Reds rally past Padres to close gap in wild-card race

Andrew Abbott snapped a personal five-game losing streak Wednesday night with eight dominant innings and the visiting Cincinnati Reds rallied for a 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres.

Abbott (9-6) gave up only five hits and a run, walking two and striking out six. In four career starts against San Diego, the left-hander has permitted just three runs in 27 2/3 innings. Tony Santillan pitched the ninth for his sixth save as Cincinnati (74-72) got within two games of the New York Mets for the National League's final wild-card position.

The Reds trailed 1-0 entering the eighth as Nick Pivetta blanked them for seven innings, yielding only four hits and a walk while fanning eight. But they rallied against the Padres bullpen, getting key hits against All-Star Adrian Morejon.

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With Wandy Peralta, Jeremiah Estrada, Mason Miller and closer Robert Suarez unavailable after working the series' first games, Kyle Hart got the call to start the eighth. He fanned Matt McLain, gave up a single to TJ Friedl and induced a groundout from Noelvi Marte that advanced Friedl to second.

Morejon (11-5) came on to face Elly De La Cruz but surrendered a game-tying single to right, Friedl barely beating the throw home from Fernando Tatis Jr. After De La Cruz swiped second, Morejon intentionally walked Austin Hays to face Gavin Lux. But pinch-hitter Miguel Andujar fisted the first pitch he saw into shallow left, easily scoring De La Cruz.

Tatis accounted for the game's only run through seven innings, lacing his 21st homer of the year with one out in the fifth. San Diego (79-67) had two other chances to score against Abbott but couldn't cash in either one.

San Diego put two men on in the third with one out before Luis Arraez looked at a third strike and Manny Machado grounded out. The Padres had two on with no outs in the fourth but a failed bunt, flyout and pop-up quashed the threat.

The Padres fell 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, pending the outcome of Los Angeles' game with Colorado.

--Field Level Media