Padres’ Xander Bogaerts crushes Rockies with walk-off grand slam

The nucleus of the San Diego Padres has been struggling in the early goings, but Xander Bogaerts took it upon himself to ignite the lineup with a heroic blast on Thursday night. The four-time All-Star shortstop hit a walk-off, 399-foot grand slam versus right-handed pitcher Valente Bellozo in the 12th inning, propelling The Friars to a 7-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Petco Park exploded as soon as Bogaerts connected with the baseball, and longtime play-by-play man Don Orsillo broke out his famous “Slam Diego” call to put a bow on this thrilling moment. The Padres tied the game in the 10th and 11th, so the clutch dinger perfectly encapsulates their resilient nature.

San Diego’s lineup is filled with paltry offensive numbers, as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth all reside either below or around the Mendoza Line. Bogaerts is heating up, though, and is carrying a five-game hitting streak after notching two knocks against Colorado. Following a rough last couple of years with the franchise, the two-time World Series champion and five-time Silver Slugger is desperate to post a productive 2026 season.

XANDER BOGAERTS BRINGS BACK THE SLAM DIEGO TREND pic.twitter.com/oNv9M0g5Pi

— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) April 10, 2026

There are not many fans who would call Bogaerts an X-factor at this stage of his MLB career. The veteran right-handed hitter was solid in 2023 but has underachieved overall since signing an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres. Expecting him to turn everything around in his age-33 campaign might just be wishful thinking. But he can obviously still make a big impact on a given night.

Xander Bogaerts gave the Padres (7-6) a vital boost versus a Rockies squad (6-7) that has been quite formidable thus far. San Diego has won five of its last six games and is now above .500 for the first time this season. Fans can only hope that the other core guys catch the home-run fever following this epic grand slam.

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