Padres News: Michael King stranded again, Jackson Merrill turns heads, Matt Waldron hits a crossroads

The Padres are playing August baseball with little margin for error. Strong pitching performances can’t get wasted like they did in their latest series against the Mets.

Today’s roundup stretches from a frustrating afternoon at Citi Field to some overdue national recognition and another abrupt turn on the transaction for former Padre Matt Waldron. The Padres get the day off. But the storylines are taking extra bases.

Padres waste another strong Michael King start

The Padres fell to 68-60 after Michael King did his job on Aug. 19. Unfortunately the lineup could not help him out. He worked 6 2/3 innings against the Mets, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Carson Benge’s two-run homer was the only real damage against him.

Instead, the Padres managed five hits, struck out 12 times and went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position during a 4-2 loss at Citi Field. King fell to 8-9 despite lowering his ERA to 3.38.

The Padres wasted another one of the few quality starts they’ve gotten then season. And they did it against a 58-win team while dropping two of three in a series they should have controlled. That formula will get a team bounced from the playoff race in a hurry.

Still, there’s a lot to like about this current version of the Padres that have won 7out of their last 10 games.

Jackson Merrill’s surge is earning national attention

Jackson Merrill’s season was stuck in the mud for months. Now he’s in the conversation among baseball’s most dangerous hitters.

Merrill was listed eighth in the latest MLB Hitter Power Rankings discussion, recognition powered by a loud second-half turnaround. At one point in August, he homered in three consecutive games and led the majors with nine home runs since the All-Star break.

That’s the Merrill the Padres need. However he did have a rough series in New York. He went hitless in the finale and finished the final two games of the series 0-for-8 with six strikeouts. Hitters cool off. The important part is that Merrill has already dragged himself out of a much deeper hole.

Former Padres knuckleballer Matt Waldron DFA’d again

Matt Waldron’s stay with the Toronto Blue Jays lasted about two weeks. Toronto DFA’d Waldron on Aug. 19 while selecting left-hander Brendan Cellucci. The Blue Jays had claimed Waldron off waivers from San Diego on Aug. 5, one week after the Padres removed him from their roster.

He made four appearances for Toronto and allowed five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, producing a 10.38 ERA. This is now his second DFA since July 29.

Waldron could still clear waivers and land in another organization. Knuckleballers tend to receive extra chances because almost nobody throws the pitch anymore. For now, though, his post-Padres chapter is looking less like a fresh start and more like confirmation that San Diego moved on at the right time.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow