The season will not be fairly 1 / 4 previous, however the San Diego Padres are studying a tough fact
Expectations don’t mechanically translate into success.
The Padres misplaced Friday for the third time in 4 conferences towards the Dodgers this season to fall beneath .500. Sure, it is early, however a Padres group that set unseating the Dodgers as Nationwide League West champions as one in every of its 2023 objectives are at the moment nearer to the fourth-place San Francisco Giants than to first place — and even second — within the division
And the Padres have misplaced three straight and 5 of their previous six video games whereas the Dodgers have received three in a row, 5 of the previous six and 11 of 13. Earlier than returning residence Friday to open a six-game homestand, the Dodgers went 4-2 on a visit to San Diego and Milwaukee. Earlier than that, the Dodgers swept a three-game sequence from the reigning NL champion Philadelphia Phillies to finish a 6-0 homestand
“It is at all times a superb signal when you’re enjoying successful baseball towards the more durable groups in your schedule,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “It is early. However I actually like what we’re seeing.
After all, Padres supervisor Bob Melvin hasn’t appreciated what he is been seeing. However he did see some enchancment Friday night time
“We had good power all the sport,” Melvin mentioned. “I assumed we stayed with it nicely. We could not comply with via.”
After all, the Padres nonetheless rank final within the majors in hitting with runners in scoring place and had been 1-for-7 Friday night time
On paper, issues do not get a lot better for the Padres on Saturday in a nationally televised assembly with the Dodgers
The Padres can be sending out their ace in right-hander Joe Musgrove (1-0, 6.75 ERA). The Dodgers will counter with left-hander Julio Urias (4-3, 3.77). This can be a rematch of final Sunday’s sport in San Diego, which resulted in one of many Padres‘ extra brutal defeats of the season
Musgrove held the Dodgers to 1 unearned run on two hits and three walks over 5 innings. The Padres had been holding onto a 2-1 lead within the ninth with Josh Hader one out away from his twelfth save in as many tries when Mookie Betts – who broke a 2-2 tie Friday night time with a homer — went deep to tie the sport. The Dodgers then scored three runs within the tenth to win 5-2 and take yet one more sequence towards the Padrdes
Urias final Sunday held the Padres to 2 runs on eight hits and a stroll with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Urias has a 6-1 profession document and a pair of.27 ERA towards the Padres in 16 video games (11 appearances) with 62 strikeouts and 23 walks in 67 1/3 innings. The Padres have a .196 opponents’ batting common, a .279 on-base share and a .600 OPS towards the 26-year-old Urias
In the meantime, throw out Musgrove’s ERA. With the beginning of his season delayed by a damaged large toe suffered throughout a spring coaching exercise, Musgrove drew the brief straw and, on April 29, began the primary regular-season main league sport ever performed in Mexico Metropolis.
In an 11-homer sport the Padres received 16-11, Musgrove gave up seven runs on six hits (together with three homers) in 3 1/3 innings
–Discipline Degree Media
