San Diego Padres lose third straight after another bullpen flub

The San Diego Padres dropped their third game in a row to the San Francisco Giants after their relief pitching erased another late-game lead.

The San Diego Padres are following a blueprint—it’s just not the blueprint that they want, as Tuesday’s series opener with the San Francisco Giants went the way that many Padres games have gone recently.

The Padres wiped out an early lead and a strong effort from starter Chris Paddack when reliever Trey Wingenter gave up three runs in the seventh inning, leading to a 6-5 loss.

Wingenter was brought on for one inning and gave up three runs on two hits. He also walked two, including the leadoff hitter. He was charged with both a blown save and the loss (0-1).

He’s now given up five runs and four walks across his last four appearances.

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The game seemed perfect for the Padres to steal a victory. The Giants are currently in last place in the National League West, and their starting pitcher Tyler Beede had not only never faced San Diego before but never won an MLB game before, either.

And indeed, the Friars jumped out to an early lead thanks to a leadoff home run by Fernando Tatis Jr. They scored a total of four runs off Beede, and one more when Ian Kinsler hit a homer off reliever Tony Watson in the eighth.

Unfortunately, just after the Padres had rallied to go up 4-3, Wingenter arrived and promptly turned that lead into a 6-4 deficit. Kinsler’s home run wasn’t enough for another San Diego Padres rally, and the team dropped another game where they were ahead in the late innings.

The Padres are now 3-7 in June, and have dropped under the .500 mark. They’ve now fallen 11.5 games back of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, when they could have gained valuable ground on them—the Dodgers lost to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.

The month so far has created a familiar theme for San Diego Padres fans. The team has lost more than they’ve won, largely due to their bullpen giving up runs. And even when they’ve won, two of those wins have required the team to come from behind. The team just seems to continue putting itself into difficult positions.

There was some good news, though: starter Chris Paddack rebounded after his recent struggles, giving up three runs on six hits (including a home run) with a walk. That’s his best outing since May 20, although his ERA did rise from 2.97 to 3.15.

And offensively, Fernando Tatis Jr. continued to be on a hot streak since returning from the Injured List on June 6. He was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI’s, including one home run; his OBP is currently a whopping .975.

Eric Hosmer also stood out on a 2-for-4 night with two RBIs, and the Padres had a good night with runners in scoring position, going 3-for-7.

That’s what makes it all the more frustrating that this game ended in a loss. San Diego spoiled a solid effort from Paddack and a golden opportunity with San Francisco struggling this season. But their turbulent bullpen turned a potential victory into another frustrating defeat, and it’s clear that something needs to change before more games go by the wayside.

For complete coverage of the San Diego Padres’ 2019 season, continue following Friars on Base all season long.