Padres’ skid against division rivals sparks alarm bells in San Diego

The San Diego Padres surely had the month of June circled on their calendar from the start of the season. Not because of any ceremonial milestone or marquee national holiday — but because it represented one of the toughest stretches of the 2025 regular season. And unfortunately for San Diego, it’s a stretch that could end up defining their year.

Baseball’s 162-game slate is always a grind, but this particular gauntlet offered the Padres both an opportunity and a warning. Over three weeks, San Diego was scheduled to play 14 games against direct NL West rivals — all teams with postseason aspirations and the firepower to derail them. Four games in Oracle Park against the Giants. Three more at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks. Then, two high-stakes clashes with the Dodgers. One at Petco Park, one at Dodger Stadium.

Padres’ June slide in division battles raises big questions about NL West hopes

We all remember the fireworks against L.A. — the hit-by-pitches, the ejections, the simmering tension between two clubs that have grown to genuinely dislike each other. But the theatrics mask the truth, the Padres didn’t win those battles. They lost both series to the Dodgers. They lost to Arizona. They split with San Francisco. And when the dust settled, they finished that stretch with a disappointing 5–9 record.

Just like that, the Padres went from one game behind the Dodgers in the NL West standings to 5.5 games back — not only out of first place, but now trailing both the Dodgers and Giants. Momentum completely gone and a message sent.

Excuses won’t matter come September. Yes, most of those games were on the road. Yes, San Diego is a more formidable team at home — 24–14 in Petco Park compared to 19–22 on the road as of June 25. But when you're playing for banners, the calendar doesn’t offer disclaimers, and the standings don’t give partial credit for tough scheduling.

August is now the next critical proving ground against division rivals. The Padres will host both the Giants and Dodgers in a key seven-game stretch at home — a stretch that could very well serve as their final shot at a meaningful division surge. If they're still in the race by then, that homestand may determine how the season ends.

By then, the Padres are hoping to look like a different team. A healthy one. One that’s been aggressive at the trade deadline. One where Fernando Tatis Jr. is once again hitting with authority. One where Michael King and Yu Darvish are back to anchoring a rotation that desperately needs reinforcements.

But all of that is still speculation. What’s real is what just happened. San Diego stumbled in June. The good news? There's still time to recover. The question now is whether the Padres treat this stretch as a warning — or a wake-up call that ignites their second-half surge.