The good news from Friday night, when the Padres opened a 3-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, is it looks like Blake Snell is almost fully rounded into form and should be one of the National League's better starting pitchers for the rest of the season.
That is the only good news from Friday night.
The same things that have hurt the Padres for most of the 2023 season ... an inconsistent offense and a shaky bullpen ... came back to haunt them again in a 4-2 loss at Dodger Stadium. Snell only gave up two runs in 6.0 innings but, as is usually the case, he did the damage to himself. Snell walked Trayce Thompson and Mookie Betts to lead off the 3rd inning then had to throw a way-too-hittable pitch to Freddie Freeman, who lined it to the wall for a 2-run double. For a while it looked like that would be enough for Dustin May.
The Dodgers starter was steamrolling his way through San Diego's lineup, taking a shutout to the 7th inning when he finally faltered. Xander Bogaerts doubled with two outs then Matt Carpenter drew a walk. Padres manager Bob Melvin shrewdly sent in Rougned Odor at a pinch-runner for Carpenter and the move paid off when Ha-Seong Kim doubled down the left field line. Odor scored all the way from 1st base, something Carpenter doesn't have the speed for, and the game was tied 2-2.
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Snell was off the hook. Tim Hill was on it and he had a bad outing.
Hill gave up back-to-back home runs to Betts and Freeman to put the Dodgers back on top 4-2 but the Padres had a chance to strike back in the 8th inning. Nelson Cruz led off with a single and went to 3rd base on a single by Fernando Tatis Jr. With runners at the corners and nobody out a good offense is expected to get AT LEAST one run home.
Right now this is not a good offense.
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Jake Cronenworth struck out, Manny Machado grounded into a double play, and that was that. The Padres have dropped three straight to their I-5 rivals. Joe Musgrove will try to end the streak on Saturday afternoon against Julio Urias.
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