The San Diego Padres are scrambling. They couldn’t have picked a worse time to take action. With their loss (and sweep) to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, the membership fell a half sport outdoors of the ultimate Wild Card spot, with the Arizona Diamondbacks having cut up their collection towards the San Francisco Giants. San Diego has misplaced 5 of their final six video games in a really disheartening droop.
It felt like Sunday was the nail within the coffin. The Friars have been up 3-1 with Mason Miller pitching the ninth inning. Miller induced a deep fly ball into left area the place Samad Taylor made the catch … till he didn’t. Taylor banged into the wall and dropped it over for a game-tying, two-run homer. The Rays went on to win the sport in extras. The Padres now face the Cincinnati Reds with an opportunity to show issues round earlier than returning to Petco Park on Friday.
Taking the mound
Brady Singer (CIN) v. Michael King (SD)
Singer has been strong this season, although not unimaginable. He’s dazzled on the mound at instances, however struggled in others. The righty owns a 4.72 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Neither of these marks are implausible, however he’s discovered methods to get outs. His strikeout numbers are low, with 112 Ks in 137 1/3 innings.
The best-hander confronted the Padres again in June and pitched extremely effectively. Singer hurled six innings of two-run ball, stranding six hits and a stroll from the San Diego lineup. That mentioned, the Padres nonetheless received that sport on a Fernando Tatis Jr. walk-off homer. Possibly that magic can return in tonight’s sport.
King has been probably the most priceless participant on this Padres’ crew. He has spent the yr pitching like an ace for the membership, posting a 3.23 ERA by way of 156 innings. In his final seven begins, King has a implausible 2.95 ERA and has pitched 42 2/3 innings. That signifies that King has gone a median of six-plus innings in every of his final seven begins.
That mentioned, King has struggled towards this Reds lineup. Nearly all of the gamers who’ve confronted him have hit him effectively. JJ Bleday leads that group, hitting .429 with a 1.457 OPS in seven at-bats. Hopefully, King will be capable of settle down Cincinnati’s not too long ago scorching bats, and get sufficient run help to return the Padres to kind.
Batter up!
The lineup regarded actually wholesome throughout the Padres’ collection versus the Rays. The membership scored 14 runs all through the primary half of the highway journey, however their pitching workers couldn’t maintain on. They’ll want to show that round with a view to proceed on their red-hot tempo.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Ty France, 1B
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Luis Campusano, C
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Austin Hays, DH
- Samad Taylor, LF
Regardless of his game-tying drop in left area, Taylor went 1-for-1 on the plate after coming into the sport as a pinch-hitter. He additionally scored a run. Taylor has been gone since being positioned on the injured checklist in early July attributable to a proper indirect pressure. If he can spark this membership the best way he did earlier than, it will be a significant flip for San Diego.
Reduction corps
Robbie Ray pitched six stellar innings of ball, adopted by a implausible efficiency from the bullpen. Bradgley Rodriguez redeemed himself, pitching an ideal inning, adopted by one other from Adrian Morejon. Miller got here on and gave up a single earlier than the second residence run of his season. Yuki Matsui navigated bother within the tenth earlier than David Morgan misplaced the sport within the eleventh.
The additional innings damage the ‘pen’s depth considerably, although not by a lot. Fortunately, San Diego ought to be capable of depend on King to shove in his begin at the moment. That signifies that Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart and Wandy Peralta possible received’t must be known as on till later within the sport (and hopefully with a large lead).