Good Morning San Diego: Merrill Madness shows up early, late in Padres 7-6 win over Mariners

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 15: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres catches a flyball at the wall in centerfield hit by Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a game at Petco Park on April 15, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Jackson Merrill started the game with a home run robbery of Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez in the top of the third inning. He also got a chance to affect the game at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, and he did just that with a two-out, two-strike, two-run double down the third base line, which pushed the San Diego win streak to seven games with a 7-6 win at Petco Park. The Padres have won six games on their current homestand, and they have a chance on Thursday to record their second consecutive sweep before they go on the road to face the Los Angeles Angels. Randy Vazquez, who was arguably the top starting pitcher on the season for San Diego, struggled against Seattle. He allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts over just four innings. Merrill and his heroics in the game will get the headlines, but it should also be noted that Xander Bogaerts reached a career milestone in the game with his 200th career home run. Coincidentally, Merrill was on base for the Bogaerts home run, which opened the scoring for San Diego. The Padres play the Mariners at Petco Park today at 5:40 p.m.