San Diego closer Robert Suarez got a huge called third strike with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning and the Padres beat Pittsburgh 3-2 on Friday night for their 10th straight victory over the Pirates.

Suarez came back out in the top of the ninth and completed the four-out save with two strikeouts and a groundout to secure the 3-2 win for the Padres.

Jackson Merrill knocked in two runs and Nick Pivetta fired six solid innings as the San Diego Padres edged the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Friday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (21-36) and the San Diego Padres (31-23) open a 3-game set Friday. First pitch from Petco Park is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Pirates vs. Padres odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

The Padres' success has come after a quiet offseason in which they saw many of last year's key contributors walk away. Their biggest addition was starting pitcher Nick Pivetta on a four-year, $55 million deal in February. More news: MLB Power Rankings — Yankees Rise, Dodgers Plummet Ahead of World Series Rematch

Sheets has become the regular DH, even at times against left-handed pitching, and powered a home run against Cy Young winner Chris Sale to increase his chances of playing every day. He is second on the team to Fernando Tatis Jr. with 11 homers and leads the team with 34 RBI (5 in the past week). He is carrying a .843 OPS for the season.

El cerrador venezolano Robert Suárez logró un tercer strike cantado con las bases llenas para terminar la octava entrada del juego del viernes, que los Padres de

In his first three major league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Larry Sheets established himself as one of the game's most promising young outfielders. In 1987, he hit 31 home runs, drove in 94, and compiled an outstanding .