Padres offense comes to life in 8-6 win

The San Diego Padres watched the Miami Marlins score six runs in the first inning off starting pitcher Stephen Kolek. The Padres responded by scoring runs in each of the first five innings to take a one-run lead en route to an 8-6 win at Petco Park, Tuesday night.

Kolek threw 38 pitches in the first inning and faced 10 Marlins hitters, allowing seven of them to reach base. Miami recorded five singles, one walk and had one runner reach safely on a Fielder’s Choice on an unsuccessful play at the plate. The result was a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.

Fernando Tatis Jr. supplied an immediate response with an opposite field home run to get San Diego on the board, 6-1. That would be the only run for the Padres in the first inning.

Kolek did his part and kept the Marlins from adding to their total over the next 4 1/3 innings while his offense clawed back into the game. The Padres scored two runs in the second, two runs in the third and one run in the fourth inning to tie the game 6-6.

San Diego took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth inning when Luis Arraez lined a ball back through the middle of the infield that allowed Jake Cronenworth to score from second to give the Padres a 7-6 lead.

Jackson Merrill added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run to right field to make the score 8-6. The home run was the fifth of the year for Merrill and his first in more than two weeks.

Despite allowing the six runs in the first, Kolek left the game inline for, and eventually earned, the win. He completed 5 1/3 innings and allowed six runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

The San Diego bullpen of Sean Reynolds, Yuki Matsui and Jeremiah Estrada completed the final 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run. Estrada recorded the final four outs to earn his second save of the season.

The Padres will go for the sweep of the Marlins, Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.