Perhaps all Rob Refsnyder needed was some extra dad strength to break out of his early-season slump.

Refsnyder continued his strong recent play in a major way for the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, blasting a go-ahead, pinch-hit solo homer in the ninth inning to lift the M’s to a 3-2 win and series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Box Score

Refsnyder battled back after falling behind 0-2 against Cardinals left-hander Jo Jo Romero and used some help from MLB’s new Automated Ball-Strike System to do so. The veteran kept his plate appearance alive by winning a challenge on a called third strike on the third pitch of the at-bat. He then fouled off a pitch and watched two balls before clubbing a sweeper 412 feet with a 106.6 mph exit velocity into the Mariners’ bullpen for a 3-2 lead.

It was the 12th pinch-hit, go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later in team history, per the Mariners.

The home run was Refsnyder’s second of the season and second since being reinstated off the paternity list on April 17 following the birth of his third child.

Prior to going on the paternity list on April 14, Refsnyder was 0 for 16 at the plate in his first eight games in a Mariners uniform. In eight games since he returned, he’s 4 for 17 with the two homers.

Eduard Bazardo pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn his first win of the season. Jose A. Ferrer pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first save as a Mariner.

The Mariners improved 14-15 overall and 3-0 on their six-game road trip.

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The San Diego Padres went from spending like crazy under owner Peter Seidler to steadily slashing payroll after his passing. With the team finalizing a record-breaking sale, it appears new leadership will take things back in the other direction.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the “early belief around baseball is that new apdres owner José E. Felicianio “will be in it to win” and could become very aggressive to improve the team. That could include getting into a bidding war for Tarik Skubal.

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Heyman wrote that there’s a belief the Padres may begin “resuming the winning strategy” that fans fell in love with under the late Seidler. That could show up in the winter during MLB free agency, with San Diego potentially joining the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in the pursuit of two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

It would be a strategy that is certainly music to the ears of Padres’ general manager A.J. Preller. He’s consistently been one of the most aggressive decision-makers in baseball, as demonstrated last summer when he dealt prospect Leo De Vries to the Athletics to acquire All-Star closer Mason Miller.

One other thing to note is the Padres’ long-standing interest in acquiring Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. While he isn’t believed to be available right now, that could change if the team is still struggling this summer. In that event, San Diego stands out as a potential trade partner.

The Padres would certainly have to shell out $50-plus million per season to land Skubal, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history. What will be interesting to see is if San Diego searches for ways to shed specific player salaries to make signing Skubal a little easier to afford.