San Diego’s All-Star closer, Josh Hader, had worked on Monday and Tuesday and had not pitched on three consecutive days since 2021. Sensitive to overuse after his years in Milwaukee, he had declined an opportunity to do it in San Francisco last month. Yet with the Padres leading by 5-3 in the ninth inning on Wednesday, here came Hader. “He’s got a sense of where we are as a team,” Melvin explained afterward. In the long run, if I can’t provide for the team later because of injury, then it’s no use.”Though the Padres’ rotation led the N.L.

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Persons: Bob Melvin, Diego’s, Josh Hader, “ He’s, ” Melvin, “, ” Hader, Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr Organizations: Padres, Angels, Mets, Oakland, Kansas City Locations: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Kansas, Detroit