SAN DIEGO -- Red-hot Jackson Merrill hit a monster go-ahead, two-run home run in the seventh inning and the Padres beat the Brewers, 3-2, on Monday night in the opener of a big three-game series at Petco Park.
Merrill put a huge uppercut swing on an 83 mph changeup from Brewers starter Logan Henderson and drove it a Statcast-projected 431 feet to the base of the batters’ eye in straightaway center field with one out and Ty France aboard on a single.
With a launch angle of 30 degrees, the moonshot put a charge into the sellout crowd at Petco Park and proved that the Padres can hang with baseball’s best team.
Merrill hollered and pumped his right fist after rounding first base.
His nine homers since the All-Star break are the most in the Majors. It was the third time in his career that Merrill has homered in three straight games.
The Padres won their third straight game and for the 13th time in 17 games. They came in trailing Arizona and Philadelphia by one game for the third National League Wild Card spot.
Merrill’s 19th blast of the year backed up Casey Mize in his home debut for the Padres a week after he was acquired from Detroit at the Trade Deadline.
Mize’s only big mistake was allowing an opposite-field, two-run shot to left by Christian Yelich after he walked William Contreras with one out in the second. Both Brewers have been dropped down in the lineup, Contreras to sixth and Yelich to seventh.
Mize got through six innings, allowing two runs and five hits while striking out six and walking one.
Mize lost his Padres debut 10-4 at Arizona on Wednesday, when he allowed eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.
France lined an 83 mph changeup from Henderson into the seats in left field, leading off the second to pull the Padres to 2-1. It was his 17th of the season.
It was the second straight game the Padres scored all their runs on home runs.