SAN DIEGO — The Padres may in poor health afford to lose any video games the remainder of the season to maintain their slim playoff possibilities alive.
Saturday’s 5-2 11-inning loss to the Cardinals was a double whammy, because it each lowered San Diego’s already low playoff odds and ended its season-high eight-game profitable streak. With the loss, the Padres moved to 5 video games again of a playoff spot with seven video games remaining within the season.
Their loss on Saturday was, in some ways, an excellent illustration of the bigger points they’ve handled all yr. With the loss, the Padres moved to 0-12 in extra-innings video games, becoming a member of the 1969 Montreal Expos as the one groups to lose a dozen extra-innings video games with out profitable one. It was additionally one other instance of the uneven efficiency that the Padres have proven this season.
“We had a few alternatives that we felt actually good about. It’s been an issue in additional innings clearly,” Padres supervisor Bob Melvin mentioned. “There was a distinct feeling right now. It felt like we had been going to complete it. It’s somewhat on the beautiful facet, based mostly on the way in which that we’ve been taking part in and the sorts of video games we’ve been profitable.”
Padres pitchers did all they may to maintain the group within the recreation. They allowed two runs within the first 9 innings earlier than sending the sport to extras, the place the Cardinals scored the deciding three runs towards Scott Barlow within the eleventh inning. It was kick-started by 4 scoreless innings from Nick Martinez, the membership’s Swiss Military knife who operated as a starter on Saturday. He was adopted by six Padres relievers who mixed to permit three runs (two earned) in seven innings.
A Padres offense that entered the sport second within the Majors in runs per recreation (5.95) within the month of September couldn’t help the pitching employees. Whereas they managed solely six hits (all singles), the offense walked a season-high 12 occasions. The alternatives had been definitely there. They only couldn’t capitalize on them.
“That was the distinction right now. The Cardinals received some huge hits in a while with [runners in scoring position],” Melvin mentioned. “1-for-17 [with RISP] is quite a bit. We didn’t come by way of.”
Saturday’s loss was primarily a step nearer to placing the ultimate touches on the Padres’ season. In addition to this membership performed — their 14-6 document is the perfect within the Majors in September — the percentages had been nonetheless towards them regardless of their latest profitable streak. Even when the Padres win their remaining seven video games, it’d take the proper mixture of groups forward of them (primarily the Cubs and D-backs) having historic collapses.
Which makes the tip of the season all of the extra perplexing if not infuriating for many who anticipated this group to construct on the 2022 season. After profitable two playoff collection final yr and reaching the NL Championship Sequence, the sky-high expectations positioned on this group had been warranted. Few groups rivaled the sheer star energy San Diego had and it had final yr’s outcomes to again it up.
Because the season slowly performed out, although, the Padres had been seemingly by no means in a position to get it going greater than a recreation or two at a time. Besides the script flipped when the group received to September and it couldn’t cease profitable video games. After not profitable greater than three video games in a row all season, the Padres pulled off an eight-game profitable streak. With time operating out, nevertheless, it was too little, too late.
The Padres’ playoff odds dropped to 0.1 p.c, per FanGraphs, after Saturday’s loss. Their magic quantity for being eradicated from a Wild Card spot is at three. They’ll look to maintain these odds alive on Sunday, with Michael Wacha getting his second profession begin towards his former group within the Cardinals.