Padres Week in Review: After Seattle Sweep, Dodgers Are Next

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot

Record last week: 4-2

Runs scored last week: 25

Runs allowed last week: 21

Standings

Scores

• Off
• Game 41 (Tuesday): Brewers 6, Padres 4
• Game 42 (Wednesday): Padres 3, Brewers 1
• Game 43 (Thursday): Brewers 7, Padres 1
• Game 44 (Friday): Padres 2, Mariners 0
• Game 45 (Saturday): Padres 7, Mariners 4
• Game 46 (Sunday): Padres 8, Mariners 3

Week in Review and Highlights

Brewers series

Game 1: It what could very well be his last game in a Padres uniform, right-hander Matt Waldron didn't make a very strong statement to keep him around. In fact, it was just the opposite. Waldron coughed up six runs in 2⅔ innings as the Padres fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4. With Lucas Giolito set to join the roster this weekend, Waldron is the easy choice to be replaced in the rotation. In five games, including three starts and following an opener the last two outings, Waldron has amassed a 9.28 ERA. Waldron has no minor-league options remaining, which means he is likely to be designated for assignment and potentially be claimed by another team. He could stick around if he goes unclaimed and accepts being outrighted to the minors.

Coming in after right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez served as his opener again, Waldron pitched a scoreless second and gave up a run in the third on a rare Joey Ortiz homer. But it was the fourth inning where Waldron came undone. After the Friars took a 2-1 lead in the top half on a two-run Nick Castellanos single, the Brewers pieced together a five-run outburst via hard hits, soft hits, a walk and pressuring Waldron into a fielding faux pas en route to a 6-2 lead.

Meanwhile, the Padres' bats were kept off-balance by Brewers rookie right-hander Brandon Sproat, who allowed three runs on six hits in 5⅓ innings, striking out six and walking two. Sproat was lifted after giving up a solo homer to Miguel Andujar, his third of the season, and a single to Xander Bogaerts. The Padres put together a rally in the eighth inning as Fernando Tatis Jr. had a leadoff single and went to second on a wild pitch. One out later, Andujar doubled home Tatis, but Bogaerts and Ty France struck out to and the threat.

Game 2: For the second time in three games, the Padres entered the ninth inning with zero runs. And for the second time in three games, the Padres were victorious because of ninth-inning rallies. After scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth Sunday and winning in the 10th vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, the Padres turned to late-inning hero Gavin Sheets once again and he delivered a dramatic three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth for a 3-1 victory. For Sheets, it was his third homer in the ninth inning of at least three runs that put his team ahead. There have only been a total of four in all of MLB, including Sheets' trio. It was the 13th comeback win in 42 games, including an MLB-best five from a deficit of four or more runs, and 25th win of the season, keeping the Friars atop the NL West.

In the ninth, Tatis and Manny Machado were retired by Brewers closer Abner Uribe to begin the frame. Andujar got things going with a single to center and was replaced by pinch-runner Bryce Johnson. Bogaerts drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch, bringing up Sheets, who went out an got an 87.6 mph slider on the outside corner and at the top of the zone, yanking it into the right-field stands for the go-ahead homer and his sixth blast of the year. The Padres have scored 38 runs in the ninth inning or later, the most in MLB.

Before the ninth, it was a pitching duel. Michael King kept the Brewers off the board until an RBI groundout in the fifth inning. King would finish with 5⅔ innings, allowing six hits and two runs with five strikeouts. It was King's fifth start this year (nine total) of allowing one or fewer runs. But as good as King was, Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski was even better. The flamethrower struck out 10 in seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits. Misiorowski threw 40 pitches at more than 100 mph.

Sheets' blast gave Mason Miller a save opportunity. Following scoreless outings by right-handers Jeremiah Estrada and Jason Adam, Miller gave up a hit, but struck out two to secure his 13th save in as many chances.

Game 3: The Padres have come back so many times this season that when the Friars fell behind 6-0 after two innings in the series finale, you had to think there was plenty of time to erase that deficit. But not on this occasion. Right-handed starter Griffin Canning struggled for the first time in his three starts since joining the Padres, who dropped the series with a 7-1 setback. Canning only got five outs and allowed six runs to the Brewers, who like to nickel-and-dime teams to death. Canning, who threw 43 pitches in the first inning, walked four and gave up five hits, while notching a pair of strikeouts. That put the onus on the bullpen, which once again came through, but could use a few quality starts from the rotation. Included in that bullpen effort was a surprise appearance by Waldron, the starter just two days prior. Waldron allowed one hit and struck out four in two scoreless innings. Manager Craig Stammen said postgame that Waldron would be joining the bullpen this weekend for the Mariners series, giving the relievers another multi-inning arm.

