Will Saturday night’s match be a defeat? Padres San Diego out of their season-long doldrums
Padres manager Bob Melvin certainly hopes so
“It was important to show up tonight the way we did,” Melvin said after the show. Padres won 6-0 against the away team Chicago Cubs to improve to only 27-31 this season
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit two home players and Yu Darvish made two hits on the field in seven innings to get past San Diego.
“We played an all-round excellent game,” Melvin said. “We are starting to find a way to attack.”
But Melvin has said it before — in fact, earlier this week. In a row in the last seven games, Padres were hot or cold with their offensive production
“The offense, it hasn’t happened consistently this year,” Melvin said. “I still believe it’s going to happen. To be a really good team, you can’t just have four or five positions on the roster you’re producing.”
In addition to getting two homers and four RBIs from Tatis on Saturday night, Padres at the end of their lineup produced a pair of sacrificial flycatchers and only the third RBI from Trent Grisham since May 2
But Melvin knows fouling in every other game is not a winning formula. That makes Sunday as important as Padres face childrens right-hander Marcus Stroman (5-4, 2.59 ERA). The Padres will counterattack with left-handed Ryan Weathers (1-3, 4.28)
However, Stroman is not exactly who Padres want to face the hope of an attack. In fact, the 32-year-old has become one of the toughest pitchers in the professional league. Not only does he lead the league with 12 starts, his 0.986 WHIP is #1 and opposing hitters are hitting 0.188 against him.
In his most recent game, against Tampa Bay on Monday, Stroman knocked out the Rays with a hit and a walk with eight hits in a complete match.
“What can I say,” childrens manager David Ross said. “A great performance from a great pitcher. He’s a star who loves to shine. I don’t know how many times I can say ‘he’s a great pitcher, good pitch today. .”
Stroman has played 73 innings this season. He dropped 21 runs with 48 hits—just five home runs—and 24 walks with 62 hits.
“It’s weak contact,” Ross said.
Stroman, who is leading 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA in four career starts vs Padresis part of a solid childrens rotation took a big hit on Saturday after left-hander Justin Steele (6-2, 2.65 ERA) was placed on the 15-day injury list with a forearm strain
Meanwhile, the Padres Also has an injury problem. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts (wrist) and midfielder Roughned Odor (groin) could be on the injury list
“Sunday is an important day for both Odor and Bogaerts,” Melvin said.
And Weathers is inside Padres‘ alternately because Seth Lugo is on the injury list. Weathers is 0-2 in his three starts since May 14, dropping 12 runs (11 earned) with 17 hits and nine walks in 15 2/3 innings for an ERA of 6.32
Weathers is 1-1 with an ERA of 6.75 in four career appearances (three starts) before childrens
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