DENVER (Interstat) — Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. homered, Casey Mize picked up the win and Mason Miller finished a tense ninth inning as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 8-7 on Monday, Sept. 14, at Coors Field. The Padres matched their longest winning streak of the season at eight games and improved to 82-68, remaining 2 1/2 games ahead of Arizona for the final National League wild card. San Diego also clinched a fifth straight winning season, the first time in club history it has accomplished that feat.

Colorado dropped to 55-95 and has lost eight straight for the first time since August 2025. The Rockies are 5-21 since Aug. 16 and must win at least eight of their final 12 games to avoid becoming the first team with four consecutive 100-loss seasons since the New York Mets from 1962-65. The game drew an announced attendance of 14,805 and took 3 hours, 2 minutes.

San Diego built its lead early against Colorado starter Tomoyuki Sugano, who took the loss and fell to 12-10. Tatis flied out to right fielder Mickey Moniak and Dustin Harris grounded out before Machado homered to left field in the first inning. Ty France struck out swinging to end the top half, but the Padres had the first run.

Colorado answered in the bottom of the first. Jake McCarthy grounded out to first baseman Ty France and Connor Norby flied out to shortstop Xander Bogaerts before Hunter Goodman doubled to left. TJ Rumfield followed with a single to center that scored Goodman, and Cole Carrigg flied out sharply to center fielder Jackson Merrill to end the inning with the score tied 1-1.

The Padres took control in the second. Jackson Merrill singled to right, Luis Campusano popped out to second, and Bogaerts walked after a challenge overturned the call on the field. Jake Cronenworth then singled to right to score Merrill and move Bogaerts to third. Freddy Fermin followed with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Bogaerts, and Tatis homered to center field, also scoring Cronenworth. Harris popped out to first, but San Diego led 5-1.

Colorado threatened in the bottom of the second when Kyle Karros doubled sharply to right, but Moniak flied out to left, Adael Amador singled to send Karros to third, and Ezequiel Tovar grounded into a double play from Bogaerts to Cronenworth to France.

San Diego added another run in the third. Machado flied out to left, France hit a ground-rule double to left-center, and Merrill singled to second baseman Norby, scoring France. Campusano grounded into a double play from Tovar to Norby to Rumfield to end the inning, but the Padres led 6-1.

Colorado put together a rally in the bottom of the third. McCarthy doubled to center, but Norby lined out sharply to Merrill, Goodman grounded out softly to first as McCarthy advanced to third, and Rumfield lined out to Cronenworth.

In the fourth, Bogaerts flied out sharply to center, Cronenworth singled to center, Fermin was called out on strikes after a challenge, and Tatis flied out to right. Colorado got a one-out single from Carrigg in the bottom half, but Karros flied out to right, Moniak walked, Amador reached on a force out that put Carrigg at third, and Tovar flied out to center.

The Padres went quietly in the fifth. Harris lined out to second, Machado grounded out from Tovar to Rumfield, France singled to right, and Merrill flied out to right. Colorado then cut into the margin in the bottom of the fifth. McCarthy grounded out to first baseman France to pitcher Mize, Norby doubled sharply to center, and Goodman walked. Rumfield singled to center to score Norby and move Goodman to second. Carrigg lined out to center as Goodman advanced to third, and Karros grounded into a force out that erased Rumfield at second. San Diego led 6-2.

After a scoreless top of the sixth for San Diego, Colorado made it a one-run game in the bottom half. Moniak popped out to Machado, but Amador walked and Tovar walked. McCarthy then tripled sharply to center, scoring Amador and Tovar. Norby grounded out to shortstop Bogaerts, scoring McCarthy. Goodman tripled sharply to center, but Rumfield grounded out to third baseman Machado. The Rockies had pulled within 6-5.

San Diego regained some breathing room in the seventh. Tatis grounded out, Harris walked, and Machado popped out to first in foul territory. France then singled to right, scoring Harris. Merrill singled to second, moving France to second, but Campusano grounded out sharply to shortstop. The Padres led 7-5.

Colorado answered again in the bottom of the seventh when Carrigg homered to right field. Karros grounded out to shortstop, Moniak lined out to second, and Amador grounded out to second. San Diego still led 7-6.

The Padres added what proved to be the decisive run in the eighth. Bogaerts singled to left, Cronenworth struck out swinging, and Fermin singled to shortstop after the ball deflected off pitcher Juan Mejia, moving Bogaerts to second. Tatis struck out on a foul tip, but Harris doubled sharply to right, scoring Bogaerts and moving Fermin to third. Machado flied out to right, leaving two runners on, but San Diego led 8-6.

Colorado kept pressing in the bottom of the eighth. Tovar singled to center, McCarthy lined out to center, and Norby doubled to right, scoring Tovar. Brett Sullivan grounded out to second, moving Norby to third, and Rumfield grounded out softly to pitcher Adrian Morejon. The Rockies had cut the deficit to 8-7.

In the ninth, San Diego could not add insurance. France lined out to second, Merrill struck out swinging, and Campusano struck out swinging. Miller then took over for the bottom half and struck out Carrigg swinging. Karros singled sharply to pitcher Miller, but Moniak struck out swinging. Amador grounded out from Machado to France after a Rockies challenge at first base was upheld, ending the game. Miller earned his 37th save with one inning, one hit, no earned runs and two strikeouts.

Mize improved to 6-9 after allowing two earned runs on eight hits over five innings. Sugano fell to 12-10. Blas Castaño pitched 1 1/3 innings of no-hit relief with two strikeouts for Colorado, and Jordan Romano struck out two in a hitless inning. San Diego finished with 13 hits, while Colorado had 14. San Diego pitchers combined for 17 strikes, 55 balls and 17 balls in play. Colorado pitchers combined for 12 strikes, 53 balls and 12 balls in play.

Jake McCarthy went 2 for 5 with two RBIs for Colorado, and Connor Norby also went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Cole Carrigg went 2 for 5 with a home run and one RBI, and Goodman went 2 for 3. For San Diego, Tatis went 1 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs, Machado went 1 for 5 with a home run and one RBI, and Harris doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Diego 7, Colorado 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave San Diego a 68.9 percent probability to win. San Diego was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 15 went under the over/under line of 11.5.