The Padres keep finding new ways to look stuck, and Friday’s 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays fit the pattern perfectly.
San Diego jumped out fast, then let the game slip away, falling back to two games under .500 and dropping 11 of 14, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. The offense again came up empty in key spots, even against Shane Bieber, a starter the Padres should have been able to pressure more.
The one bright spot came from Xander Bogaerts. He’s been in a brutal stretch for more than two months, hitting just .198 since the start of May, according to Cassavell, but manager Craig Stammen bumped him into the third spot in the lineup and got an immediate payoff. Bogaerts launched a two-run homer in the first inning to put San Diego ahead 2-0.
“He’s had a tough stretch here, the last couple months,” Stammen said. “Trying to give him a little confidence boost, a place in the lineup he’s hit a lot of times in his career -- and done very well there. Just trying to mix it up and see if we can get one of … our best players, get him going.”
That early burst didn’t last. Toronto chipped away against starter JP Sears, starting with an RBI double from Alejandro Kirk in the fourth. Then came the fifth, when the Blue Jays seized control with four runs: an RBI infield hit by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a three-run homer from Kazuma Okamoto that pushed the lead to 5-2.
Bieber worked 4-2/3 innings, and Toronto’s bullpen shut the door until the ninth. Jackson Merrill managed an RBI single to trim the deficit, but Louis Varland finished it off for his 19th save.
The Padres did collect 10 hits, but only three runs came out of it, which tells the whole story. With the loss, they sit 5-1/2 games out of the wild-card race, and trade chatter is already circling closer Mason Miller.
San Diego gets another crack at it tonight, with Walker Buehler trying to bounce back from two rough starts and Trey Yesavage set to go for Toronto.
In Other News...
Padres Suddenly Tied To The Biggest Trade Names On The Market
With the trade deadline drawing closer, the Padres are once again being linked to some of the biggest names on the market, a familiar spot for a front office led by AJ Preller. ESPN insiders have floated San Diego as a possible landing place for a wide range of players, and the buzz fits the clubs usual posture of staying active when there is a chance to upgrade for a postseason push.
The Twins Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan are among the most notable names tied to San Diego, which is enough to signal the kind of move the Padres are at least exploring. Whether Preller actually pulls the trigger is another matter, but the idea of the Padres circling premium talent this early is a reminder that they could be one of the more aggressive buyers before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Sent A Frustrating Message With This Roster Decision
The Padres moved on from Pablo Reyes last week, releasing the utility player after he had put together a strong run at Triple-A El Paso. It did not take long for another club to pounce, with the Angels signing Reyes to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Salt Lake, a quick reminder that even fringe roster decisions can carry real value for teams looking for depth.
San Diego, meanwhile, chose a different path and signed Luis Rengifo to a minor league deal instead. Rengifo has been swinging it well at Triple-A, and the Padres are clearly hoping that form translates if they need help in the near term, but the swap still leaves Reyes as the more curious departure for a club trying to manage every bit of roster flexibility it can find. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Merrill Just Reopened A Painful Padres What-If
Jackson Merrill helped put a human face on one of the Padres most uncomfortable recent what-ifs, because the conversation around James Wood is no longer about projection or upside. Wood, who was sent to Washington in the Juan Soto deal, has turned into one of the National Leagues most productive young hitters, giving the Nationals the kind of middle-of-the-order presence San Diego could use right now as its offense continues to lag behind the rest of the league.
For the Padres, the sting is amplified by where the lineup sits at the moment. The club has been battling through one of the weakest offensive profiles in baseball, and Woods rise only sharpens the contrast between what was moved and what was left behind. Merrills perspective matters here because he knows Wood well, and watching a former teammate thrive elsewhere has a way of keeping the old trade debate alive a little longer. [Read more 🡒]