MLB

Padres Offense Struggles Again in Loss to the Cubs

More missed chances lead to a series loss at Wrigley Field

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 27: Dansby Swanson #7 of the Chicago Cubs turns a double play past a sliding Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Wrigley Field on April 27, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Manny Machado hit his second home run of the season, and the first one he's pulled out of the ballpark. That swing was one of the very few the Padres made in another punchless loss.

The Friars lost to the Cubs 5-2 on Thursday afternoon, dropping two of three in the series and falling (again) back under .500 for the season. Aside from Manny's bomb the Padres had five hits, all singles, but they also drew five walks to put plenty of traffic on the basepaths. They just can't seem to find hits at the right times, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

San Diego is now hitting .216 as a team for the season, tied with the Detroit Tigers for the worst batting average in Major League Baseball.

Starting pitcher Seth Lugo wasn't at his best but he was plenty good enough to keep his team in the game. Lugo allowed four runs in 5.0 innings with three strikeouts. In the 2nd inning Lugo was hurt by the long ball, allowing back-to-back home runs to Eric Hosmer and Nelson Velazquez. Dansby Swanson added a solo shot in the 7th inning off Tim Hill to put it out of reach for the Padres struggling bats.

San Diego gets a rare Friday off as they travel to Mexico City for a two-game set against the Giants. It will be the first MLB games ever played in Mexico's capital and if they're going to find their offense anywhere they can do it south of the border. Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu sits 7,349 feet above sea level. That's almost a half mile higher than Coors Field in Denver.

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. 

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