The San Diego Padres unleashed a late-game barrage to bury the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Friday night, with Manny Machado's towering three-run homer in the 9th inning delivering the knockout blow. The Padres had quietly built a lead behind Dylan Cease's dominant 5.1 innings—where he struck out 10 Nationals while allowing just four hits—but it was Machado's 24th-pitch at-bat against a faltering Kyle Finnegan that broke the game wide open. The All-Star third baseman, who finished with four RBI, sent a moon shot into the left-field seats to cap a five-run 9th, turning a tight contest into a rout.

Washington's bullpen collapse overshadowed CJ Abrams' solo homer and a rare multi-hit night from Josh Bell, as Finnegan's disastrous outing (five earned runs in just one-third of an inning) erased any chance of a comeback. The Padres' balanced attack—featuring multi-hit performances from Luis Arraez, Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth—proved too much for the Nationals, who now face an uphill climb in a series where San Diego's firepower and pitching depth are on full display.