Front Row Seat: Padres lose 4th consecutive game

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Weekend Recap: A dud at Dodger Stadium

It was a tough weekend for the Padres but a great one for San Diego FC and San Diego Wave FC.

Section 1904Darren Smith

San Diego Padres

Padres lose a game of what-ifs against Giants - San Diego Union-Tribune
However Monday night’s game turned out, there was going to be a lot to talk about.

Like what would have happened if an umpire in New York saw an apparent home run the same way it seemed many other people saw it.

And what might have happened if Ryan O’Hearn had been in the starting lineup.

There is no guarantee the night’s other events would have gone the way they did if anything was changed. And a loss is often littered with what-ifs to some extent.

Fan interference call overturns Xander Bogaerts’ HR, Mike Shildt ejected in tough Padres loss - The Athletic
In the bottom of the second inning at Petco Park, two fans reached over the wall in left field on a high fly ball hit by Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts. The ball appeared to touch the glove of Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos before making it over the wall. Umpires initially ruled it a home run, but overturned the decision on a replay review when they determined that a fan interfered with Ramos’ ability to make a catch.

Tom Krasovic: Mike Shildt a better fit for Padres, A.J. Preller than his predecessor - San Diego Union-Tribune
Preller knew Shildt much better than he knew Melvin when Melvin – supported by late Padres chairman Peter Seilder – was hired as Tingler’s replacement.

Shildt and Preller had spent the previous two seasons working together, with Shildt serving as a senior adviser to Preller. That gig schooled Shildt on Preller’s management style and exposed the former St. Louis Cardinals manager, scout and minor-league instructor to Padres prospects. One was his future center fielder, Jackson Merrill. Many others would become trade currency, bringing big-leaguers to Shildt’s Padres teams.

Padres grapple with how to deploy O'Hearn - Padres.com
Nearly three weeks ago, the Padres traded six prospects – including two of their top eight – to acquire Ryan O'Hearn and Ramón Laureano at the Trade Deadline. Laureano has been playing every day (and is mashing). O’Hearn, meanwhile, appears to be cast in a part-time role, sitting against left-handed pitching.

Monday night’s series opener against the Giants – a 4-3 Padres loss at Petco Park – marked the fifth time San Diego has faced a lefty starter since trading for O’Hearn. He has been on the bench all five times.

Pressing Questions - Letters to A.J.
The Padres were swept in Los Angeles dropping from first in the NL West to two games back. It was a bizarre series bookended by one run games, with an uncompetitive Game 2 being the most dispiriting of the three. It’s fair to say that the series was not the highly competitive clash the league was looking forward to. The sweep ensured that the Dodgers will win the season series irrespective of the outcome of the three games the teams will play at Petco later this week. This was a series that raised a number of questions that don’t seem to have clear answers.

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