San Diego Padres supervisor Mike Shildt is a traditional “glass is half-full” type of man. The place some see darkish clouds and failure, Shildt at all times envisions a route to success. When some element their woes in excruciating element, Shildt finds the positives.
And so it was after a walk-off loss Wednesday on the Los Angeles Dodgers that was the staff’s seventh defeat in 9 video games. Shildt proceeded to say San Diego may “reel off three, 4, 5, six, seven sequence in a row that we win.”
With a 5-1 triumph Saturday over the visiting Kansas Metropolis Royals, the Padres are in place to earn their first sequence victory in two weeks within the rubber sport of a three-game sequence.
If nothing else, San Diego definitely performed one among its cleanest video games shortly. They Padres did not make an error, and so they bought a top quality begin from Dylan Stop and a game-breaking, three-run homer from Fernando Tatis Jr. within the seventh inning. And a bullpen that is been heavily-taxed backed up Stop with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
A number of Padres relievers rank within the prime 10 in appearances, together with 38 from main set-up man Jason Adam. That leads the majors.
“I wish to be on the market each evening,” Adam mentioned Friday after permitting two eighth-inning runs to soak up the loss in a 6-5 verdict. “Physique and arm really feel nice. So not a utilization challenge — simply an execution challenge.”
Adam could possibly be on the market once more within the sequence finale, provided that right-hander Randy Vasquez (3-4, 3.70 ERA) is not even averaging 5 innings in his 15 begins. He final labored Tuesday within the Padres’ 8-6 loss on the Dodgers, departing after 5 innings, 4 hits and three runs with no walks and two strikeouts. He took a no-decision.
Vasquez has confronted Kansas Metropolis twice in his transient MLB profession, going 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA. The win got here on June 1, 2024, when he pitched 5 innings in a 7-3 determination.
The Royals will counter with right-hander Seth Lugo (4-5, 3.05), who will face San Diego for the primary time since having fun with a great 2023 season as a member of the Padres. His most up-to-date outing was Tuesday, a 6-1 win in Texas that noticed him strike out 9 in six innings whereas allowing solely three hits, a run and a stroll.
Lugo is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 profession video games, 11 of them out of the bullpen, in opposition to the Padres. He made 26 begins for them two years in the past, going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA, earlier than posting 16 wins final yr as Kansas Metropolis made the American League playoffs.
He additionally performed in his first All-Star Recreation and completed second to Detroit’s Tarik Skubal in AL Cy Younger Award balloting.
The Saturday evening loss snapped a four-game successful streak for the Royals, who managed solely 4 hits off Stop and two relievers. It was a marked distinction to the primary 4 video games of the street journey, which noticed the Royals bash 9 homers.
Kansas Metropolis gamers know the lengthy ball at their house park, Kauffman Stadium, is a rarer species than in nearly some other MLB venue. Solely PNC Park (Pittsburgh) and Oracle Park (San Francisco) have surrendered fewer homers because the begin of the 2023 season.
“It is simpler to hit house runs after we depart Kansas Metropolis,” third baseman Maikel Garcia mentioned. “The stadiums are smaller.”
–Subject Degree Media
