{"id":385554,"date":"2026-07-04T00:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T00:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/385554\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T00:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T00:12:10","slug":"padres-pregame-sticking-with-jake-cronenworth-in-two-hole-jackson-merrills-success-toward-bottom-of-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/385554\/","title":{"rendered":"Padres pregame: Sticking with Jake Cronenworth in two-hole, Jackson Merrill’s success toward bottom of order"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jake Cronenworth lamented that Thursday\u2019s home run arrived in a losing effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t care less about the homer,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d rather win.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he was pressed a bit more as his postgame chat with reporters went on and the 32-year-old second baseman acknowledged what the home run represented was certainly important, for both him and a Padres team trying to put an end to consecutive losing months as well as a six-game skid.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor sure, great to feel like myself,\u201d he said. \u201cGreat to square some balls up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doing so also seems like a great reason to continue with Cronenworth in the two-hole, as is the case for Friday\u2019s 7:10 p.m. start at Dodger Stadium.<\/p>\n

Game 2. pic.twitter.com\/6Guv7YyqbO<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Cronenworth is batting second for a second day in a row. The Padres put him in that spot for the first time since coming off the concussion injured list on Thursday after he went 3-for-4 in the finale at Wrigley Field. Cronenworth was 1-for-5 on Thursday, but the one hit drove in three runs as the Padres built the 6-0 lead they\u2019d eventually squander.<\/p>\n

Cronenworth is 4-for-13 since rejoining the Padres. He is hitting .164\/.276\/.236 on the season, due in large part to a cold start to the season mapping onto playing nearly two weeks (.129\/.270\/.161) with concussion symptoms before finally going on the injured list.<\/p>\n

Cronenworth (.512 OPS) settling into the two-hole could be another reason why the Padres keep center fielder Jackson Merrill (.620 OPS) lower in the lineup.<\/p>\n

Merrill will bat sixth for a second straight game, and he\u2019s been a far more productive hitter in the lower half of the lineup so far in his young career:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Gavin Sheets (.791 OPS) will play left field and bat fourth, followed by first baseman Ty France (.835 OPS).<\/p>\n

Shortstop\u00a0(.661 Xander Bogaerts\u00a0OPS) will bat seventh, followed by Sung-Mun Song, who\u2019ll play third base as Manny Machado (.687 OPS) gets a DH day.<\/p>\n

Rodolfo Dur\u00e1n (.532 OPS) will catch a day after Freddy Fermin exited with another foul off his mask.<\/p>\n

Before the game, Padres manager Craig Stammen told MLB Network radio that right-hander Randy V\u00e1squez had been given the \u201call-clear\u201d on all fronts. V\u00e1squez had fainted Friday night while going for x-rays on the ankle that was struck by a comebacker in the start.<\/p>\n

Losing a 6-0 lead on Thursday allowed the Dodgers (57-31) to push their lead in the NL West to 13 games over both the Padres and Diamondbacks, both of whom are sitting at 43-43 and three games out of a wild-card spot.<\/p>\n

Here is how Los Angeles will line up for Game 2:<\/p>\n

Tonight\u2019s #Dodgers<\/a> lineup vs. Padres: pic.twitter.com\/zPmzhpdNU3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s pitching matchup<\/p>\n

Padres RHP Michael King (5-7, 3.55 ERA)<\/p>\n

He hoped he\u2019d turned a corner by starting the previous homestand with five strikeouts and no walks over seven shutout innings to beat the Braves to start the previous homestand. King, however, allowed four runs on three hits, four walks and two hit batters in 4\u2153 innings in a loss on Sunday to these same Dodgers. King has two quality starts in his last seven starts (5.45 ERA).<\/p>\n

Here is how King has fared against current Dodgers:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 1.58 ERA)<\/p>\n

He\u2019s pitching on a season-high eight days of rest after having his start pushed back to manage his workload. He\u2019s allowed two earned runs or loess 11 of his 13 starts. Ohtani beat the Padres with five shutout innings at Petco Park in May. He struck out four and scattered three hits and two walks.<\/p>\n

Here is how Ohtani has fared against current Padres:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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