San Diego Padres avoid Players’ Weekend sweep with win vs. Red Sox

The San Diego Padres were able to nab a win from the reigning World Series champs to halt the losing streak and avoid the sweep.

The San Diego Padres had already lost four games in row coming into Sunday’s tilt with the Boston Red Sox. They weren’t looking to make it five.

Scoring three runs in the first inning, the Friars were able to hold that lead until the very end. They not only stopped their four-game losing skid, but also they avoided a sweep on MLB Players’ Weekend at the hands of the 2018 World Series champions.

San Diego has shaken up the lineup and it proved to be the right decision on Sunday, as the first three hitters immediately notched the win.

Manuel Margot hit a leadoff double to left field, and Francisco  Mejía — who, by the way, was starting the game in left field — hit a single to the same spot to drive in Margot. Manny Machado capped off the scoring with a two-run homer.

It was a generally uneventful afternoon at Petco Park, as the Padres and Red Sox combined for only nine hits on the day. The Friars capitalized off their opportunities, going 1-for-3 with RISP and leaving five men on base.

The Red Sox weren’t as effective, going 0-for-3 with RISP and leaving six runners on base.

Joey Lucchesi had a strong, if short, outing as he finished the game with five innings pitched, three strikeouts, and two walks; he allowed the only run the Red Sox would earn all day.

The bullpen came in and did their job, combining for four IP with one hit, no runs, six strikeouts, and one walk, while Kirby Yates snatched his 37th save of the season.

Finally earning their 60th win of the season, San Diego sits at 60-69 and 8.5 games back from the wild card. With 33 games left, the Padres are almost certainly out of the playoffs and would need to go 22-11 just to finish at .500 on the year.

It’s a tall task and looks like a pipe dream at this point. The Padres will likely spend September toying with the lineup and hopefully giving some other prospects or players some looks across the field.

For now, San Diego will prepare to play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who come to Petco Park with an MLB-leading 86-46 record. If the Padres want to get close to sniffing .500, they’ll need to bring their A-game to this divisional match up.

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