One of the reasons Bud Black was fired is the team was underachieving, especially on offense. Pat Murphy was brought in on an interim basis to try and light a fire under the team's collective behind.
That decision has not worked out too well. The Padres were shut out again on Thursday night, this time losing 4-0 to the Miami Marlins. San Diego's offense mustered a mere three hits, all of them singles, in their latest uninspired setback.
Marlins starter Tom Koehler struck out seven Padres in 7.0 innings, but he also walked four batters, giving the Padres multiple chances to get a run on the board. As has become their calling card for yet another season, the Friars could not take advantage of the opportunities.
Padres starter Tyson Ross was even more dominant than Koehler ... until the 6th inning. Ross had thrown 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts, only allowing three infield singles, when the proverbial wheels fell off. After a pair of 2-out singles, Ross unleashed a wild pitch that brought in Martin Prado to put Miami up 1-0. Three more singles followed and Ross was gone, saddled with another loss in a game he looked destined to win.
That brings me back to the managerial change. Under Black, the Padres were one game under .500 while averaging 4.05 runs per game. Since he was fired, the Padres are seven games under .500 and averaging 3.56 runs per game.
You can interpret that any way you see fit.
