WBC semifinal quietly turned into a cruel reminder of the Padres’ 2023 collapse

The Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic semifinal loss ended up feeling strangely familiar for Padres fans. Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, and Manny Machado were all in the lineup, and the offense continued to come up empty. That made the whole thing feel less like a one-off WBC frustration and more like an uncomfortable callback to the 2023 Padres.

San Diego already lived through this version once. In 2023, the Padres had Soto, Machado, and Tatis sharing the same lineup and still somehow finished 82-80. That season never really made much sense. On paper, no one questioned how it could not work, but too often the offense created chances and then failed to cash them in, which is exactly why this DR performance felt so familiar in such an annoying way.

Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Manny Machado sparked a brutal Padres flashback

What made this so familiar for Padres fans was not just the loss. It was the rhythm of it. A chance builds, the moment gets bigger, and then somehow nothing comes from it. Tatis thrown out at third by Aaron Judge before Soto’s turn at the plate, Wells stranded the bases loaded, Soto killed another chance with a double play, and the DR still could not cash in later with runners in scoring position. That is the kind of game Padres fans know a little too well.

That game was reminiscent of the entire emotional experience of the 2023 Padres. They weren’t boring, which almost made it worse. They were talented enough to keep pulling everyone back in. Every time it felt like they were about to click, they would run right back into the same wall. The stars were there. So was the hype. The production, when it needed to show up in the biggest spots, too often was not.

Hate to admit it, but there was something kind of funny about seeing Machado, Soto, and Tatis tied to another game where the offense just would not cash in. Not funny in a “what a great memory” kind of way. More like funny in the way an old scar starts acting up when the weather changes. You notice it immediately, and you are a little annoyed that it still knows how to bother you.

What a cruel little callback for Padres fans. This should have just been a fun WBC moment. Instead, it turned into a reminder of a season San Diego still has not really lived down. Same superstar bats. Same stranded chances. Same feeling of looking at the lineup and asking how this is even possible.