Josh Hader's return to San Diego on Tuesday included a blown save that thrilled the sellout crowd, followed by a win for him and the Houston Astros in 10 innings over the Padres. Hader and his current club will try for a series win over his former team in the rubber match of a three-game set dripping with playoff implications on Wednesday. Hader's first season with Houston (82-69) has seen him convert 31 saves in 34 chances -- the third blown save came on a wild pitch on his first pitch to Jackson Merrill in the eighth inning Tuesday night -- and pitch to a 3.26 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. But he's also aware that some San Diego fans soured on him last year when he refused to pitch more than one inning. He also pitched more than two straight days just once, adhering to rules he and his agent set forth regarding his usage. Those rules came off the books when the Astros gave him a five-year, $95 million deal. "The Astros invested in me," Hader said. Tuesday night's victory marked the sixth time this year Hader has gotten at least four outs in a game. This time, it helped Houston up its American League West lead on Seattle to five games with 11 games remaining. The Astros will try to get a step closer to another division title behind left-hander Framber Valdez (14-6, 2.91 ERA). He last pitched Thursday in a 6-3 win over the Oakland Athletics, getting a no-decision despite allowing just five hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings. He's 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career outings against the Padres. San Diego (86-66) will send right-hander Dylan Cease (13-11, 3.58) and his 215 strikeouts -- second only to Atlanta's Chris Sale, who has 219 -- to the mound. His most recent outing was a 5-0 win Friday night in San Francisco, where he tossed six scoreless innings and struck out 10 while allowing only four hits and two walks to the Giants. Cease is 0-3 with a 4.18 ERA in six career starts against Houston, averaging just over five innings per start. Lack of command (14 walks in 32 1/3 innings) and the home run ball (five) have cost him. Tuesday night's result was a bit of a mixed bag for the Padres. While they maintained a 2 1/2-game lead on Arizona for the National League's first wild-card spot, they failed to make up ground on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost in Miami, in the NL West. They stayed 3 1/2 games back. San Diego did break one record at its 20-year old ballpark Tuesday night. Manny Machado belted a two-run homer in the sixth for the team's 102nd home long ball of the year, a single-season record. Even though Petco Park has undergone some alterations to make its distance a bit more hitter-friendly, it still tends to play big early and late in the season because of the damp marine air. "At night time here, it's a joke," said rookie Jackson Merrill, who cracked his 24th Monday night. "We just stay to our approach and hit line drives." --Field Level Media
Sep 17, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images