Padres Drop Home Finale

The final night of baseball at Petco Park was bitter-sweet. After a touching ceremony honoring legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg; the San Diego Padres could not hang on to an early lead, as they dropped the series finale to the Los Angeles Dodgers by a final of 9-4.

After starter Christian Friedrich cruised through the first four innings, but ran into trouble when young sensation Joc Pederson hit an RBI double. The Dodgers then exploded on offense in the sixth, scoring four runs off of San Diego reliever Jose Torres to take the lead. This surge was fueled by a Pederson two run double off of the wall. From this point forward, the Dodgers did not relinquish their lead.

Eventually, both clubs utilized their bullpens extensively. Brett Anderson was credited with the win for the Dodgers after pitching two and a third innings of scoreless relief. Friedrich was handed the loss even though he didn’t allow all five runs that he earned. It was most definitely a disappointing way to finish the best year of the 29-year-old’s career, but there were some positives for the organization to take away from the outing as well.

Luis Sardinas led the Padres’ offense with three hits in the eighth spot of the lineup. Every other position player also reached base at least once, making the offense easily the most glowing aspect of Thursday night’s game.

Still, the offense struggles with runners in scoring position, as they were just 3 for 16. They also left 11 base runners on, a direct reflection of the lack of a legitimate bat in the middle of the order which can consistently drive in runs. This will be one of the Padres’ primary concerns as they look to add to their roster this weekend.

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While this game may not have meant anything as far as the standings are concerned for the Padres, it was significant for the Dodgers. They still have an outside chance following the triumph to have home field advantage in the National League Division Series. Still, their struggles in the opening two games of this series will make this harder for them.

As for San Diego, they will conclude the season with three games in Arizona. While the Diamondbacks are out of contention just as the Padres are; this upcoming series will serve as an opportunity for the Padres to get to 70 wins on the year. To achieve this threshold, they would need to take two out of three in Arizona.

Next: Padres Look to Slow Dodgers in Home Finale

In the end, last night’s game was a disappointing conclusion to San Diego’s season at Petco Park. Still, the young players who continue to be on display in the late stages of the season provide a degree of promise for Padres fans.