Washington Nationals 4, San Diego Padres 2: Lowe HR Snaps Nats Skid

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025

Nationals Defeat Padres 4-2 in Hard-Fought Saturday Matchup

WASHINGTON — Nathaniel Lowe’s solo home run propelled the Washington Nationals to a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres, snapping a five-game losing streak for the Nationals.

Mitchell Parker secured his first home win since May 20, providing a much-needed boost for Washington, who had lost nine of their last ten games.

For the San Diego Padres (53-45), Martín Maldonado and Luis Arraez each contributed an RBI.

Lowe's decisive blast came in the sixth inning against reliever Yuki Matsui, a fastball to center field marking his 15th homer of the season, putting him just one shy of his previous year's total with Texas.

Parker (6-10) delivered a solid performance, allowing only two runs over six innings while striking out four. This win marked a turnaround for the left-hander, who had suffered seven losses in his last nine starts, with his sole victory during that stretch occurring against San Diego on June 23.

Kyle Finnegan closed out the game in the ninth inning, earning his 19th save of the season.

The Nationals initially took a 2-0 lead in the second inning courtesy of Drew Millas’ two-run single.

San Diego responded in the third, tying the game as Martín Maldonado’s double off Jacob Young’s glove brought home Jose Iglesias. Maldonado then scored on Luis Arraez’s subsequent single.

CJ Abrams’ run-scoring grounder in the fifth inning put Washington back in front, making it 3-2.

Padres starter Yu Darvish (0-2) pitched five innings, giving up three runs. This was his longest outing since returning from an elbow inflammation injury that sidelined him for the first three months of the season.

The start of the game was delayed by 65 minutes due to the threat of rain.

Key Moment

A crucial play unfolded in the eighth inning when Nationals reliever Jose A. Ferrer fielded Gavin Sheets’ comebacker and initiated a rundown to trap Fernando Tatis Jr. between third and home. Although Tatis Jr. was initially ruled safe at third, the call was overturned on review. Ferrer then promptly retired Xander Bogaerts with a first-pitch flyout, ending the Padres’ scoring threat.

Key Stat

Kyle Finnegan’s save officially ended the Nationals’ lengthy 34-game drought without a save. His last recorded save for Washington was on June 6 against Texas.

Up Next

The three-game series between the Padres and Nationals concludes Sunday. San Diego is scheduled to send RHP Nick Pivetta (9-2, 2.88 ERA) to the mound. Pivetta will face Washington LHP MacKenzie Gore (4-8, 3.02).

In Summary

The Washington Nationals secured a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres, largely thanks to Nathaniel Lowe's 15th home run and Mitchell Parker's effective six-inning outing, earning him his first home win since May. Kyle Finnegan closed the game for his 19th save, ending a significant save drought for the Nationals. Despite early offense from Martín Maldonado and Luis Arraez for the Padres, and a return from injury for Yu Darvish, San Diego couldn't overcome Washington's timely hitting, including Drew Millas' two-run single and CJ Abrams' RBI grounder. A crucial overturned call in the eighth inning also helped preserve the Nationals' lead, allowing them to snap a five-game losing streak.

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