MLB

Musgrove is Great Again But Padres Fall to Pirates

Offense is stagnant and San Diego's closer suffers a rare off night

SAN DIEGO, CA – MAY 28:  Taylor Rogers #17 of the San Diego Padres reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Ke’Bryan Hayes #13 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Petco Park on May 28, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

It is a testament to how good Joe Musgrove has been this season when he goes 6.0 innings, allowing one run and striking out seven, and it wasn't even one of his better outings. Musgrove did what he's done all nine starts this season, turn in a quality start and give his team a chance to win.

But, for the first time in 2022, the Padres didn't finish the job. San Diego's offense squandered multiple scoring opportunities and closer Taylor Rogers blew his 2nd save chance in a 4-2 loss to the Pirates at Petco Park on Saturday night.

Musgrove was tremendous, as usual, scattering six hits and dropping his season ERA to 1.89. However, his offense didn't give him a cushion to work with, as usual.

The Padres loaded the bases in the 2nd, 6th, and 8th innings. They did not score a single run in any of those opportunities. Their only runs came on an Austin Nola sacrifice fly and a Trent Grisham RBI single, the latter coming in the 7th inning to give the Friars a 2-1 lead.

Rogers gave up a single, a walk, and a 3-run home run to Ke'Bryan Hayes and, even though the deficit was just two runs, the way things are going for the Friars right now they were not going to get back into it.

San Diego put a man on in every inning except the 9th. Overall they left 16 runners on base, the most in a 9-inning game by any team in the Major Leagues this season.

The Friars need to beat the Pirates on Sunday behind rookie MacKenzie Gore to avoid their first losing homestand of the season.

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