SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — Lucas Giolito pitched six scoreless innings and Mason Miller earned his 16th save as the San Diego Padres defeated the Oakland Athletics 2-0 on Saturday night at PETCO Park before 42,616 fans in 2 hours, 42 minutes. San Diego (31-20) scored single runs in the second and third innings. Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second, forcing in Jackson Merrill. In the third, Ty France grounded out to plate Nick Castellanos. The Padres managed only two hits but made them count. Athletics starter J.T. Ginn (2-3) took the loss despite allowing just two runs over five innings. Oakland (26-26) outhit San Diego 5-2 but could not score. Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Padres. Gavin Sheets went 1-for-4 for San Diego, while Jackson Merrill was 1-for-3. Mason Miller struck out two in a perfect ninth. The Athletics were blanked for the first time this season.

SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The San Diego Padres relied on a pair of early runs and a dominant bullpen to shut out the visiting Athletics 2-0 on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at PETCO Park in front of 42,616 fans. The game lasted 2 hours, 42 minutes and featured a pitchers’ duel in which the Padres managed only two hits but made them count. Athletics starter J.T. Ginn took the loss, falling to 2-3 on the season, while Padres right-hander Lucas Giolito earned his second win without a loss by working five innings of five-hit ball. Mason Miller recorded his 16th save with a scoreless ninth. San Diego struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Jackson Merrill drew a leadoff walk and stole second base, his 10th steal of the year. After Ty France struck out, Freddy Fermin walked and Sung-Mun Song walked to load the bases. Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch, forcing in Merrill for the game’s first run. Miguel Andujar grounded into a force out at home, and Gavin Sheets flied out to end the inning with the Padres leading 1-0. The Padres added another run in the third. After Manny Machado struck out, Nick Castellanos walked. Merrill followed with a double to right field, sending Castellanos to third. Ty France then grounded out to shortstop, plating Castellanos to make it 2-0. That would be all the scoring the Padres would need. Giolito allowed five hits and three walks while striking out five, but he worked out of trouble multiple times. The Athletics threatened in the first inning when Carlos Cortes singled and Nick Kurtz singled, putting runners at first and third with no outs. But Shea Langeliers flied out, Brent Rooker struck out and Tyler Soderstrom flied out to end the inning. Oakland’s best chance came in the fourth. Rooker walked, Soderstrom walked and Henry Bolte walked, loading the bases with one out. Jeff McNeil grounded into a double play to snuff the rally. The Athletics also put a runner on in the eighth when Langeliers doubled with one out, but Rooker struck out and Soderstrom struck out looking. The Padres’ bullpen was nearly untouchable. Jeremiah Estrada pitched a scoreless sixth, allowing no hits and striking out one. Jason Adam worked the seventh, giving up one hit but striking out three. Miller closed the game with a perfect ninth, striking out two. For the Athletics, Cortes and Kurtz each had two hits, and Langeliers added a double. But Oakland went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. The Padres managed only two hits — Merrill’s double and a seventh-inning single by Sheets — but walked seven times and stole one base. The win improved San Diego’s record to 31-20, while the Athletics fell to 26-26. The two teams will meet again Sunday in the final game of the series. After that, the Athletics return home to face the Seattle Mariners in a three-game set beginning Monday, while the Padres will host the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. The loss snapped a modest two-game winning streak for the Athletics, who had taken three of four from the Los Angeles Angels earlier in the week. The Padres, meanwhile, bounced back from a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday to win their second straight game. The game’s most critical stretch came in the bottom of the second inning when the Padres loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, a walk and another walk after a stolen base. A hit-by-pitch brought home the first run, and though the Athletics escaped further damage, the early lead proved insurmountable given the way Giolito and the bullpen pitched. The Athletics stranded a runner at third with no outs in the first and failed to score despite loading the bases in the fourth, underscoring their inability to capitalize on opportunities. Miller’s save was his 16th of the season, and he now ranks among the National League leaders in that category. Giolito, who signed with San Diego in the offseason, has been a steady presence in the rotation, posting a low ERA through his first several starts. The Athletics have struggled away from home this season, but they had been competitive in recent series. Their offense, which averaged nearly six runs per game over the previous week, could not solve the Padres’ pitchers on Saturday. The Padres’ defense also contributed, turning two double plays that erased potential threats. In the ninth, Miller needed only 11 pitches to retire the side, striking out Zack Gelof and Henry Bolte before inducing a groundout from McNeil. It was the final act of a game defined by pitching and missed opportunities. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Padres 6, Athletics 4, and Interstat’s ELO system gave the Padres a 61.60 percent probability to win. The Athletics were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5, and the total score of 2 went over the over-under line of 7.5.

Preview: Athletics at Padres SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The Athletics and San Diego Padres will meet Saturday at PETCO Park for the second game of their three-game series after the teams played to a scoreless draw Friday, with the game halted with no score. Oakland enters with a 26-24 record, while San Diego sits at 29-20, leading the National League West. Right-hander J.T. Ginn (2-2) is scheduled to start for the Athletics. The Padres will counter with right-hander Randy Vásquez, who holds a 1-0 record in five starts this season but has not factored into the decision in his past two outings. Vásquez is a player to watch for San Diego. He tossed six shutout innings in a win at Seattle on May 15, striking out three, but lasted only 4 1/3 innings in his most recent start, a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, allowing three earned runs on six hits. For Oakland, right-hander Luis Severino also draws attention, though it’s unclear if he will pitch out of the bullpen or in a potential bulk role. Severino struck out 10 over seven innings in Wednesday’s 3-2 win at the Los Angeles Angels, allowing two earned runs. In his previous start, he surrendered five runs over six innings in a loss to San Francisco. The Athletics have won three straight, all in extra innings at Anaheim, including a 3-2, 10-inning victory Thursday. The Padres have lost three in a row, including a 4-0 shutout loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday, and have scored just one run in their past three games. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-4 San Diego win, and the ELO system gives the Padres a 61 percent chance to win. However, betting markets have installed as a pregame favorite at minus-1.5 on the run line. The over/under is 7.5 runs. The series continues Sunday before returns home to face Seattle and San Diego hosts Philadelphia.