The San Diego Padres have spent much of the season asking their bullpen to carry an unsustainably heavy load. Since the All-Star break, though, the balance has started to shift, and Mason Miller says the new formula has changed what the team can expect from its starters.
That expectation, in Miller’s view, is simple: go six innings.
“It’s sustainable,” Miller said of the team's current approach. “We probably did what we did for longer than anybody thought it would have worked.
But, I mean, six innings, and then you go to three guys, it gives you a little bit more flexibility to allow guys to be at their best when the games are at the most important point. You get guys like Robbie [Ray] and guys like Casey [Mize], and [Michael King] continues to do his thing and Walker [Buehler] pitching well, and six innings has become the expectation now.”
That kind of stability has been a welcome change for a relief group that had been leaned on early in the year just to keep San Diego afloat. The trade deadline additions gave the Padres more length in the rotation, and that has taken real pressure off the bullpen while also giving the whole staff a different shape.
Casey Mize and Robbie Ray have been a big part of that shift. Mize has made three starts for San Diego and owns a 5.87 ERA across 15.1 innings. His first outing was rough - 3.1 innings and eight earned runs - but he has settled in over his last two appearances, allowing only two runs and eight hits over 12 innings.
Ray has also made three starts and carries a 4.20 ERA. After giving up five earned runs in four innings in his first start, he has been better in his last two turns, giving up three runs and five hits over 10 innings.
The Padres could also get more reinforcements soon. Right-hander Joe Musgrove has had a setback ahead of his next rehab start, but it appears to be minor, and he may be back in the coming weeks. Nick Pivetta is aiming for a mid-September return after a setback in his rehab appearance, and if he gets back on the mound too, San Diego will have plenty of options to sort through for the playoff roster.
For a team that turned its biggest weakness into a strength, that kind of depth could matter a lot over the final stretch.
In Other News...
Manny Machados Familiar Slump Is Becoming A Padres September Problem
Manny Machados August has looked a lot like a player searching for the right gear at the wrong time. The Padres third baseman has gone through long stretches of quiet at the plate, with his production leaning heavily toward singles and far less of the extra-base damage San Diego usually counts on from him. On some nights he has looked locked in, but the overall pattern has been inconsistency at a moment when the lineup can least afford it.
San Diego enters September with a narrow grip on the NL Wild Card race, and Machados bat sits right at the center of that tension. The Padres do not need him to carry the entire offense, but they do need more than brief flashes if they want to protect their position down the stretch. A familiar slump has a way of feeling bigger in the final month, and for a team trying to stay ahead in a crowded race, every quiet series from one of its biggest hitters tightens the pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Still Face A Real Sung-Mun Song Question
Sung-Mun Song has given the Padres a little bit of everything since arriving, just not much at the plate. In 62 games, he has shown the kind of plate discipline and defensive versatility that keeps a player in the mix, while also flashing above-average fielding and baserunning that make him useful in more than one spot. For a team that has spent plenty of time patching together its roster, that sort of flexibility still carries value.
The larger question is whether there is enough offensive growth left for Song to become more than a limited role player in San Diego. His power and contact quality have lagged, even after injuries and time in the minors complicated his path, but his track record in the KBO offers at least a reason to think there may be another gear somewhere in there. The Padres do not need him to be a star, but they do need to know whether the upside is real or whether his current profile is close to the final product. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Pulled Off A Gritty Comeback After An Early Scare
The Padres had to work through an awkward early turn Tuesday, falling behind 5-1 before settling in and putting together a 7-5 comeback against the Twins. San Diegos offense did enough to erase the deficit, while the pitching side was forced to adjust after an early exit in the opposing dugout changed the shape of the game.
Minnesota starter Casey Mize was hurt when he slipped on the dugout steps and sprained his ankle, though imaging came back negative and he is day-to-day. From there, the Padres took advantage of the opening, with Griffin Canning handling the middle innings to steady things before Mason Miller finished the job for his 32nd save, another reminder that San Diego can survive a rough start when the game stays within reach. [Read more 🡒]