Meanwhile, the Padres' offense was stifled again. Left-hander Kyle Harrison spun five shutout innings, striking out seven with no walks and five hits. The Padres couldn't break into the scoring column until the ninth inning. Castellanos reached on a one-out error by the first baseman, went to second on Freddy Fermin's single and to third on Johnson's walk that loaded the bases. Sung-Mun Song hit an RBI grounder to short, easily beating the relay to first to prevent a game-ending double play.

Mariners series

Game 1: The evolution of Randy Vasquez from questionable back-end starter to an extremely reliable No. 3-type took another big step. The right-hander turned in his third shutout outing, allowing four hits and striking out three while not issuing a walk paved the way for a 2-0 victory to open the second leg of the Vedder Cup. The Padres improved to 8-1 in Vasquez starts as he lowered his ERA to 2.68 (3.30 FIP). This one got at little sticky at the end. After a scoreless seventh from left-hander Adrian Morejon, Adam came on for the eighth with a 2-0 lead. After a strikeout, Morejon gave up a single to Brendan Donovan and a walk to Julio Rodriguez before Josh Naylor flew out to center. With Randy Arozarena due up, Stammen summoned Miller for a four-out save.

Arozarena reached on an infield single when he threw the bat at one of Miller's wicked sliders and the bat shattered into a gazillion pieces as no play was able to be made on the ball, loading the bases. But Miller escaped by winning a seven-pitch battle with Connor Joe, who looked at a center-cut slider for strike three to end the eighth. In the ninth, Miller walked J.P. Crawford on five pitches and struck our Rob Refsnyder on six pitches. Cole Young singled Crawford to second before Miller struck out Mitch Garver and Donovan to end the inning. It was Miller's third four-out save of the season and second in six days.

Offense is always at a premium when playing at T-Mobile Park and this day was no exception. Andujar continued his recent hot run in the fourth when he doubled home Sheets, who had walked with one out stole second with two outs. Andujar was in the middle of things in the seventh, too. He had a one-out single and moved to third on Laureano's single, with Song driving him in with a groundout to first.

Three of the Padres' four shutouts this year have come in Vasquez starts. The victory also clinched the Vedder Cup for the Padres, who swept the Mariners in the earlier series.

Game 2: The Rodolfo Duran game. After spending 11 seasons in the minor leagues, Duran finally got a call-up May 7, but had yet to get a hit. That changed in his fourth game and in his 11th plate appearance when he not only got his first MLB hit, but he did it by smacking a first-pitch fastball for a two-run homer in the seventh inning that helped the Padres to a 7-4 triumph. Duran has hit 81 homers in 631 career minor-league games, including 20 at Triple-A El Paso as he has spent the last two seasons in the Padres' organization. Now he has one in the majors, coming on national television, after lining one out to left off right-handed starter Logan Gilbert. He should have had a second, but his ninth-inning drive to center was snared by Julio Rodriguez, who reached over the wall to bring it back.

Duran's blast was the third by the Friars in the game. Sheets hit a solo shot in the second inning, his seventh this year, while Castellanos drilled a three-run homer in a four-run fourth. It was Castellanos' third homer of the season and second in his last five games, with this one putting the Padres up 5-0. Andujar drove in a run with an RBI groundout following walks to Machado and Sheets and a single by Bogaerts.

Padres right-handed starter Walker Buehler was solid and threw a season-high 101 pitches to make it through five innings. He surrendered two runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He gave up an RBI single in the fourth and Crawford's solo homer in the fifth. Five relievers were needed to finish this one out, with right-hander Alek Jacob, called up Friday, when Waldron went on the 15-day injured list, providing the only blemish by allowing two runs without getting an out in the eighth. That made it a 7-4 game. With Miller unavailable, Stammen turned to Estrada to get the save, which he did despite giving up a single and a walk. That was Estrada's five career save and gave the Padres a series win in Seattle for the first time since 2018.

