Front Row Seat: Padres lose third straight game with trade deadline looming
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Darren Smith
San Diego Padres
Padres outslugged in St. Louis - San Diego Union-Tribune
A sweaty Thursday night did not work out that way for the Padres, as their offense found some potency but their pitchers threw too many pitches that found the seats and the Cardinals outlasted them 9-7 on an oppressively hot Midwestern night.
The Padres went up 2-0 in the first and were down 7-2 in the second. They never got all the way back, but they certainly made it far more interesting than most games they have played over the past 2½ months.
Darvish's struggles put Deadline needs in focus - Padres.com
Yu Darvish is scheduled to make one more start before the Trade Deadline – early next week against the Mets at Petco Park. It’s an important one.
Not because of any potential transactions involving Darvish; he isn’t going anywhere. But given the way Darvish’s performance could impact the Padres’ strategy, there will be plenty to watch for the next time he takes the ball.
Particularly after a start like this one. On Thursday night in St. Louis, Darvish made his fourth start of the season after missing the first 3 1/2 months due to right elbow inflammation. He was roughed up in the Padres’ 9-7 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Rosenthal: Why Padres GM A.J. Preller’s trade deadline approach will be as urgent as ever - The Athletic
As usual, Preller will be one of the prime executives to watch at the deadline, pricing every available player, including his own. He will buy. He will sell. He again will distinguish himself as one of the few lead executives who operate without fear.
What exactly does he intend? Check back Aug. 1. Preller might trade potential free-agent right-hander Dylan Cease and replace him with another starter. He might move closer Robert Suarez, who can hit the open market by declining a pair of $8 million player options, and pick off some other high-leverage reliever to keep his bullpen a strength. How much payroll flexibility Preller has — the Padres, according to FanGraphs, are slightly over the second, $261 million luxury tax threshold — is not known.
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