The San Diego Padres have sunken deeper into their fourth-place hole in the NL West after being swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road this past series. Now 10.5 games back in an otherwise competitive division, the Pads are closer to the last-place Colorado Rockies at 16.5 GB than the third-place San Francisco Giants at just 2.5 GB.

Game One

Despite giving up four runs to the Padres lineup, Pirates SP Rich Hill picked up the win after going six full innings and striking out four. The loss was given to Padres RP Reiss Knehr who got the start but picked up five earned runs after pitching just two innings.

The Padres’ early 3-0 lead was short-lived as the Pirates would go on to score six unanswered runs through the fourth inning. Despite an answer from some San Diego base knocks, including a Nelson Cruz RBI single, the Pirates went on the continue battling for the 9-4 win. 

Game Two

Game two’s matchup on Wednesday was no prettier for San Diego as Pirates SP Mitch Keller would pick up the win. He only allowed one run to this once frightening Padres lineup who got their one score off a Xander Bogaerts RBI single in the top of the sixth inning. Blake Snell picked up the pitching loss for the Padres even after putting on a vintage performance. He struck out 10 over six innings, but the two-out home run he gave up to Carlos Santana in the bottom of the first would prove to be an early dagger. The Pirates won the game 7-1.

Important to note that Padres manager Bob Melvin was ejected in the seventh inning after a controversial hit-by-pitch call on one of San Diego’s relief pitchers, Nick Martinez.

Game Three

Yesterday’s series finale in Pittsburgh proved to be the harshest for San Diego in a game that highlighted issues from both previous losses. The Padres worked up to a 4-0 lead off Pirates SP Luis Ortiz, but in the fourth inning, the Padres would completely stop scoring and the Pirates would pour on the winning five runs over the next three innings thanks to the bats of RF Henry Davis, SS Nick Gonzales, and CF Jack Suwinski. 

It was also another game in which the Padres lineup could not support one of their best pitchers by leaving a total of eight on base and going 0-3 with runners in scoring position (RISP). This time Joe Musgrove, who went six innings, struck out six and gave up just two runs, left behind a great performance that could still not get his team the win. The Padres lost by a score of 5-4.

Looking Ahead

With the All-Star break in Seattle just a couple of weeks away, many division races across the league are getting tight as everyone wants a top spot entering the second half of the season. Instead of sending even a single player to the Emerald City for the All-Star Game, the Padres will be focusing on if they must spend money, make trades, or call up some youngsters to help them get back on track in the second half of play.