Padres fall to 0-2 as Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle shines
· Yahoo Sports
The name Kevin McGonigle will quickly be known across baseball. The Tigers rookie has showcased elite play in the first two games against the Padres.
Craig Stammen’s Padres fell to 0-2 after a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, with McGonigle playing a decisive role.
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In the bottom of the eighth inning, McGonigle came to the plate against Wandy Peralta with the bases loaded and a full count. He drove a ball to right field toward Fernando Tatis Jr., bringing in two runs to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead and break a 2-2 tie.
Catcher Dillon Dingler followed with an RBI single to right, again toward Tatis, extending the lead to 5-2, a deficit the Padres could not overcome.
Mar 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Wandy Peralta (58) walks off the field during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park.David Frerker-Imagn Images
Mar 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Wandy Peralta (58) walks off the field during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park.
McGonigle finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs on Friday night after going 4-for-5 with three RBIs on Opening Day. Through two games, he has scored five runs while the Padres have four as a team.
The Padres received a strong outing from starter Michael King, who went 5.0 innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out six and walking four. Reliever Adrian Morejon added two solid innings, but things unraveled in the eighth with Jeremiah Estrada and Peralta.
Control issues also plagued San Diego, as Padres pitchers issued seven walks. King accounted for four of them, including one to Gleyber Torres before being replaced by Morejon.
Moments later, Tigers outfielder Jahmai Jones hit a ball to Manny Machado, who bobbled it as he fell to the ground, allowing both runners to reach safely. Spencer Torkelson followed with an RBI single to left field, tying the game at 1-1.
Petco Park came alive in the bottom of the sixth inning when Ramón Laureano delivered an RBI single to right field, scoring Jackson Merrill from second to give the Padres a 2-1 lead.
But the four-run eighth inning proved to be the difference.
One of the defensive highlights came in the second inning, when McGonigle appeared to have his first career home run. Merrill had other plans, leaping at the wall and extending to rob the rookie third baseman in a play reminiscent of Air Jordan.
The Padres will look to avoid a sweep Saturday night, when the Tigers send Jack Flaherty to the mound against Randy Vásquez at 5:40 p.m. PT.