The San Diego Padres are currently 38-40 on the season, and they have been struggling on the road as of late. The Padres have been on the road for their past two series as they took on the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. New York ended up sweeping San Diego, and after losing games one and two against the Phillies, the Padres road losing streak was up to nine games. They desperately needed to get back on track in game three against Philadelphia, and they did just that with a 5-2 win.
San Diego got out to a good start as Jackson Merrill put them up 1-0 with a home run in the second inning. Bryce Harper quickly had a response as he launched a homer in the third, but a big seventh inning put the Padres up 5-1, and they were able to hold on to get a win to snap the streak. Not only had they lost nine road games in a row, but they had lost five games in a row as well. They needed that win.
“We haven't been able to shake hands as much as we'd like on this road trip,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said after the game, according to an article from ESPN. “They've got a good club, clearly. Maybe the best one in baseball.”
That is high praise from Mike Shildt, and he is right. The Phillies have been tough to beat this year, so that win should give the Padres a little bit of confidence as the series closed.
Matt Waldron had a great start on the rubber
A big reason why the Padres were able to get that win was the start from Matt Waldron on the hill. He lasted seven innings and gave up one earned run on five hits. He walked two and struck out six. Waldron pitched a great game, and Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott gave him credit after the contest.
“His pitches were good,” Bryson Stott said. “They were moving all sorts of ways. We just didn't do it this time around.”
Matt Waldron has been huge for the Padres this season. He has 3.46 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Unlike the Padres as a whole, he has actually been better on the road as he has 3-2 record away from home, and a 2-4 record at home. The Padres are currently in second place in the NL West, but without Waldron, it could be worse. Mike Shildt knows that.
Waldron has gone up against some of the top teams in the MLB this year, and the Phillies are one of those teams. Pitching against the best of the best gives him confidence.
“I just feel like I've faced some of the best teams in the league so that gives me a little bit of confidence going forward,” Waldron said. “No one's really expecting it, so what's there to lose?”
Losing five games in a row certainly didn't help the Padres in terms of the division race. They are trying to catch up with their rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it's going to be extremely difficult. The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, and they are currently nine games up on San Diego.
Still, there is a long season ahead to make up those nine games, and it could be worse after just losing five games in a row. There is plenty of time for the Padres to catch up, but it won't be easy.
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