SAN DIEGO -- With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning on Friday afternoon, Padres manager Mike Shildt had a decision to make. Jake Cronenworth was due to face a left-hander. Jose Iglesias was available off the bench.
On more than one occasion this season, Shildt has called for Iglesias to bat in Cronenworth’s spot against a tough left-hander. But Shildt has liked the quality of Cronenworth’s at-bats against lefties recently. Plus, there’s another consequence of lifting Cronenworth early: You don’t get his high-quality at-bats -- in high-leverage spots -- for the rest of the night.
So Cronenworth remained in the game in the sixth inning -- and proceeded to strike out. Then, in the bottom of the 10th, he came to the plate in the same situation -- two outs, bases loaded, tie game and a tough left-hander on the mound. It’s precisely the spot Cronenworth has proven he loves.
Sure enough, his bloop single into right field sent the Padres to a walk-off, 3-2 victory over the Rangers. It was his fifth career walk-off at Petco Park, trailing only the six by Will Venable for the most in the ballpark’s history.
“I get the best out of myself in those bigger spots,” Cronenworth said. “I think it’s something I thrive in, those positions. … Especially there, bases loaded, the pressure’s not just on me. It’s on the pitcher, too.”
Rangers lefty Robert Garcia threw a curveball on the inner half, and Cronenworth got his hands through quickly enough to keep it fair inside the right-field line. He was promptly mobbed by his teammates between first and second base. It capped a wild sequence of events in the 10th inning.
One batter earlier, Xander Bogaerts had come to the plate with a chance to win the game. But after swinging through a pitch, his right hamstring cramped. Bogaerts departed -- the second time in a week that he has been forced to exit a game with a leg cramp. Pinch-hitter Bryce Johnson struck out, and the game-winning rally nearly petered out.
Cronenworth wouldn’t let it.
“He likes those moments,” said third baseman Manny Machado, who homered and moved three hits shy of 2,000. “He raises up to them. He kind of keeps his approach, doesn’t try to get too big with it. He’s been awesome when those situations come up.”
Then again, Cronenworth doesn’t always get the opportunity. In the Padres’ most recent walk-off victory against the Royals two weeks ago, Iglesias batted for him in a similar situation -- then walked it off himself.
It’s a numbers game, really. Cronenworth is hitting just .183 with a .602 OPS against left-handed pitching. Iglesias has made a career out of hitting against left-handers. Cronenworth gets it. That doesn’t mean he has to like it. He wants those at-bats.
“As a competitor, you say yeah, 100%,” Cronenworth said. “But at the same time, I understand it in certain spots. I’m grateful I got the opportunity and helped win a game for us.”
A big one, too. The Padres were coming off a 2-4 trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia. They’re embarking on a 10-game homestand before the All-Star break that could very well define their first half -- and set the table for the second.
Right-hander Randy Vásquez started on Friday and turned in a Vásquezian line if there ever was one. He didn’t strike out many (one). He walked a few too many (three). But he seriously limited the damage, allowing only two runs on three hits across six innings.
From there, the back end of the Padres bullpen starred, as it usually does. Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, Robert Suarez and Adrian Morejon tossed a scoreless inning apiece, setting the stage for the 10th-inning fireworks.
When Bogaerts went down, Shildt’s mind went elsewhere. It’s his job to be prepared for any contingency, and, well, he needed a shortstop. Bogaerts and Iglesias (who earlier pinch-hit for Martín Maldonado) were out of the game. Tyler Wade was in the DH spot.
As Shildt mulled his options, Cronenworth stepped to the plate. Shildt settled on a likely course of action: Cronenworth would play shortstop for the first time in three years, with Fernando Tatis Jr. moving from right field to second base. (Seriously, the Padres’ options were that thin, and Shildt didn’t want to lose his DH, forcing a pitcher to bat in the 11th.)
Then, as quickly as Shildt had thought through those plans, Cronenworth made them all moot with one swing.