Padres Beat Marlins 2-1 in Series Opener

The San Diego Padres secured a narrow 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins in the series opener, highlighted by key second-inning hits from Jackson Merrill and Martín Maldonado. Merrill's RBI single and Maldonado's aggressive double, where Merrill scored by ignoring the third base coach's stop sign, provided the Padres with their lead. Miami's Kyle Stowers hit a solo home run to narrow the gap, but Padres starter Randy Vásquez and the bullpen, including Adrian Morejon and Robert Suarez, effectively held the Marlins to one run. The Padres have been involved in many close games this season, with 56 games decided by two runs or fewer. Miami's pitcher Eury Pérez struggled in the second inning despite a strong July record, and the Marlins failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position. The Padres are now five games over .500 for the first time since early June, demonstrating resilience in tight contests.