Padres lose steam late, fall to Dodgers 5-2

For just the second time this season, the Padres (7-5) failed to record at least three runs on the night as they dropped an early 2-0 lead en route to a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers (8-4) at Petco Park on Tuesday night.

San Diego’s bullpen continues to be the team’s squeaky wheel over the past week as it’s struggled to maintain leads late in games. Late last week, the Giants were able to come back from a deficit of 6-2 to win 7-6 before overcoming another 6-1 lead to tie things up before losing in extra innings. The team’s runs scored and runs allowed statistics paint a fairly clear picture about this team and how it’s performing on a nightly basis. After last night’s contest, the Padres are now second in MLB with 66 runs scored after leading the league most of the year. However, they’ve allowed 57 runs in return which is the most by a team with a winning record by six.

Yesterday showed just how fast things can get out of hand when the bats aren’t as hot.

Through the first five innings, things were looking pretty good. Starter Dinelson Lamet was throwing a no-hitter at the time and a big triple by SS Fernando Tatis Jr. had them up 2-0 in the top of the sixth.

With two outs, Lamet started to unravel. He hit 3B Justin Turner with a pitch and then was taken for a base hit by CF Corey Bellinger. SS Corey Seager then proceeded to hit the most perfect single for the moment into centerfield, just narrowly curving away from 2B Greg Garcia’s glove. Turner would score easily, but a handling error by CF Trent Grisham allowed Bellinger to make it home after C Francisco Mejia dropped the throw. That tied things at 2-2.

The Dodgers would go on to score a run in each of the final three innings. Their night was capitalized by LF A.J. Polluck’s solo shot in the ninth to end things at 5-2. Polluck finished 2-for-2 at the plate with the homer, two RBIs, and a run scored.

The Padres were led offensively by Tatis Jr. (1-of-4, triple) and 1B Jake Cronenworth (1-of-4) who hit his first home run of the season. He finished with an RBI and a run scored.

L.A. starter Dustin May was more than solid on the evening, pitching six innings and striking out eight. He also allowed three hits and a pair of runs. CL Kenley Jansen got the save with a single K in the ninth.

Lamet pitched admirably, throwing 5.2 innings while allowing two hits and two runs but only K’d a pair of batters. He finished with an ERA of 1.72. The loss went to Craig Stammen.

The Padres are back in Petco Park this evening at 6:10pm PT to finish their three-game series with the Dodgers.

Starting pitchers are Garrett Richards (0-0) for the Friars and Ross Stripling (2-0) for Los Angeles.