Luis Campusano Singlehandedly Wipes Out Yankees in 10

By John Nielsen

September 5, 2026

***

Sketch Developed Throug ChatGPT

The San Diego Padres (74–67) walked off the New York Yankees (80–61), 3–2, in ten innings Friday night before 41,345 at Petco Park. The loss dropped the Yankees four games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, who held on to beat Texas, 7–6, Friday. Meanwhile, the Padres leapfrogged back into the National League’s third wild-card spot, moving a half-game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lost to Houston, with the season now whittled down to its final 22 days.

The game featured two competing narratives: outstanding pitching on both sides and the individual heroics of Luis Campusano, who made his presence felt both offensively and defensively.

Max Fried (4–4) made his 17th start for New York as he continued his carefully orchestrated build-up following a second trip to the injured list in mid-August that left his postseason availability in doubt. On Saturday, August 29, against the Red Sox, Fried was limited to 63 pitches, working 3⅔ innings and allowing one earned run in a no-decision. Friday night, however, he was considerably more efficient, extending his workload to 5⅔ innings on 72 pitches, 51 of them strikes. Once again, Fried surrendered just one earned run, lowering his ERA to 2.73, while walking one and striking out four. And once again, he received no decision.

Maximus deserved a better fate. But for a mid-game hamstring injury to center fielder Trent Grisham, Fried might very well have departed Petco Park having pitched six scoreless innings. Grisham, who had walked and was then gunned down by Campusano to end the top of the second, pulled up lame in the bottom half of the inning while chasing a crucial, two-out soft liner to center off the bat of Xavier Bogaerts. The ball – which hung up for an extended period – dropped in, scoring Ty France and giving the Padres their only run during regulation. Grisham could only muster a half-hearted saunter toward the flare.

Grisham returned to the dugout one out later but was immediately headed to the locker-room, with Spencer Jones moving over to center and Heliot “Skates” Ramos inserted to play right field for the remainder of the night. Given the circumstances, don’t be surprised if Grisham finds himself back on the injured list once again.

San Diego started the series opener with Walker Buehler (8–6), who posted a 5.36 ERA during the first half of the season. Buehler delivered five solid innings, allowing just one run—Ben Rice’s 36th home run, a 444-foot blast in the third inning that tied the game at 1–1. He walked two and struck out six.

Buehler, perhaps no longer the dominant ace he appeared to be during his early years with the Dodgers, has quietly rediscovered something of his old form. Over his last nine starts, he has gone 3-1, posting a very respectable 3.04 ERA. With San Diego fighting for its postseason life, that version of Buehler could prove to be a particularly valuable weapon down the stretch.

In an interesting development with obvious implications for the postseason, Fried was relieved by Will Warren, making just his second relief appearance of the season for New York. Increasingly, Warren’s role may be coming into focus: a versatile arm capable of providing meaningful length in the middle—and perhaps even late—innings. On Friday night, he showed just how valuable he might be in that role.

Warren was excellent, tossing 2⅓ scoreless innings on just 28 pitches, 19 for strikes. The only blemish was a four-pitch walk to Ty France, the first batter he faced after replacing Fried with two outs in the sixth. Otherwise, Warren was in complete control, providing exactly the kind of multi-inning relief the Yankees have needed recently, and may need in October.

With the game still tied, 1–1, entering the bottom of the ninth, manager Aaron Boone turned to closer David Bednar. Bednar preserved the deadlock by striking out Bogaerts, stranding France—who had doubled for the second time in the game—at third and sending the game into extra innings.

The Padres’ bullpen was even more impressive. Yuki Matsui (1.95 ERA) worked a scoreless sixth; Bradley Rodriguez (1.99 ERA) followed with a scoreless seventh; Adrian Morejon (2.74 ERA) struck out the side in order in the eighth; and Mason Miller (1.21 ERA) delivered an as-advertised dominant ninth, striking out two more Yankees.

In all, San Diego’s relievers combined for five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, issuing no walks and striking out nine. That is not merely good relief pitching—it is October-caliber dominance. If the Padres can secure a postseason berth, a bullpen armed with that kind of depth, power and swing-and-miss stuff could make them a particularly dangerous opponent in October.

For a minute, it looked as though the Yankees were about to win back-to-back games in extra innings, having closed out their series against the Angels with an extra-inning victory Wednesday night.

With Luis Garcia Jr. serving as the designated runner at second, Spencer Jones led off the Yankee tenth by ripping a base hit into right-center field off miserly Mason Miller, scoring Garcia and giving New York a 2–1 lead. Center fielder Jackson Merrill compounded San Diego’s problems by badly missing the cutoff man on a futile throw to the plate, allowing Jones to advance to second with nobody out.

