Machado, Merrill power Padres past Red Sox for series win at Fenway
Armando Dueñas
Host · Writer
A back-and-forth contest on a rainy Easter Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park ended with the Padres securing their first series win of the season.
Most importantly, however, the stars finally starred in the rubber game of the three-game set.
San Diego’s offense, which had mightily struggled to start the campaign up until today, rallied to score eight runs after right-hander Walker Buehler lasted only 2 2/3 innings after surrendering four in the third inning.
After the Padres answered with three runs off lefty Ranger Suárez in the fourth, it was Manny Machado’s first homer of the year, a thunderous three-run blast that eclipsed Boston’s Green Monster that put the Brown and Gold ahead 6-4 in the fifth. After a Sox rally to tie the ballgame in the seventh, Jackson Merrill smacked an opposite field solo shot to put the Friars ahead once more.
Manny Machado homers to a Padres fan on the Green Monster 😤 pic.twitter.com/4CZ3lzca0p
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2026
“Just try to keep the energy going. I feel like we just needed a little jump start. A great series win here. Let’s take it to Pittsburgh, face some tough arms, and let’s get after it. Just want to keep that energy up," Merrill said postgame.
Merrill, 22, has enjoyed early success against the Red Sox in his career, now hitting at a .303 clip with two doubles, three home runs, and seven RBIs in nine games against them.
Fernando Tatis Jr. also put together a nice afternoon at the dish. The Platinum Glove right fielder laced a 105.3 mph double to kick-start the fourth inning response off Suárez, while also driving in an important ninth inning insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Together, the Padres’ 2-4 hitters went 6-for-12 and drove in six of the eight runs in the contest. The other two came courtesy of Nick Castellanos’ two-out bases loaded single earlier in the afternoon.
“They’re just believing in themselves and who they are, and who they’ve been in the past," manager Craig Stammen said of the lineup’s performance Sunday.
“It’s the message we’ve been giving each other: The more that we can talk through things, talk through the bad, talk through the good. Use adversity as our friend and use it to create perseverance and determination. That’s hopefully who we become as a team,” he added.
Buehler, who’s command wavered again after appearing sharp through the ballgame’s opening frames, has allowed seven earned runs in 6 2/3 innings across two starts. After issuing two costly walks in the third, the former ace gave up a double and triple that ultimately cut his outing short.
Stammen turned to a combination of five relievers, the first of which was lefty Kyle Hart, who tamed the Boston bats from inflicting further damage in the early innings.
The Padres’ biggest strength, the bullpen, did enough to withstand Boston’s rally attempts.
Righties Bradgley Rodriguez and Jeremiah Estrada looked sharp, which opened the door to ‘The Reaper’. Mason Miller slammed the door to finish off the Sox with a dominant three-strikeout ninth to slam the door on the Red Sox, picking up his early National League leading fourth save of 2026.
Up next for the Friars are the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will pose another challenge after a successful start to San Diego’s first road trip of the year.
The Padres will see right-hander Bubba Chandler, reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, and Mitch Keller before returning home to Petco Park against the Colorado Rockies. For their sake, Sunday’s offensive breakout was a a sign of things to come.
