After an early lead in game one versus the Seattle Mariners, Padres pitching could not contain ‘The Big Dumper’ and Co. For San Diego’s offense, Monday night could have finally proved to be a turning point in the slugging department:

You’d think that after launching four home runs as a collective offense in a single game, the Padres would file into victory formation, shake hands, and enjoy a victory, no? Well, unfortunately for them, game one of a three-game set against `the Mariners proved otherwise. San Diego ultimately dropped the contest by a final score of 9-6 to lose for a second straight day. 

Gavin Sheets, Jake Cronenworth, and Fernando Tatis Jr. went deep in a four-run second inning off of Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller. What felt like smooth sailing after obtaining a 4-1 lead after two frames, Padres starter J.P. Sears couldn’t shutdown the Mariners lineup. After catcher Cal Raleigh connected on his 50th blast of the season in the first, Jorge Polanco answered in the bottom of the second with a two-run shot of his own to pull the M’s back to within a run. 

Sears would load the bases with no outs to start the bottom of the fourth inning, but induced a double play off the bat of shortstop J.P. Crawford, allowing the tying run to score in the process. Sears, who was acquired by San Diego from the Athletics in the blockbuster that also netted them Mason Miller at the trade deadline, has for the most part struggled through his first three starts as a Friar. 

With the exception of a nifty six inning, one run effort against the San Francisco Giants on August 20, the lefty has combined to allow eight earned runs on 15 hits, including three homers in 8 2/3 innings pitched in two other starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Monday night against Seattle.

The Mariners pounced on righty David Morgan out of the bullpen for a five-run fifth inning that sealed a night of ineffectiveness from Padres pitching.

Powering up?

For all the muscle the Padres possess in their lineup, there seemingly has been no sign of slugging in the order. Deadline godsend Ramón Laureano smacked his 20th bomb of the campaign in the loss, tallying the four Friar homers. San Diego ranks 29th in all of baseball in team home runs. Their 132 blasts sit only in front of the Pittsburgh Pirates for last in MLB. 

In order for the Padres to have an effective and stress-free run in September and most importantly October, they need to start slugging. Fernando Tatis Jr.’s two-run shot in the second was his first since July 24 and broke the longest homer-less streak of his career (128 PAs). Manny Machado, who is in the midst of a fine offensive season, has only hit one home run since July 30 and Jackson Merrill, who has battled injuries this season and is currently on the IL has only hit nine to the 24 he launched in his rookie campaign last season. 

Padres HR leaders since July 31:

Win the series

The Padres will roll out Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish to counter Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo in the series’ last two contests. Cease notched a win his last time out against the Giants on August 21, while Yu Darvish showed off a masterful display of pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night at Petco Park. Seattle, who boasts one of the game’s best starting rotations, will look to Castillo, who took a loss against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 20, while Woo is having a tremendous season and was a 2025 American League All-Star.

If the Padres can mix in some slug with the smart small-ball they’ve played all season long, will go a long way into helping the pitching staff. They’ll continue the six-game roadtrip in Minnesota on Friday, as they face Joe Ryan and the Twins.