In 2026, the Padres have shown the potential to be a pretty good baseball team. The Dodgers, however ran out a lineup on Sunday afternoon where the first seven hitters have been All-Stars (once Andy Pages is inevitably elected to the Midsummer Classic this year). Shoot, three of their first four batters are surefire Hall of Famers.
When you are facing a talent discrepancy like that it’s vital to take advantage of each and every opportunity to score runs, something that once again eluded the Friars in a 4-2 loss that once again turned what looked like a promising start to a series (7-1 win on Friday night) into a weekend that saw the Dodgers taking two out of three.
Michael King got the start and was cruising through the early innings before suffering some self-inflicted wounds. King only allowed three hits but walked four and hit two others. Against a group as disciplined as the Dodgers that’s almost always going to come back to bite you. Three of those free passes came in to score and the San Diego office is simply not good enough right now to make up for it.
The Friars went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position but no rally was more frustratingly squandered quite like the one in the 8th inning. Manny Machado (who also hit a solo homer) led off with a double and Ty France was hit by a pitch, putting two on with nobody out. Xander Bogaerts followed with a strikeout, chasing a slider in the dirt from former Padre Tanner Scott, and Miguel Andujar grounded into an around-the-horn double play.
San Diego heads to the airport to start their toughest road trip of the year, starting Monday with a three game set against the Cubs at Wrigley Field before heading to Dodger Stadium for a four game set.