Front Row Seat: Padres swept at home by last-place Orioles
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Darren Smith
San Diego Padres
Padres need more from starting pitchers in stretch run - MLB.com
It’s been 10 days since the Padres finished their series against the Dodgers tied for first place in the National League West. An ugly 10 days. In that span, San Diego has dropped three straight series, including a sweep at the hands of the Orioles, capped by Wednesday’s 7-5 loss at Petco Park.
The culprit for that downturn? Poor starting pitching. In the nine games since that Dodgers series, Padres starters are averaging fewer than 3 2/3 innings per start. They’ve combined to post a 7.52 ERA. Ouch.
O's go back-to-back-to-back – for 2nd time this season! - MLB.com
The Orioles had already hit back-to-back-to-back home runs once this season. Left-hander Nestor Cortes had already given up back-to-back-to-back home runs once this season.
Guess what happened Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park?
Baltimore tagged Cortes for three consecutive homers during the third inning of the O’s 7-5 sweep-sealing win vs. the Padres, as Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson achieved the feat. Jackson’s blast chased Cortes, who previously gave up a leadoff home run to Jackson Holliday in the first.
Padres Daily: Some ’21 flashbacks; Machado playing through; Pivetta’s Coors state of mind - San Diego Union-Tribune
The Padres profess faith in their starters, which is understandable for two reasons. First, it is all they can do. Second, those three unknowns have been really good pitchers in the not-too-distant past.
However, the reality is the Padres’ rotation equation is as uncertain as it has been since 2021, when injuries to every starter except Joe Musgrove left them relying on bullpen games and waiver wire pickups over much of the final month-and-a-half.
The Padres aren’t there. But the uncertainty is similar enough to be troubling.
Mason Miller wipes out O's on 9 straight sliders in immaculate inning - MLB.com
Miller became just the second Padre in history to complete an immaculate inning – three strikeouts on nine pitches – during the eighth inning of the Padres’ 7-5 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park. He threw nine consecutive sliders and set down Baltimore’s 2-3-4 hitters in order – Jeremiah Jackson, Ryan Mountcastle and Emmanuel Rivera.