Game 3: Lucas Giolito's much-anticipated debut went about as well as he could have imagined, albeit the finish could have been better. And thanks to two more Sheets homers, it was a victorious first game with the Padres, too. Giolito took a shutout into the sixth inning and Sheets went 3-for-3 and drove in four as the Padres swept the Mariners for the second time with an 8-3 win in the finale of this year's Vedder Cup.

Giolito allowed just one hit in five-plus innings, striking out three, but he walked three straight to open the sixth inning to end his day. He threw 78 pitches, 44 for strikes, and looked in control until the sixth. After walking the bases loaded, left-hander Yuki Matsui came on to face Josh Naylor, a left-handed hitter whom he walked to trim the Padres' lead to 7-1. Two sacrifice flies followed, meaning all three of Giolito's runners that Matsui inherited scored.

Meanwhile, thanks to Sheets, the Friars had a big offensive day against an ace-quality opponent. Sheets cranked a solo homer against Mariners right-hander George Kirby with two outs in the first, then a two-run shot in a five-run sixth inning as the Padres took a 7-0 lead. France, who has a team-high nine homers, had an RBI single in the fifth, with Merrill an run-scoring double and France another single to bring home the final two in the top of the sixth. After the Mariners got their three runs in the bottom of the sixth, Sheets got one back when he rifled an RBI double down the right-field line to score Tatis, who hit leadoff in this game. Sheets was on base in all five plate appearances as he also drew a pair of walks.

Now the Padres have their first series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, separated by just half a game atop the NL West standings.

Marvelous Mason Miller

Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer:

• Season stats: 20 games, 1-0, 14 saves in 14 chances, 0.86 ERA, 21 innings, 10 hits, two runs, six walks, 44 strikeouts. 
• In May, has four saves with 15 of 17 outs via strikeout.
• Struck out the side seven times this year, including in five straight appearances.

Random Stats

• Gavin Sheets became the first player in MLB history to hit a three-run homer or grand slam in the ninth inning to put his team ahead three times in a full season, according to OptaStats.
• The Padres are 13-5 this year in games decided by two runs or less.
• Miguel Andujar's double Friday vs. the Mariners was his ninth on the road this year, which were the second-most in MLB. He has only one double at home and leads the team with 10.
• Randy Vasquez is now tied with Michael King for the team lead in quality starts with four. Walker Buehler has the other two.
• Adrian Morejon has held left-handed hitters hitless in 13 of his last 14 appearances when facing at least one lefty hitter, including 0-for-16 in the last eight instances.
• Fernando Tatis Jr.'s season power outage reached 193 plate appearances. Only three other players with enough plate appearances to qualify for hitting leaders have yet to hit a homer: Nick Gonzales of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Nasim Nunez of the Washington Nationals and Luis Rengifo of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Transactions

• Friday: Placed RHP Matt Waldron on the 15-day injured list with a right brachialis muscle injury.
• Friday: Recalled RHP Alek Jacob from Triple-A El Paso.
• Sunday: recalled RHP Lucas Giolito from Double-A San Antonio.
• Sunday: Optioned RHP Alek Jacob to Triple-A El Paso.
• Sunday: Sent RHP Jhony Brito on a rehab assignment to Double-A San Antonio.

Website Highlights

• Bogaerts' improvements are the result of one hilariously simple root cause — Randy Holt
• Laureano suddenly can't turn left — N.B. Lindberg
  Is Salas suddenly an untouchable prospect again for the Padres? — Randy Holt
• Don't sleep on Miranda: Why the former top prospect is the ultimate Padres depth piece — Taylor Leonard
• What Andujar lacks in patience, he makes up for in contact — Tom Gatto
• Padres' farm system update: Breaking down Padres Mission's new Top 20 list — Steve Drumwright

Looking Ahead

• Monday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) at Padres (Michael King), 6:40 p.m.
• Tuesday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan) at Padres (Griffin Canning), 6:40 p.m.
• Wednesday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani) at Padres (Randy Vasquez), 5:40 p.m.
• Thursday: Off
• Friday: A's at Padres (German Marquez), 6:40 p.m.
• Saturday: A's at Padres (Lucas Giolito), 6:40 p.m.
• Sunday: A's at Padres (Michael King), 1:10 p.m.