Padres' Inability To Capitalize On Traffic Is Costing Team Crucial Games

The San Diego Padres dropped the series opener 7-3 against the Baltimore Orioles Friday night despite taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Right fielder Gavin Sheets got the Padres on the board with an RBI double but the offense failed to bring him and shortstop Xander Bogaerts in, stranding two runners in scoring position.

That came back to bite them, as the Orioles scored three in the bottom half of the inning on an Adley Rutschman sacrifice fly and Samuel Basallo two-run home run. Second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. got a run back with an RBI single in the second inning, but Baltimore answered with another three runs to go on top 6-2.

Padres right-hander Griffin Canning got shelled and allowed all seven runs on six hits and five walks while striking out six over five innings of work. He is now 0-5 with a 7.17 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 39 strikeouts to 22 walks through eight starts (37.2 innings).

His Orioles counterpart Shane Baz outdueled the veteran righty, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with one punchout in five innings.

San Diego has been generating traffic on the base paths but not consistently delivering big hits. Couple that with hit-or-miss pitching (no pun intended) and the Padres are just two games above .500 at 35-33.

Winning the middle game of the series would be huge for San Diego and it will send right-hander Randy Vasquez to the bump against 24-year-old rookie righty Trey Gibson.

Vasquez had an impressive start to the season but has been roughed up over his last few starts. He is 5-4 with a 3.63 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 53 strikeouts to 20 walks through 13 starts (69.1 innings).

He last worked against the New York Mets and allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three through four innings. Vasquez will face the following Orioles lineup:

1. Taylor Ward (DH)

2. Gunnar Henderson (SS)

3. Pete Alonso (1B)

4. Basallo (C)

5. Leody Taveras (CF)

6. Colton Cowser (LF)

7. Tyler O’Neill (RF)

8. Jackson Holliday (2B)

9. Blaze Alexander (3B)

Gibson, 24, has made four appearances this season and has started in three of them. He is starting in place of injured veteran Chris Bassitt and the highly touted prospect is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA, 1.53 WHIP with just five strikeouts to eight walks in 17 innings.

He threw 4.2 innings against the Seattle Mariners and allowed three runs on five hits and one walk. Gibson will take on the following Padres lineup:

1. Tatis (2B)

2. Jackson Merrill (CF)

3. Manny Machado (3B)

4. Bogaerts (SS)

5. Sheets (1B)

6. Samad Taylor (LF)

7. Will Wagner (DH)

8. Jase Bowen (RF)

9. Freddy Fermin (C)

First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.