The San Diego Padres are scuffling and have lost seven of its last eight games which has caused the team to fall six games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With a 3-2 loss in the series opener to the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday night, the San Diego Padres have lost seven of its last eight games and have fallen six games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.
The Padres jumped in front of the Phillies 2-0 after first baseman Gavin Sheets hit a two-run home run in the third inning, but San Diego didn’t score the rest of the game. Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper drilled a two-run shot of his own in the fourth to even the score at 2 before third baseman Alec Bohm grounded into a double play with bases loaded and no outs to score the eventual winning run.
In a pitching rematch from last week’s series, Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez and Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola matched each other over five innings of work. Vasquez allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three while Nola gave up two on four hits while fanning eight.
San Diego couldn’t scratch a run home against Philadelphia’s bullpen, which didn’t bode well because closer Jhoan Duran came in and shut the door emphatically. Duran struck out the side, including left fielder Jase Bowen, who made his Major League debut in this game and went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts.
The Padres are now 0-4 against the Phillies this season and must face the National League Cy Young front-runner in a critical Game 2 to even the series. Just like the first matchup, this one will be a rematch between San Diego’s Walker Buehler and Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez.
Buehler pitched well last week but it wasn’t enough to overcome Sanchez’s dominant performance. The veteran right-hander threw 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts but took the loss.
He is 3-3 with a 4.88 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 11 starts (51.2 innings). Buehler will face the following Phillies lineup:
1. Kyle Schwarber (DH)
2. Trea Turner (SS)
3. Harper (1B)
4. Brandon Marsh (LF)
5. Bohm (3B)
6. Bryson Stott (2B)
7. J.T. Realmuto (C)
8. Adolis Garcia (RF)
9. Justin Crawford (CF)
Sanchez was excellent in his last outing, a trend that has gone on all season long. He pitched seven strong innings without allowing a run on six hits with nine punchouts to earn the victory.
He is 6-2 with a 1.47 ERA (first), 1.12 WHIP and 95 strikeouts (second) in 12 starts (79.1 innings). Sanchez will face the following Padres lineup:
1. Fernando Tatis Jr. (2B)
2. Miguel Andujar (DH)
3. Manny Machado (3B)
4. Sheets (LF)
5. Xander Bogaerts (SS)
6. Ty France (1B)
7. Jackson Merrill (CF)
8. Bowen (RF)
9. Rodolfo Duran (C)
First pitch is at 3:40 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.
