This is going to be quick because, to be honest, I am sick and tired of writing the same thing over and over and over again. The Padres simply cannot hit right now. On Mother's Day in Los Angeles they were bad even by the incredibly low standards they've set for themselves this season.
The Dodgers completed a sweep of San Diego with a 4-0 win at Dodger Stadium. Two innings stand out as examples of how much San Diego is struggling at the plate. In both they had golden chances to score runs, chances that most good teams convert more often than not:
1st Inning
Fernando Tatis Jr. - Leadoff double
Manny Machado - Groundout to shortstop
Juan Soto - Strikes out looking (granted, this was a terrible call by umpire Bill Miller)
Xander Bogaerts - Strikes out swinging
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
3rd Inning
Trent Grisham - Leadoff double
Brett Sullivan - Strikes out swinging
Tatis Jr. - Walks
Machado - Pops out to shortstop
Soto - Flies out to center
This offense loaded with All-Stars went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, further cementing its place as far and away the worst hitting team in the Major League Baseball in that incredibly important stat. Machado is mired in a 1-for-20 slump. This simply is not working and, with 41 games in the books, we can't keep saying "it's still early" anymore.
Local
The Dodgers, meanwhile, didn't get many opportunities to score but took advantage of theirs. Ryan Weathers returned from a stint at Triple-A El Paso and did enough to give his team a chance to win. In the 3rd inning he gave up a double to Miguel Rojas then made one mistake, elevating a changeup to Mookie Betts.
Unlike the Padres superstars, Betts did not miss.
Mookie ripped a 2-run homer to left to give the Dodgers all the runs they needed. L.A. got two more in the 6th inning after Weathers was pulled with two outs and two on. Brent Honeywell came in and surrendered a double to Miguel Vargas, bringing in both runners and ... for this current version of the Padres offense ... putting it way out of reach.
The Padres are now a full 7.0 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West and three games under .500. They start a 3-game series against the Royals at Petco Park on Monday.
LISTEN: With NBC 7 San Diego's Darnay Tripp and Derek Togerson behind the mic, On Friar will cover all things San Diego Padres. Interviews, analysis, behind-the-scenes...the ups, downs, and everything in between. Tap here to find On Friar wherever you listen to podcasts.
