Padres Week In Review: A Week of What-Ifs in the West

[Alex Carl]

Weekly Snapshot:
Record Last Week: 2-4 (Overall: 39-31)
Run Scored Last Week: 36
Runs Surrendered Last Week: 29
Standing: 3rd in NL West (3.0 GB 1st place LAD)

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Game 65 (6/09) | LAD 8, SD 7
Game 66 (6/10) | SD 11, LAD 1
Game 67 (6/11) | LAD 5, SD 2
Game 68 (6/13) | ARI 5, SD 1
Game 69 (6/14) | ARI 8, SD 7
Game 70 (6/15) | SD 8, ARI 2
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Transactions:
06/15/25 - Recalled INF Trenton Brooks from AAA El Paso. 
06/15/25 - Placed OF Jackson Merrill on the 7-day injured list. (Concussion)
06/13/25 - Sent OF Jason Heyward on a rehab assignment to AAA El Paso.

Breakdown/Highlights:
It was a frustrating week for the Padres, who dropped four of six games to the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, two key rivals in the NL West. At the same time, the bats showed flashes, but late-inning meltdowns and inconsistent starting pitching cost San Diego in winnable games. The Padres did manage to finish on a high note, thanks to a strong outing and timely offense on Sunday in Arizona.

The bullpen’s worst moment came Saturday, when the Padres let a 7–3 lead slip away in the bottom of the ninth against Arizona, capped by a walk-off hit from the D-backs. It was the second game this week they let slip in the late innings after also falling in extras to the Dodgers on Monday.

Manny Machado continues to swing a hot bat, driving in ten runs this week with a couple of multi-hit games. His consistency has been a rare steadying force for a lineup that’s been otherwise uneven. Fernando Tatis Jr. added his stamp on the week with a four-hit game on Sunday, helping to fuel an 8–2 win that prevented a sweep in Arizona.

Earlier in the week, Dylan Cease delivered his best outing of the season, throwing seven shutout innings and 11 strikeouts against the Dodgers in a win that briefly steadied the ship.

Rookie Ryan Bergert provided a glimmer of hope on the mound with a solid outing Saturday night, tossing five innings of two-run ball and showing poise in a hostile environment. But Stephen Kolek and Nick Pivetta both struggled in their starts, putting more pressure on a taxed bullpen.

Nick Pivetta closed out the week with authority, rebounding from a poor start earlier in the week to throw seven strong innings with nine strikeouts on Sunday. It was the kind of bounce-back effort San Diego needed after another rough bullpen performance the night before.

Health is becoming a concern again as Jackson Merrill left Saturday’s game after taking a tag to the head on a caught stealing attempt. He was held out of Sunday’s lineup to be monitored for a possible concussion. The Padres ultimately placed Merrill on the 7-day injured list on Sunday with a concussion, indicating he will be out for at least the following week. 

Despite the frustrations, Sunday’s win was a reminder of this team’s ceiling when things click: efficient starting pitching, top-of-the-lineup firepower, and bullpen stability.  That formula will be tested again in a tough four-game set in Los Angeles against the division-leading Dodgers.

Looking Ahead:
June 16, 2025 – Padres at Dodgers – 7:10 PM PT
June 17, 2025 – Padres at Dodgers – 7:10 PM PT
June 18, 2025 – Padres at Dodgers – 7:10 PM PT
June 19, 2025 – Padres at Dodgers – 7:10 PM PT
June 20, 2025 – Royals at Padres – 6:40 PM PT
June 21, 2025 – Royals at Padres– 4:15 PM PT
June 22, 2025 – Royals at Padres – 1:10 PM PT

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