Padres shut out Tigers, take over NL’s prime wild-card spot

Joe Musgrove and three relievers combined on a six-hit shutout Monday as the San Diego Padres beat the visiting Detroit Tigers 3-0 to move into the National League’s top wild-card spot.

Musgrove (5-4) permitted just three hits and two walks in six innings, striking out eight to improve to 2-0 in five starts since coming off the injured list last month. San Diego got an inning each from Jason Adam, Tanner Scott and Robert Suarez, with Suarez picking up his 31st save in 34 chances.

In upping their record to 79-61, the Padres took a one-game lead on Arizona atop the NL wild-card race thanks to the Diamondbacks’ 11-6 home loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The top wild-card finisher gets to open the playoffs at home.

Reliever Brenan Hanifee (0-1), who took over for opener Tyler Holton in the third, was tagged with the loss after allowing an unearned run in the third. Ty Madden handled the bulk of the innings for Detroit (70-69), going four scoreless innings before being charged with two insurance runs in the eighth.

Luis Arraez gave San Diego the only run it needed in the bottom of the third. After Mason McCoy legged out an infield hit and moved to second via Hanifee’s throwing error, Arraez grounded a 1-2 pitch into right to score McCoy.

Arraez was involved in the eighth inning rally as well. Kyle Higashioka led off with a double and McCoy beat out a bunt for a single before Arraez poked an 0-2 pitch through a drawn-in infield for his second RBI single. Manny Machado tacked on the final run with a two-out single to right off Jason Foley that scored Arraez.

The Tigers squandered the few scoring chances they had, going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven men. Their best opportunity came in the fourth when they put two men on with no outs, but Musgrove got a pair of flyouts then whiffed Spencer Torkelson.

Detroit stayed five games behind Kansas City for the American League’s last wild-card spot.

–Field Level Media