Padres test reshuffled lineup -- and Laureano's game-winner helps it pay off

BOSTON -- Ramón Laureano, the Padres’ best hitter so far this season, delivered their biggest hit so far this season -- breaking open a tie game in the ninth inning on Saturday and sending San Diego to a much-needed 3-2 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Fernando Tatis Jr., who had already tied a career high with four strikeouts, sparked the rally with a two-out, two-strike double to center off Boston closer Aroldis Chapman, and Laureano followed with the go-ahead knock.

In the end, the Padres’ new-look lineup didn’t exactly break out. But it did just enough. San Diego will look to win its first series of the season on Sunday afternoon.

Lineup shuffling pays dividends

New manager Craig Stammen is still trying to get a feel for how best to deploy his roster. He said as much pregame.

Facing Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early on Saturday, Stammen shuffled his lineup in a major way. Laureano and Miguel Andujar -- a pair of potent right-on-left bats -- moved up into the second and third spots in the lineup, respectively. The lefty-hitting Jackson Merrill sat. Freddy Fermin was up to sixth. Ty France started and batted seventh.

In the end, the Padres only scratched across three runs. But this lineup made Early work. He needed 80 pitches to complete the first three innings.

“I felt good about what we were doing at the plate,” Stammen said. “I felt like we were willing to take the walk today a little bit. We were passing the baton to the next guy, and then we got a couple big hits in big at-bats.”

France hit a booming single off the top of the Green Monster. Fermin scored the game’s first run and knocked in the second with an RBI double. Andujar had three hits. And Laureano delivered late. The Padres’ plan to load right-handers into their lineup against the lefty Early clearly paid dividends.

Randy being Randy

A week ago, in his first start of the season, Randy Vásquez turned in perhaps his most dominant start as a Padre. He punched out eight Tigers and worked six scoreless frames. He induced whiffs all evening and his fastball touched 98 mph.

This version of Vásquez was not quite that version. The stuff wasn’t as electric. But here’s the thing Vásquez has proved time and again: He doesn’t need the most dominant stuff in the world to get big outs when he needs them.

“I wasn’t very much focused on the velocity,” said Vásquez, through interpreter Pedro Gutierrez. “It was more executing, trying to find the spots. And that worked out.”

This version of Vásquez was closer to the 2025 version -- fastball around 93-94 mph, some trouble on the bases. But time and again, Vásquez worked out of that trouble. It added up to six innings of one-run ball, and did the Padres ever need it.

Rallying in the ninth

It’s been a grind for the Padres’ offense this season, and for Tatis in particular.

But …

“I always know,” Tatis said, “I just need one swing to change the game.”

• 1 strike away from 5-K day, Tatis reverses fortune -- and displays maturity

Sure enough, one swing changed it. He laced a two-out double over the head of center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Then, he came around to score on a close play at the plate when Laureano lifted a single to left.

Through eight games, Laureano has been the Padres’ best hitter by far, leading the team in homers (two), average (.308) and OPS (.934). He’s convinced the offense around him is due for a breakout as well.

“The back of the baseball card of everybody -- they have a pretty good résumé and a pretty good history,” Laureano said. “This is the eighth game of the season. It’s just a matter of time.”

Miller changes it up

Mason Miller boasts a triple-digit fastball and an elite wipeout slider. For years, he’s had a changeup in his back pocket, too. But … has he ever really needed it?

Then again, if Miller can use it like he did on Saturday, there might be a place for it.

Miller threw two excellent changeups to Red Sox pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida -- the second of which got Yoshida to flail for strike three.

“He’s got an electric fastball and slider, and now he’s breaking out a changeup,” Stammen said. “It talks to, great players want to get better. They want to keep getting better. He’s added that to his repertoire, and maybe that gives him a little bit more of an advantage against left-handed hitting.”

It did on Saturday. Miller struck out the side -- all lefties -- to end the game.