Padres Defeat Pirates 8-2, Extend Winning Streak

The San Diego Padres continued their impressive run with an 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, marking their 19th win in 22 games and completing a season sweep of the Pirates. Martín Pérez, acquired at the trade deadline, secured his first victory with San Diego, allowing one run and striking out eight over 5 1/3 innings. The Padres' offense was powered by home runs from Jake Cronenworth and David Peralta, the latter celebrating his 37th birthday with a two-run homer. Meanwhile, the Pirates fell to 1-12 since the trade deadline, suffering their 10th consecutive loss, with starter Mitch Keller giving up a season-high eight runs. San Diego's manager praised Pérez's veteran presence, while Pirates' manager Derek Shelton expressed frustration over his team's poor performance. The Padres are currently enjoying their best stretch in franchise history, winning eight series in a row for the first time since 2007.