Padres playing competitive games won’t be good enough this weekend vs. Dodgers

Last weekend, fans could look at the San Diego Padres series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers one of two ways: One—they lost another series to the Dodgers. Same old story. Or two—they were one out away from winning the series. It was competitive!

I took option number two because I gave the team the benefit of the doubt. Josh Hader was the best reliever in baseball entering Sunday night and the Padres were only three games back in the division even after the series loss. It wasn’t the end of the world.

And yes I know. If they lose this series in Los Angeles it won’t be the end of the world either. However, it will feel different than last weekend because it likely will tell us that the team didn’t respond well enough to Melvin calling them out publicly...and they’d lose further ground in the NL West.

Winning the NL West isn’t what will ultimately define this Padres season but it would give them something they haven’t had since 2006—and that matters.

So are the Padres going to “fight a little harder” this weekend? I’ll be shocked if they don’t.

Today: Blake Snell (SD) vs. Dustin May (LAD)

First Pitch: 7:10 pm PT, Bally Sports San Diego, 97.3 The Fan

Snell’s last outing (May 6): 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 6 K

May’s last outing (May 6): 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K

Saturday: Joe Musgrove (SD) vs. Julio Urias (LAD)

First Pitch: 4:15 pm PT, Fox, 97.3 The Fan

Musgrove’s last outing (May 7): 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Urias’ last outing (May 7): 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Sunday: Michael Wacha (SD) vs. Tony Gonsolin (LAD)

First Pitch: 1:10 pm PT, Bally Sports San Diego, 97.3 The Fan

Wacha’s last outing (May 9): 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Gonsolin’s last outing (May 8): 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K