Darvish throws 6 strong innings, Merrill and Profar homer as the Padres beat the Astros 3-1

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish had his best outing since being sidelined for more than three months, and rookie Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar homered as the San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Monday night.

The Padres took a 2 1/2-game lead over Arizona for the top NL wild card and stayed 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

Houston's lead in the AL West dropped to four games over idle Seattle.

Padres leadoff hitter Luis Arraez struck out for the first time since Aug. 10, snapping a streak of 141 plate appearances without whiffing. He went down swinging against rookie Spencer Arrighetti to end the second inning.

It tied Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn for the fifth-longest streak in the last 40 seasons. Gwynn, who played his entire career with the Padres, had the longest such streak, 170 plate appearances in 1995.

Arraez, the DH, later left the game with a knee injury. He was shaken up on a slide as he was tagged out at home plate in the fifth. Arraez initially stayed in the game and doubled in the seventh, but walked off the field gingerly after being replaced by pinch-runner Tyler Wade.

“He jammed his knee in the plate,” manager Mike Shildt said. “Reports are stable, sore. You could tell after he legged out the double.”

“What a gamer,” said Shildt, who added that Arraez told him before his at-bat in the seventh, “`I can hit.'”

Darvish (6-3) allowed three hits in six scoreless innings, his longest outing in three starts since a layoff of more than three months while he was on the injured list and restricted list. He struck out three and walked two.

“He was great. He was really fantastic," Shildt said. “Very efficient, controlled counts, fastball had a life to it. I thought he was vintage Yu. He was tremendous. Got us through six and we could have rode with him more, but he was at that number. He'd done his part.”

Darvish threw 79 pitches.

The tall right-hander said through an interpreter that he felt “pretty good. The two-seamer was working really well and I was able to rely on that heavily. The off-speed pitches were pretty effective as well.”

As far as starting a series with playoff implications, Darvish said: “You try to kind of not put too much pressure on yourself, but obviously, you're going against a really good team so you're super focused and trying to execute pitches.”

Darvish said he's getting closer to having no pitch restrictions.

“I would think so, as far as the number of pitches go,” he said.

Robert Suarez pitched a perfect ninth for his 33rd save.

Profar’s leadoff shot in the eighth, his 23rd homer, was his fourth straight hit. He fell a triple shy of the cycle.

Merrill continued to make his case for NL Rookie of the Year when he drove Arrighetti’s first pitch of the fourth an estimated 413 feet to straightaway center field. It was his 24th homer and tied Nate Colbert (1969) for second among Padres rookies. Hunter Renfroe hit 26 in 2017.

Colbert’s franchise record of 163 homers, which had stood since 1974, fell to Manny Macahdo last week.

Machado hit an RBI double in the first.

Jose Altuve doubled leading off the eighth for Houston and scored on Yordan Alvarez's single.

Arrighetti (7-13) allowed two runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one.

UP NEXT

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (11-8, 3.59 ERA) and Padres RHP Michael King (12-9, 3.06) are scheduled to start Tuesday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

San Diego Padres' Manny Machado takes off his helmet after getting caught stealing second base during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar celebrates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar celebrates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar tosses his bat after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez watches his RBI single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish works against a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish works against a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish works against a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill celebrates after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Houston Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron, right, gestures as he is ejected by home plate umpire Brian O'Nora, left, during the sixth inning a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez, center, talks with Manny Machado, left after being tagged out trying to score from second base on a single by Jurickson Profar during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros as home plate umpire Brian O'Nora looks on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez, left, is tagged out by Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini, after trying to score from second base on a single by Jurickson Profar during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez walks toward the dugout after striking out during the second inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez strikes out during the second inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish works against a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Jannik Sinner clinched Italy’s second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season at the top of tennis by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 on Sunday for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final of the team competition.

Matteo Berrettini put Italy ahead with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening singles match on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena in southern Spain.

The Italians, backed by a loud contingent of singing fans playing drums and armed with megaphones in the crowd of 9,200, became the first country to win the Davis Cup twice in a row since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013.

Italy’s women won the Billie Jean King Cup by defeating Slovakia on Wednesday.

Much of the credit for Italy's Davis Cup success goes to the No. 1-ranked Sinner, who went 4-0 in Malaga, including a victory in doubles with Berrettini against Argentina in the quarterfinals.

Sinner hit 15 aces against Griekspoor and stretched his unbeaten streak in tour-level singles competition to 14 matches and 26 sets, including a title at the ATP Finals a week ago.

His ascension is one of the year’s biggest stories in tennis. Sinner went 73-8 with eight singles titles in 2024, with his first two Grand Slam trophies arriving at the Australian Open in January and the U.S. Open in September. The latter came shortly after he was cleared of wrongdoing in a doping case connected to two positive tests for steroids in March; the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal of that ruling is still pending.

The Netherlands, which eliminated Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals, reached the Davis Cup final for the first time.

Once ranked as high as No. 21, and currently No. 40, Griekspoor never has been past the third round at a major tournament. But he is equipped with a dangerous serve — to the tune of 25 aces in a semifinal victory against Germany on Friday — that helped him hold his own deep into the first set Sunday.

Griekspoor, who began the day 0-5 against Sinner, actually earned the first break chances, holding two at 1-all after three straight groundstroke misses by the Italian. But Sinner took the next four points to hold. When they got to the tiebreaker — which was preceded by dueling chants of “Italia! Italia!” and “Let’s go, Tallon! Let’s go!” — it was Sinner who was steadier, more ready for the moment, and he built a substantial lead before closing with an ace.

Sinner went up a break at 2-1 in the second, before Griekspoor made one last stand. He broke right back, then led 30-love on his serve in the following game, drawing roars from the orange-wearing Dutch fans. But Sinner remained steadfast, and broke for 3-2 when Griekspoor double-faulted, then walked to the sideline and cracked his racket against the Dutch bench.

Sinner wouldn't drop another game the rest of the way.

Earlier, 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini needed some time to find his groove against the 80th-ranked van de Zandschulp, the man who beat Nadal in the last match of the 22-time Grand Slam title winner’s career and upset four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open.

But Berrettini took control by grabbing the opening set’s last three games, and Sinner left his front-row seat behind Italy’s bench to head to the locker room and prepare to close the deal.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Dutch tennis fans gesture while Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor plays Italy's Jannik Sinner during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor reacts as he plays Italy's Jannik Sinner during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Supporters of Italy's Jannik Sinner play the drums as he plays Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts winning a point as he plays Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp reacts during his match against Italy's Matteo Berrettini during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp reacts during his match against Italy's Matteo Berrettini during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Italy's Matteo Berrettini returns the ball against Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Italy's Matteo Berrettini celebrates a point against Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)