SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — Jackson Merrill hit a solo homer and Michael King pitched six strong innings as the San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, at Petco Park.

San Diego took the lead with a run in the first. Merrill homered in the third, and the Padres added an unearned run in the fourth on a fielding error by shortstop Jeremy Peña. Houston got a solo homer from Taylor Trammell in the second and a run-scoring single from Yainer Diaz in the ninth.

King allowed three hits and one earned run with six strikeouts in six innings, improving to 7-8. Peter Lambert took the loss, giving up five hits and two earned runs in five innings. Mason Miller earned his 29th save despite allowing a run in the ninth.

Both teams finished with five hits. The Padres moved to 61-57, while the Astros fell to 60-58. Attendance was 41,937, and the game lasted 2:38. San Diego leads the three-game series after dropping the opener.