvish, Melvin said that the veteran right-hander is still working his way back from a shoulder injury.

"Yu is a great pitcher, but he's still not 100%," Melvin said. "We're going to continue to monitor him and make sure that he's healthy before we put him back in the rotation."

On Ha-Seong Kim, Melvin said that the young shortstop is starting to show his potential.

"Ha-Seong is a very talented player," Melvin said. "He's still learning the game, but he's making progress every day. I'm excited to see what he can do in the future."