Xander Bogaerts hits 1st-inning grand slam in Padres' 8-1 win over Nationals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a grand slam in the first inning, Elias Díaz also homered and the San Diego Padres routed the Washington Nationals 8-1 on Sunday.

Bogaerts hit the first pitch he saw from MacKenzie Gore (4-9) into the seats in left for his sixth homer of the season and eighth career grand slam. Jake Cronenworth had an RBI double to make it 5-0 before the Nationals batted.

Padres starter Nick Pivetta (10-2) allowed one run in six innings while striking out five. Pivetta is 3-0 with a 0.57 ERA in his last five starts.

The Padres improved to 54-45, winning two of the three in the weekend series and five of their last seven.

Riley Adams homered in the fifth for Washington. The Nationals have lost 10 of 12 — going 2-7 under interim manager Miguel Cairo — to drop to 39-60.

Díaz lined a two-run shot to left in the third to end Gore’s outing. Gore tied his career high with eight runs allowed in a season-low 2 1/3 innings.

San Diego center fielder Jackson Merrill was scratched due to illness about a half-hour before the game.

Bogaerts’ grand slam provided San Diego an early cushion.

Pivetta, who was drafted by Washington in 2013 and dealt to Philadelphia two years later, is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 13 innings against the Nationals this season.

San Diego had yet to announce its pitching plans for Monday night at Miami. Washington RHP Jake Irvin (7-5, 4.58 ERA) was set to start Monday night against Cincinnati as the Nationals’ homestand continues.

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San Diego Padres' Jake Cronenworth celebrates after hitting an RBI-double against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

San Diego Padres designated hitter Xander Bogaerts, second from right, celebrates his grand slam against the Washington Nationals with Manny Machado (13), Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) and Luis Arraez, right, during the first inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore throws to the San Diego Padres during the first inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

San Diego Padres designated hitter Xander Bogaerts, left, celebrates his grand slam with third base coach Tim Leiper (33) as he runs the bases during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)