Seeing an opportunity to put the game away, the Yankees sent Jones toward third on a full count to Heliot Ramos. But Padres catcher Luis Campusano fired a laser to third for a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play, cutting down Jones and ending the threat. Instead of potentially putting up a crooked number, New York settled for a single run in the tenth.

It was the third Yankee baserunner Campusano had thrown out on the night, following Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

The game moved to the bottom of the tenth, with Paul Blackburn replacing David Bednar in a save situation for New York and the automatic runner placed at second. Austin Hays was San Diego’s designated “Manfred Man,” but the Padres pinch-ran Dustin Harris for him, leaving Harris just 180 feet from home plate and the tying run.

Xander Bogaerts struck out to begin the bottom of the tenth inning, and for a fleeting moment the Yankees had reason for optimism. One out, a runner on second and Blackburn needing just two more outs to strand Harris and send New York home with its second consecutive extra-inning victory.

Then came the decisive swing.

On Blackburn’s next offering, Campusano launched a fly ball to left field that kept carrying until it disappeared over the wall. His sixth home run of the season was a walk-off two-run blast, scoring Harris and giving the Padres a stunning come-from-behind 3–2 victory.

It was hardly a cheap one. The drive traveled an estimated 394 feet, leaving his bat at 104.6 mph with a 25-degree launch angle—a combination that left little doubt off the bat.

The Yankees received outstanding pitching from Max Fried, Will Warren, and David Bednar. They ground through nine innings tied at 1–1, took the lead in the tenth and appeared to have a legitimate chance to escape with another extra-inning victory. But the Padres’ catcher had already changed the game defensively, and with one swing, he ended it.

For San Diego, it was a desperately important victory in the National League wild-card race. For New York, it was another painful reminder of how little margin for error remains with the season down to its final 22 days, still trailing the Rays - now by four full games.

On a night when pitching dominated for nearly three hours, it ultimately came down to one pitch—and one catcher.

Luis Campusano had the last word.

Who Exceeded Expectations?

Ben Rice went 3-for-4, with two singles to go along with his home run.

Apart from Jones’ RBI single in the tenth, only Luis Garcia Jr. managed another hit for New York.

Fried appears to be rounding into form. I expect his pitch count to rise to roughly 80–85 pitches in his next outing, which should leave him with at least three more starts to build toward a full-throttle postseason workload.

Warren looked good in relief, providing exactly the kind of length and effectiveness the Yankees will need in October. It will be interesting to see how he responds with only a day or two of rest, but so far, so good.

Regardless of whether Grisham finds his way back to the injured list, Spencer Jones should be the Yankees’ everyday center fielder going forward. I’m confident Jones makes the play Grisham couldn’t make and the defensive improvement alone is reason enough to make the switch. Add Jones’ clutch hitting—and his ability to mash left-handed pitching—and there is simply no justification for taking him out of the lineup once Aaron Judge returns. Not to mention, is there a world where Trent Grisham is re-signed in the offseason? Isn’t Spencer Jones the Yankees future at the position?

And for the record, Ramos looked solid enough in right field tonight. Ramos appears considerably more comfortable there than he does in left, making right field the logical place to keep him when the Yankees need his bat in the lineup and until Judge is fully ready.

Who Disappointed?

The Yankees struck out 15 times tonight while managing only five hits.

Bellinger (3 k’s), along with Ramos, Lombard and Wells (2 k’s apiece) each took the collar, going a combined 0-for-14.

Blackburn (7-3) blew his 4^th save and took the loss. One bad pitch…

What’s Coming Next?

The series with the Padres continues Saturday night, with a battle of southpaws on tap. Carlos Rodón (4–3, 3.20 ERA) gets the start for New York against San Diego’s Robbie Ray (11–7, 3.14 ERA).

Aaron Judge took his first swings in a major league ballpark in more than three months Friday, taking full batting practice. Judge appears to be less than a week away from returning to the lineup. Expect the Yankees to ease him back into action initially as the DH, followed by a gradual reintroduction to the outfield. By the season’s final week and the four-game home series against the Rays, expect Judge to be back in rightfield at Yankee Stadium.

Carlos LeGrange will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday to throw a live batting-practice session. LeGrange has been sidelined since early July with a right shoulder capsular sprain. If the BP session goes well, he could be activated from the injured list. While LeGrange remains a long shot to make it back to the Bronx before the season ends, a quick ramp-up into a relief role could give the Yankees something they desperately lacked at the trade deadline: another power arm capable of missing bats in high leverage situations. If he can get healthy and contribute, LeGrange could provide the kind of late-season bullpen boost Brian Cashman negligently failed to secure in July.