The MLB trade deadline is July 31. I don’t think many Padres fans would be upset if they didn’t wait until the last minute to add a few bats.
San Diego left the bases loaded and squandered a golden opportunity to score late in a 4-2 loss to the Nationals on Saturday night in a game that was delayed by more than an hour by thunderstorms in the Washington, DC area.
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Yu Darvish made his third start of the year and it was probably his best one yet. Darvish allowed three runs in 5.0 innings while throwing 69 pitches as he continues to work his way into game shape after missing the first half of the season with an elbow issue. He took the loss because the thing that keeps hampering the Padres offense popped up again.
San Diego scored a pair of runs in the 3rd inning on the strength of doubles from Jose Iglesias and Martin Maldonado and a Luis Arraez RBI single. Aside from that they had several chances and let them all get away.
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In the 5th inning they loaded the bases with two outs against Nats lefty Mitchell Parker, who had to be a little concerned about seeing Manny Machado striding to the plate. Machado hit a grand slam on Friday night, the 13th of his career (the same number Joe DiMaggio hit). This, however, was not Manny’s night. Machado struck out on a slider at the bottom of the strike zone to end the threat.
In the 8th inning it looked like Washington was going to giftwrap the lead for San Diego. Fernando Tatis Jr. led off with a walk. Arraez put down a bunt and catcher Drew Millas made a bad throw to first, allowing the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd with nobody out and the heart of the order coming up.
Machado struck out, Gavin Sheets hit a soft comebacker that pitcher Jose Ferrer snagged and caught up Tatis Jr. in a rundown, and Xander Bogaerts hit a soft liner to right field for the final out of the inning and, as it turned out, the last real chance the Friars had to score.
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The Padres can still win the series on Sunday when Nick Pivetta takes the ball against former Friar MacKenzie Gore.
