4 calming takeaways from Padres' first loss of the 2025 season

It took eight games, but the San Diego Padres finally have a loss in the 2025 regular season. The Friars had been clicking on all cylinders through one week of contests, which led to their best start in franchise history.

On Friday, the Padres fell to the Chicago Cubs on the road in a 3-1 losing effort. Obviously, a loss was inevitable, and even though they were not on the winning side, there were plenty of positive takeaways from San Diego's first defeat in 2025.

Martín Maldonado still has some power

Maldonado was released by the Chicago White Sox last July, and part of that was due to his lack of production on offense. The 38-year-old catcher had a brutal spring with San Diego, too, batting .167. The Friars were unsure of any kind of offensive output from Maldonado this year, but he gained some trust in that department after blasting a home run in the loss against the Cubs, which was San Diego's lone run of the game. It marked his first round-tripper with the Friars, which tied the game at 1 in the top of the third inning.

Knowing that he still has some pop in his bat is a breath of fresh air, considering that the catcher position is still a weak spot in the Padres' lineup.

The Padres stars remain locked in

Even in a loss, there is no slowing down Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. On Friday, they both handed in 2-for-4 efforts at the dish, including a Merrill double. Merrill, who signed a nine-year extension with the Padres this week, is 12-for-28 to begin his sophomore season.

Tatis Jr. is 13-for-30, and his hit total leads all of Major League Baseball. Merrill is tied for second with Lars Nootbaar and Kyle Tucker.

The lineup faced a left-handed ace on the road

The Padres opposed one of the best pitchers in the National League in this loss. Facing Shota Imanaga, he held San Diego to four hits in 7 1/3 frames, but this is to be expected. Imanaga, who was a rookie last year, finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award race, earning All-Star honors behind a 2.91 ERA.

Imanaga, in three starts this season, has allowed just two earned runs in 18 2/3 innings. His dominance comes to no surprise, which will not slow the roll of San Diego's impressive production at the plate.

Three bullpen arms looked strong

Yuki Matsui, Alek Jacob, and Wandy Peralta kept the Friars in the ball game from the fifth inning on. They held the Cubs scoreless on the road against a tough Chicago lineup, so to see their effectiveness in this setting was impressive.

Matsui and Peralta have yet to surrender a run in 8 1/3 combined innings. Jacob, who has been a little shaky to begin his 2025 season, allowed just one baserunner on Friday while recording five outs.